Slight chance for more metro Phoenix monsoon activity the day after disruptive storms
Aug 23, 2024, 8:06 AM | Updated: 8:10 am
Blowing dust was seen in the East Valley on Aug. 22, 2024. (Arizona Department of Transportation Photo)
(Arizona Department of Transportation Photo)
PHOENIX — There’s only a slight chance for more metro Phoenix monsoon activity on Friday after disruptive storms rolled through the area the previous evening.
Sean Benedict of the National Weather Service (NWS) in Phoenix said any new storms are expected to be focused east of metro Phoenix, in Gila and Pinal counties.
“But they still could push an outflow boundary back west, so we could have some breezy winds getting into parts of the metro later in the evening hours. But, for the most part, chances are fairly low in the Phoenix area,” Benedict told KTAR News 92.3 FM early Friday.
[Friday, Aug 23rd] Storms this afternoon will focus mainly across Southeast AZ, east of Phoenix. Storms will be capable of producing strong winds, which could generate dust in Pinal County, and locally heavy rainfall. #azwx pic.twitter.com/lK34cf24qv
— NWS Phoenix (@NWSPhoenix) August 23, 2024
Looking ahead, the forecast for the weekend and early next week calls for mostly sunny skies, with high temperatures in the middle 100s, the normal range for this time of year.
What was the extent of Thursday’s metro Phoenix monsoon activity?
Thursday’s activity, which included wind gusts of up to 60 mph and blowing dust, started up after 4 p.m. It delayed flights at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and temporarily knocked out power for thousands of customers.
428pm: Blowing dust is overspreading the East Valley. Very poor visibility in some areas. Pull Aside, Stay Alive! #azwx pic.twitter.com/hPdDyh3q2I
— NWS Phoenix (@NWSPhoenix) August 22, 2024
“There were multiple very strong downbursts, look like microbursts, around the greater Phoenix area yesterday, generally from Ahwatukee up through Sky Harbor and up through Scottsdale,” Benedict said Friday.
The far East Valley and Queen Creek/San Tan Valley areas also saw strong storms, Benedict added.
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Sky Harbor, which the NWS uses for Phoenix’s official records, received 0.24 inches of rain, making Thursday the city’s second-wettest day of this monsoon season.
Phoenix is up to 0.74 inches for the season, which runs annually from June 15 to Sept. 30. Arizona’s largest city typically gets about 2-3 inches of monsoon rainfall per year. This year’s total is below that so far, but it nearly triples the record-low 2023 monsoon amount of just 0.15 inches.
KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Jim Cross contributed to this report.
