Rain splashes metro Phoenix while snow returns to high country

PHOENIX — Rain rolled through metro Phoenix on Thursday morning, dropping temperatures into the 60s.

The West Valley, especially Glendale, took the brunt of the storm system with three-tenths of an inch as of noon in some areas. Heavier rainfall of over half and inch fell further west near the White Tank Mountains.

Nearly a half an inch of rain splashed down south of Lake Pleasant.

The rain came into the Valley from the southwest, working its way northeast through Phoenix.

Dozens of flights were delayed at Phoenix Sky Harbor due to the storm and nearly 1,000 APS customers lost power.

When storms picked up later in the evening, some sections of the West Valley even saw quarter-sized hail.

Did it snow in Flagstaff?

Meanwhile, Arizonans in the high country experienced another round of snow.

A post from the National Weather Service in Flagstaff showed a light dusting as of 8:30 a.m.

It is getting fairly snowy here and there, up in the high country this morning. Snow showers will be active today, there will be some melting between showers, but snow could be heavy at times this afternoon. A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued. #azwx pic.twitter.com/K31uj5993c

— NWS Flagstaff (@NWSFlagstaff) March 7, 2024

Rainy start to 2024

Phoenix has accumulated 2.05 inches of rain so far in 2024 at Sky Harbor Airport where NWS uses for official readings, nearly half the total seen in 2024.

In February alone, Phoenix saw 1.32 inches.

All of that rain has added up to higher totals for the state’s reservoirs.

Salt River Project’s reservoirs, which the utility uses to feed the metro Phoenix water system, were 83% full as of Feb. 14, up from 79% at this time last year.

Quarter-sized hail in the Valley

Pockets of the West Valley were issued a severe thunderstorm warning by NWS, which said 50-mph winds and quarter-sized hail could hit some areas.

Rainfall totals surpassed an inch in parts of Surprise, where much of the hail ended up.

As of 5 p.m., the rainfall total at Sky Harbor Airport had reached 0.15 inches, deemed “quite possibly” the total for the day by NWS.

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