Arizona Monsoon Starts with Rain, Phoenix Weather Holds Near 110
Arizona’s monsoon season began June 15, and phoenix weather brought passing showers and storms into parts of the Valley before dawn Monday. Rain moved across the Southwest Valley and into the Southeast Valley, then faded early in the morning.
By Monday evening, Phoenix had about a 20% chance of storms, with the high forecast at 108 degrees. Overnight lows were expected to slip to the mid 80s to near 90, even as another round of 110-degree heat was forecast for Tuesday.
Losch on Valley storms
Captain Ashley Losch of the Glendale Fire Department said the Valley can see fast-changing storms during the season. “Most Valley residents know how quickly and furiously storms can move in and out, bringing strong winds, dust, rain, and flash flooding.”
She also said, “These storms can cause interruptions in services, such as water, power, and gas.” That warning matched the weather pattern already moving across Arizona, where parts of the state were under flash flood warnings and an extreme heat warning covered parts of the Grand Canyon.
Phoenix heat and storm chances
The forecast kept heat at the center of the week. Phoenix was expected to reach 109 degrees on Wednesday, with only a 10% chance of showers on Thursday and highs around 107 degrees on Thursday and Friday. The Valley was then forecast to be near 105 degrees over the weekend.
Scattered thunderstorms were expected to build over the higher elevations of northern and eastern Arizona before drifting toward the Valley. The main risk for Phoenix was not a long rain event but brief storms that could bring gusty conditions, patchy blowing dust and lightning while temperatures stayed above 100 degrees.
June 15 to September 30
Arizona’s monsoon season runs from June 15 to September 30, and Monday’s start came with rain in Phoenix-area neighborhoods rather than just the calendar date. For residents, the immediate read is simple: a short chance of storms does not ease the heat, and the strongest impacts can arrive fast enough to affect travel, utilities and outdoor plans in the same day.
