Extreme heat continued in the Phoenix-metro area Thursday, and the weather forecast called for Phoenix to reach about 114 degrees before weekend moisture starts lifting rain chances. Extreme heat warnings also continued for southern Arizona through Thursday evening.
Wednesday already reached 113 degrees in Phoenix, and Thursday was expected to start dry and sunny before showers and thunderstorms developed over the mountains of eastern Arizona later in the day. Rain chances in Phoenix were then projected to rise from 10% Saturday night to 20% Sunday and 20–30% next Monday.
Eastern Arizona storms Thursday
Thunderstorms in eastern Arizona were expected to continue through the evening and end overnight, with the White Mountains seeing the heaviest storm activity. Storms in the Mazatzal and Superstition Mountains were sending outflow boundaries westward toward the east Valley and Pinal County.
That setup put the east Valley and Pinal County at risk for gusty winds up to 35 mph, blowing dust and an isolated shower until around 9 p.m. A northwest wind was also expected to keep dragging storms along the northeast to southeast portions of Arizona ahead of the weekend shift.
Valley heat before Monsoon moisture
People in the Valley and southern Arizona are facing the sharpest change over a short span: 110+ degrees now, then higher rain chances once Monsoon moisture starts moving into the state on Saturday and Sunday. High pressure centered to the southwest was expected to build over the Mountain West by the weekend, shaping the shift in conditions across the region.
Minneapolis Weather forecast turns to 84 Saturday, triple-digit heat next week, and the pattern there is a reminder that weekend swings can arrive fast. Here, the practical question is simpler: whether the Valley sees measurable rain or only a small bump in chances as the weekend unfolds.
For now, the clearest action is timing. Thursday brings the hottest stretch, late-day storms stay focused farther east, and the Valley’s better rain odds do not arrive until Saturday night and Sunday.
