Rain falls on Halloween in Phoenix for just 12th time in recorded history

It’s been one of the wettest Octobers on record in Phoenix, and Halloween was no outlier: for just the 12th time in recorded history, it rained on the holiday, according to the National Weather Service.

Saturday’s precipitation was the first measurable rainfall in Phoenix on Halloween since 1987, when 0.13 inches accumulated.

The only time records showed it rained more than 1 inch was in 1957, when it was recorded at 1.05 inches.

That means this Halloween’s rainfall was just as much record-setting as it was rare, as the Valley received significant rain: the official reading at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport measured 0.92 inches since Friday, but many other parts of the metro area saw significantly higher totals. Scottsdale, for example, measured over 4 inches of rain in certain neighborhoods.

Flooding and power outages in the area have affected residents throughout the weekend, with certain roads becoming impassable.

Up north, rainfall had an even greater effect, as authorities issued several counties emergency evacuation orders due to heavy flooding.

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