Metro Phoenix could see another round of monsoon storms, according to forecast

PHOENIX – There’s a good chance that parts of metro Phoenix will see another round of monsoon storms on Wednesday.

“It looks like we’re going to have some pretty good thunderstorm activity … initially down in the southeastern part of the state,” Alex Young of the National Weather Service (NWS) in Phoenix told KTAR News 92.3 FM early Wednesday. “As things progress up to the northwest, it looks like our storm chances will increase late this afternoon and in the evening hours.”

The onset of the activity could be delayed, Young noted, if the daytime conditions include widespread cloud coverage.

A complex of storms is expected to develop in SE AZ this afternoon. Activity will push NW this evening, with some activity expected to survive into the lower deserts, including Phoenix. Additional storms are possible through the overnight & early morning hours on Thursday. #azwx pic.twitter.com/syaD4WJDAM

— NWS Phoenix (@NWSPhoenix) August 21, 2024

Regardless of the start time, Young said the thunderstorms have the potential to produce “pretty good” amounts of rain.

“Since those chances are … around 30-40%, some places could see nothing and other places could see upwards of a half an inch or more,” he explained.

The chance for additional storm activity is in the forecast for late Wednesday and early Thursday, too.

Some parts of metro Phoenix saw overnight monsoon storms

In a possible preview of Wednesday’s weather, scattered showers fell when monsoon storms popped up across the region around midnight Tuesday.

“We got anywhere from a few hundredths of an inch in the Mesa area to up to even a quarter-inch, it looks like, in the northern Scottsdale area,” Young said.

North Phoenix and the Sun City area also had spots with at least 0.2 inches.

The overnight precipitation missed Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, which the NWS uses for the city’s official records.

12:12 AM MST Radar Update: A few storms have popped up over the Phoenix Metro. These storms contain localized heavy downpours, excessive lightning, and some gusty winds. #azwx pic.twitter.com/ddviM8I3YY

— NWS Phoenix (@NWSPhoenix) August 21, 2024

Sky Harbor has seen 0.5 inches so far this monsoon season, which runs annually from June 15 to Sept. 30. That’s well above last year’s record-low monsoon total of 0.15 inches, although Phoenix typically sees 2-3 inches of rain during the season.

How hot will it be in metro Phoenix in the coming days?

The forecast calls for daily high temperatures in the low to middle 100s through the weekend, with sunny skies Friday-Sunday.

Phoenix’s record streak of consecutive triple-digit days, which started on May 27, hit 86 days and counting on Tuesday. The previous record of 76 days was set in 1993.

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

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