Phoenix to ring in the new year with rain, high country to get more snow

PHOENIX — If your New Year’s resolution is to spend more time outside, this weekend in Phoenix may not provide the best weather conditions.

Steady rain will blanket the Valley on Sunday, the first day of 2023, according to the National Weather Service.

Rain chances are at 100% on New Year’s Day, with some areas potentially receiving up to an inch of precipitation.

A brief drying trend with near normal temps on Saturday. A stronger system will bring us rain and a chance of storms with gusty winds Sunday. Higher elevation snow is possible Sun-Mon. Another system will reach the area Tuesday bringing snow to the high terrains🌨🏔. #azwx pic.twitter.com/IplIFaR8Ec

— NWS Phoenix (@NWSPhoenix) December 30, 2022

“Everybody’s going to get rain and it’ll be a full 6-8 hour period of rain through the whole area,” Chris Kuhlman, a meteorologist with NWS in Phoenix, told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Friday.

Kuhlman said the rainfall will be steady from around sunrise until early- to mid-afternoon.

Those who go out to celebrate the turn of the year on Saturday night could be the first ones to see precipitation during the weekend.

Rain chances are 40% after 11 p.m. on New Year’s Eve.

Temperatures are expected to be cool throughout the weekend, with Saturday’s high forecast at 67 degrees before a drop to 61 degrees on Saturday.

Lows are expected to be 54 degrees on Saturday and 46 degrees on Sunday, according to NWS.

Phoenix won’t be the only place in the state that’ll be hit with precipitation over the weekend.

Flagstaff could get up to seven inches of snow on Sunday, sparking a winter storm watch that will be in effect from 5 a.m. that day until 11 a.m. Monday.

The northern Arizona city has already had a busy week of weather after the airport was hit with 6.5 inches of snow on Wednesday.

Weekend temperatures there will be chilly with highs at 42 degrees on Saturday and 38 degrees on Sunday. Saturday’s low is forecast to be 28 degrees before dropping to 20 degrees on Sunday.

The Grand Canyon, Sedona and Prescott will also be greeted with precipitation to start the new year.

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

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