Arizona posts sixth-driest January to July on record

PHOENIX — It’s no secret Arizona has been dry so far in 2014, but a study showed it was one of the driest seven month spans on record.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration, the period between January and July of this year was the sixth-driest on record.

During the dry spell, Arizona only received 50 percent of its average precipitation. That was especially felt in the Valley. Phoenix received just .06 inches of rain — 6 percent of normal — and posted a top 10 streak for days without rain.

However, that dry spell looks to be coming to an end. After a climatologist predicted a wet end to the monsoon season (traditionally seen as Sept. 30), Phoenix was pounded by storms Tuesday. The South Mountain area received the brunt, with 3.55 inches falling in a 24-hour period.