Phoenix has first wet Christmas since 2008; more rainfall on way

PHOENIX – Usually, Phoenix residents who prefer precipitation can only dream of a wet Christmas.

But this year’s holiday brought some uncommon weather to the Valley, with rare rainfall and unusually chilly temperatures.

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport saw .22 inches of rain Wednesday, the first measurable Christmas Day precipitation in more than a decade, according to the National Weather Service.

It was Phoenix’s wettest Dec. 25 since 1994, when .63 inches fell. The city saw rainfall on the date for the first time since 2008 and just the 15th time ever recorded, the agency said.

To add to Wednesday’s holiday feeling, the temperature peaked at 57 degrees. That was 8 degrees below normal and matched the daily high in Chicago, a city synonymous with wintry Christmases.

Most of the Valley got wet Wednesday, with some areas getting two or three times more rain than the airport.

And more is on the way.

After a partly sunny day Thursday, there’s a 90% chance for rain in the evening forecast. The chances remain high at 70% for Friday morning before things start to dry out by around noon.

The next round of showers begins late afternoon or evening on Thursday for #Phoenix. The Valley could see 0.25-0.5" of rain through Friday morning. Southwest AZ and Southeast CA could get more rain than Phoenix! Joshua Tree National Park could see 1 to 2 ft. of snow! #AZWX #CAWX pic.twitter.com/ShTCKlwHk9

— NWS Phoenix (@NWSPhoenix) December 26, 2019

“It’s a little bit of a stronger system than the one that just went through,” Bianca Hernandez of the National Weather Service told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Thursday.

Additionally, high temperatures are expected hover around the mid-50s through the weekend.

As for the next holiday?

“There are some hints of another system coming in for New Year’s Eve,” Hernandez said.

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

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