Another blast of cold air to hit metro Phoenix this week, but relief is in sight

PHOENIX – Valley residents should brace for another blast of chilly air this week before temperatures return to normal for this time of year.

A cold front from the Pacific Northwest is expected to hit metro Phoenix on Thursday morning, Gabriel Lojero of the National Weather Service in Phoenix told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Wednesday morning.

“We’re going to have another period of widespread freezing temperatures, once again, as we head into Friday, where most areas are going to drop into the low 30s,” Lojero said.

The well below normal temperatures will persist across the Desert Southwest into the weekend. Another cold weather system will pass through the region on Thursday bringing chances for light precipitation and another round of freezing temperatures Friday morning. #azwx #cawx pic.twitter.com/FCql1S9b60

— NWS Phoenix (@NWSPhoenix) January 10, 2024

Thursday’s disturbance could bring light precipitation, with a 50% chance for showers during the morning.

Valley temperatures have topped out in the 50s all week, with overnight lows in the 30s. A freeze warning was in effect Wednesday morning across much of central and western Arizona, including the Phoenix area.

If you’ve had your fill of the Sonoran Desert version of winter weather, relief is in sight.

“There’s hints that probably by next week there may be a gradual warm-up, and we may have our temperatures actually return back to near-normal levels, which is upper 60s for this time of the year,” Lojero said. “So, there’s some light at the end of the tunnel.”

What it is the upcoming weather forecast for northern Arizona?

Meanwhile, widespread snowfall is expected late Wednesday into Thursday morning across northern Arizona.

“That’s going to make travel conditions hazardous at times,” Valerie Meola of the National Weather Service in Flagstaff told KTAR News on Wednesday morning. “There could be some heavier snowfall rates as well, again. It’s already cold out there. The ground is already cold. So as the snow falls, it should stick pretty easily.”

The quiet before the storm….Enjoy the relatively quiet weather through this afternoon before our next system arrives. Snow moves in late & lasts through Thurs. Winds pick up this afternoon & continue through Thurs. Behind the system, expect very cold temps Friday AM. #azwx pic.twitter.com/yKDpHD0rmq

— NWS Flagstaff (@NWSFlagstaff) January 10, 2024

Snow could accumulate in altitudes as low as 2,500 feet in some areas, Meola said.

“Be prepared, have emergency kits in your car, have warm clothes and extra things in case there happens to be any issues and you do get stuck,” she said.

How has the weather been across the country?

Arizona is getting off relatively easy compared to much of the nation.

A major storm drenched the Northeast and slammed it with fierce winds, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands following a bout of violent weather that struck most of the U.S.

The storm, which started Tuesday night and was moving out Wednesday, washed out roads and took down trees and power lines. Wind gusts reached 45 mph to 55 mph and more windy weather was expected throughout Wednesday.

It followed a day of tornadoes and deadly accidents in the South and blizzards in the Midwest and Northwest.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Jim Cross and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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