Cold front moves into Valley, bringing early scattered showers, lower temperatures

PHOENIX — Scattered rainfall dampened roads in parts of metro Phoenix on Friday morning as a cold front hit the area.

A narrow band of showers moved through the Valley from the west starting just before 5 a.m. The wet part of the system cleared the region by 10 a.m.

“The next main concern is going to be the gusty winds as we are expecting strong wind gusts as we head into this afternoon. We can see peak gusts as high as 30, 35 miles per hour, and then the winds should relax as we head into this evening,” Gabriel Lojero of the National Weather Service in Phoenix told KTAR News 92.3 FM.

Most of the Valley areas that did receive rain saw under 0.1 inches, although over a half-inch came down in higher terrains to the north and east.

Only a trace amount (under 0.01 inches) was reported at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, which the NWS uses for the city’s official readings. That means Aug. 22, when 0.24 inches came down, is still the last time measurable rain fell at the airport.

Cold front bringing temperatures down, but not for long

Although the cold front didn’t produce much rain, it is bringing temperatures down to levels not seen since mid-April.

“In fact, we’re calling for a high of 79 for Sky Harbor for today,” Lojero said Friday morning. “Most areas are going to remain under 80 degrees for a high and then tomorrow’s going to be the coolest day of the week. We are only expecting highs in the low to middle 70s.”

The cooldown isn’t expected to last long, however.

“Starting on Sunday and continuing into next week, we’re going to be on a strong warming trend once again,” Lojero said. “In fact, by the middle of next week we might see temperatures, once again, approaching the triple digits.”

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

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