Incoming storm likely to bring hard rain to parts of metro Phoenix rest of week

PHOENIX – It may be time to batten down the hatches in metro Phoenix – quite a bit of rain could be landing over the next few days, harder in some places than others, forecasters said.

The National Weather Service said that thunderstorm chances reach their peak Friday night into Saturday morning at 80%. The numbers begin racing upward Wednesday after 9 p.m. at 60% up to 70% by Thursday night.

“This could be one of our bigger rainfalls events [of the monsoon storm season],” Phoenix bureau meteorologist Isaac Smith told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Wednesday.

There will be an increasing potential for thunderstorms over the next few days, with a heightened threat for heavy rainfall and flash flooding Friday into Saturday. #azwx pic.twitter.com/8yCalldlzH

— NWS Phoenix (@NWSPhoenix) August 17, 2022

“We could be seeing more widespread amounts, over an inch, potentially,” he said.

Historically, that kind of rainfall generally triggers localized flooding in many areas.

Lightning is expected to accompany the rain along with gusty winds. The driving factor behind the heavier rainfall is a weather system coming from Texas, Smith said, and it will affect a good portion of the state.

The weather service’s monsoon outlook for northern Arizona noted that heavy rainfall could lead to flash flooding.

From June 15 to Aug. 1, the gauge at Flagstaff Airport recorded 3.82 inches of rain, according to the weather service earlier this month. During an average monsoon storm season, the total is 3.02 inches.

In July, the Coconino County Board of Supervisors approved a transfer of $5 million to the flood control district to deal with monsoonal flooding issues.

Steady and heavy rain has inundated neighborhoods in the shadow of mountains that burned in recent years.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Jim Cross and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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