Will Phoenix finally see some rain this weekend? Maybe
Jul 21, 2023, 11:57 AM | Updated: 1:44 pm
"Elvis," a Galapagos tortoise, is sprayed with water as staff at the Phoenix Zoo take extra measures to keep animals and guests cool during a record heat wave. It hasn't rained in Phoenix in over four months. (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
(Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
PHOENIX — Remember rain? It’s been awhile, but Phoenix might actually see some in the coming days for the first time in over four months.
Unfortunately, it’s far from a sure bet.
Monsoonal moisture will increase this weekend, bringing chances of shower and thunderstorms back into the picture. Rain chances will be mainly confined to the higher terrain on Saturday, spreading into the lower deserts on Sunday. #azwx pic.twitter.com/sLNz0OP4ZK
— NWS Phoenix (@NWSPhoenix) July 21, 2023
“Looks like our best chances are Sunday, around 20-25% chance, and then Monday around a 15% chance, and then primarily 10% or less chance going through the middle of next week,” Alex Young, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Phoenix, told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Friday morning.
When was the last time it rained in Phoenix?
Phoenix last saw measurable rain on March 22, 120 days ago as of Thursday. It’s the city’s sixth-longest streak without rain, per National Weather Service data that dates back to 1896.
We are now going on 4 months or 120 days without measurable rainfall at Phoenix Sky Harbor. This is now the 6th longest stretch of dry weather since record keeping began. Hopefully our luck will change soon! #azwx pic.twitter.com/SS6cOoBVoL
— NWS Phoenix (@NWSPhoenix) July 21, 2023
While it’s possible that Phoenix goes dry for June and July for just the second time ever, the record for the longest streak without rain appears safe.
“If we wanted to be number one, we’d have to go basically all the way through August with no rain,” Young said. “So, very unlikely that’ll happen.”
Phoenix heat wave keeps breaking records
In addition to the rainless streak, Phoenix is, of course, in midst of an unprecedented heat wave as a high-pressure system lingers over the area.
Friday was the 22nd day in a row with temperatures of at least 110, extending a record set earlier this week.
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Thursday’s high at Sky Harbor International Airport was 119 degrees for the second consecutive day and the seventh time ever. It also was the fourth consecutive day of at least 115 degrees, two shy of the record six-day streak from June 2021.
Friday’s forecast called for more of the same, with the National Weather Service giving a 70-80% chance of reaching the daily record of 118 degrees. If it gets to 119 again, it would be Phoenix’s fifth straight day with a record high for the date.
The highs are expected to dip a few degrees after Friday as moisture levels rise — but still remain above 110 for the foreseeable future.
Another record high of 119F is in the forecast for Phoenix this afternoon. Please keep heat safety in mind today as the HeatRisk remains at major to extreme levels! #azwx pic.twitter.com/4oYen6gHin
— NWS Phoenix (@NWSPhoenix) July 21, 2023
