Cold front expected in Valley with scattered showers, strong winds, cooler temperatures

PHOENIX – A cold front is expected to arrive in metro Phoenix on Monday night, bringing along scattered showers, strong winds and cooler temperatures.

Rain could start falling in some areas while the evening commute is underway, but the best chances – up to 80% — will be during the overnight hours.

“Amounts (of rainfall) will not be particularly heavy, maybe a 10th to a quarter of an inch at most out of this,” Mark O’Malley of the National Weather Service (NWS) in Phoenix told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Monday morning.

However, O’Malley warned that the system could produce disruptive winds.

“You do want to secure any items outside that would blow away,” he said. “We could see some temporary wind gusts 30 to 40 miles per hour overnight.”

A cold front will progress from W to E across our region tonight resulting in a broken line of showers. Not everyone will see rainfall. The main impacts with these showers will be gusty winds up to 30-40 mph, so secure any loose items before heading to bed tonight. #azwx #cawx pic.twitter.com/Wvjn5wgtiL

— NWS Phoenix (@NWSPhoenix) February 16, 2026

How long will cold front affect metro Phoenix weather?

Temperature-wise, the forecast calls for a high in the mid-70s on Monday. But the cold front will create the Valley’s chilliest conditions in several weeks.

“By tomorrow (Tuesday) morning, skies will begin clearing with the rain moving off to the east, but cooler temperatures will be in store for the remainder of the week with daily highs only in the middle to upper 60s and overnight lows into the 40s,” O’Malley said.

O’Malley said the Valley could see unsettled conditions later in the week, too.

“But rain chances aren’t particularly high. … We do warm up over the weekend and early next week, (with) much warmer and dry conditions with high temperatures by the beginning of the next week into the lower 80s,” he said.

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, which the NWS uses for the city’s official records, hasn’t seen measurable rainfall since Jan. 8, although trace amounts fell on Jan. 22.

A weather disturbance late last week brought light showers to the outskirts of the Valley, mainly to the north and east.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s John Roller contributed to this report.

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