Phoenix’s 2021 monsoon season ends with second-most days of rain in history
Oct 1, 2021, 5:43 AM | Updated: 9:46 am
A man walks past running waters of a flash flood from a monsoon rainstorm, which was made worse by the quick runoff from the denuded landscape of the burn scar of a major wildfire upslope, on August 18, 2021 in Roosevelt, Arizona. Unexpectedly heavy monsoon thunderstorms have brought a mix of some much needed drought relief as well as destructive rains. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
(Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
PHOENIX — The monsoon season returned to the Valley with a bang in 2021, finishing up Thursday after producing one of the highest totals for rain days ever.
After back-to-back underwhelming years, Phoenix finished with 23 days of rainfall during the monsoon season that started June 15.
That total ranks second behind 24 days in 1896 when record keeping began, the National Weather Service said.
Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport received 4.20 inches of rain during the monsoon season, the most since 6.34 inches fell in 2014 and third-most in the past two decades.
The average rainfall in Phoenix during the monsoon season is 2.43 inches.
September 30th marks the end of #MonsoonSeason for Arizona. We thought it would only be fitting to recognize the team that went above and beyond to help the citizens of Maricopa County. This year’s #monsoon season displayed some of the most intense, dangerous, and… pic.twitter.com/KcZxIncMt6
— Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (@mcsoaz) September 30, 2021
Only 1 inch of rain was recorded during the monsoon season of 2020 and .66 inches the previous year.
The added rainy weather in metro Phoenix also dropped the number of triple-digit temperature days during the summer months, giving Valley residents some much-needed relief after record-breaking heat last year.
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Phoenix hit triple digits for the first time May 5 and has had 104 days of a high temperature above 100 degrees. That’s still below the recent historical average of 111 days and a far cry from the record 145 days in 2020.
The Valley has had only 22 days where the temperature surpassed 110 degrees, much lower than 53 last year.
It’s possible Phoenix has seen its last triple-digit day. Typically, the final 100 degree day is Oct. 5; the forecast for next week only carries up to a 20% chance the mercury will get that high.
Has Phoenix seen its last triple digit temperatures for the year? It is possible, but by no means a certainty. #azwx pic.twitter.com/gdIq4I0aSD
— NWS Phoenix (@NWSPhoenix) September 30, 2021
It was a rainy monsoon season not just in Phoenix but across the state.
Tucson recorded 12.78 inches, 7 inches above average and third-wettest in city history.
Flagstaff got 10.82 inches of rain, more than 2 inches above average.
KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Jim Cross contributed to this report.
