Downpours aside, monsoon season in Phoenix will finish below rainfall average

PHOENIX – Some places got lots of rain, some places got less, but as the Arizona monsoon season pushes out its last sigh Friday, Phoenix will finish at just about average rainfall and cooler temperatures, weather experts said.

The season, which began June 15, wraps up at shortly before midnight. Barring unexpected rainfall before then, the gauge at Phoenix Sky Harbor will finish at 2.23 inches of rain, third-worst in the past 11 years.

This year’s total is two-tenths below the Phoenix monsoon season average of 2.42 inches.

“Big picture, we did reasonably well,” National Weather Service Phoenix bureau meteorologist Austin Jamison told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Friday.

Smaller picture, some areas around and near the Valley amassed precipitation like hoarders. Apache Junction collected 8.71 inches of rain and Globe had 7.94 inches.

Typically, Apache Junction averages 3.92 inches of rain and Globe around 6 inches.

“There’s always a big range of rainfall totals across the metro area,” Jamison said.

The rest of The Valley got enough rain to keep temperatures down all summer.

“Because we did have lingering precipitation and thunderstorm activities that produced clouds, we didn’t see these big, long stretches of the 110s and teens like we can see sometimes,” Jamison said.

On the year, though, as of Friday, the Valley had 113 days of at least 100 degrees, but remember: there was 145 days of 100 degrees or more in 2020.

The high today at Sky Harbor was 101 degrees…5 degrees above the normal for the date and the 113th 100+ day of 2022. #azwx pic.twitter.com/Q767TVhych

— NWS Phoenix (@NWSPhoenix) September 29, 2022

Temperatures are expected to stay under 100 degrees this weekend and into next week. The highs Friday through Tuesday are expected to reach at least 98 degrees, which is slightly above normal, the weather service said.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Jim Cross contributed to this report.

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