Monsoon activity arrives in Phoenix area, bringing rain, high winds

PHOENIX – The first monsoon activity of the year arrived in metro Phoenix on Thursday with afternoon rain and chances of increased wind and dust.

Some droplets had fallen around the Valley in the early morning, but real rain had a 40% chance of making an appearance in the evening, the National Weather Service in Phoenix predicted.

A significant weather advisory and a severe thunderstorm warning were activated for parts of the West Valley starting in the noon hour as rain started falling in the area.

Around 2:50 p.m., the National Weather Service in Phoenix issued a flash flood warning for Maricopa County that will remain in effect until 7 p.m.

“This is the best setup for widespread precipitation we’ve had so far this monsoon season,” University of Arizona climatologist Mike Crimmins told KTAR News 92.3 FM.

NOW: It's coming down over I-10 in the West Valley. Slow down, use your lights and don't tailgate. MORE: https://t.co/7ddjFuVSsx pic.twitter.com/XNFP2j8FRw

— Arizona DOT (@ArizonaDOT) July 23, 2020

“At this point, any rain will stave off short-term drought conditions deepening further across the state,” he said.

The rain won’t be good news everywhere in Arizona, though.

The Bush and Bighorn fires wreaked havoc with natural flood barriers – vegetation.

Showers and t-storms expected through Saturday. Isolated to scattered storms for Phoenix today with blowing dust and gusty winds. Scattered storms with locally heavy rainfall expected further east. Flash Flood Watch in effect from Noon to 10 PM for fire burn scars. #AZWX pic.twitter.com/GaBT5QPFDy

— NWS Phoenix (@NWSPhoenix) July 23, 2020

“If we get these storms over these areas, we’d expect to see flashy flows in some of the normally dry washes – even moreso than we’d see during sort of normal flash-flooding danger that can emerge in some of these areas,” Crimmins said.

More than 460,000 acres have burned in Arizona wildfires this year. The Bush Fire whipped through over 193,000 acres in the Tonto National Forest northeast of Phoenix. It ranks as the fifth-largest fire in state history.

The Bighorn Fire in the Catalina Mountains near Tucson ate up over 119,000 acres of the Coronado National Forest.

“We’ve already seen some ash come down with locally heavy rain from the Catalinas,” Crimmins said.

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

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