End of Phoenix’s 110-degree streak could be close with rain chances in forecast

PHOENIX — The end of the unprecedented heat streak that has battered Phoenix for a month might be near as increased rain chances could soon bring high temperatures under 110 degrees.

“We’re looking at a big pattern shift coming in, a wave entering from Mexico, dragging a bunch of moisture in here,” National Weather Service meteorlogist Mark O’Malley told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Thursday.

“So as early as Saturday evening could see some storms around the metro area and that will really set the stage. One of the days, either Saturday or Sunday over the weekend, could be quite busy across the metro,” he said.

Chances for rainfall in the Phoenix area over the weekend were between 50-60% as of Thursday, according to NWS.

Will this storm be different than the last?

The storm could bring rainfall, strong winds, blowing dust and other characteristics typically seen at the height of the monsoon season, O’Malley said.

“With this intrusion of moisture and all these storms, it looks like our high temperatures will finally fall below 110 degrees, if not Sunday, by Monday,” he said.

“We’ll only be looking at temperatures just around 105 degrees, and then the overnight lows back down into the 80s with the chance, if you get a good storm, you could see some temperatures in the 70s, so finally getting into the more wet period of the monsoon.”

Although parts of metro Phoenix recorded rain Wednesday night during the first monsoon storm of the season, more than half the Valley didn’t get any precipitation.

Sky Harbor International Airport, which the National Weather Service uses for its official Phoenix readings, stayed dry, but the storm knocked the temperature down from 108 degrees at 9:50 p.m. to 88 degrees at 11 p.m.

The last time rain was measured at the airport was March 22, a span of 126 days.

“This was kind of the precursor and just the preview of what we’ll see. We might have a couple days, today and Friday, where it’s not quite as active but this is just a taste of what’s to come,” O’Malley said.

Here’s an overview of Phoenix’s weather in July 2023

The weather forecast for the coming days could end the longest heat streak of 110-degree high temperatures, which reached 28 consecutive days on Thursday.

One record streak ended Wednesday when the temperature in Phoenix fell under 90 degrees for the first time since July 9, ending a 16-day run with lows at 90 or above.

An excessive heat warning went into effect in Phoenix on July 1 and has been extended several times. It’s scheduled to expire at 8 p.m. Saturday.

Phoenix is also on track to recording its hottest month in history. The average temperature for July was 102.9 degrees as of Tuesday, superseding the previous hottest month, which was August 2020 when the average was 99.1 degrees.

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

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