Erica Horvatin tracked Phoenix weather Monday evening as heavy storms moved west and southwest across Arizona, with the Valley expected to see storms later that night. The system had a history of torrential rain, and flash flooding was already developing in parts of Arizona.
Horvatin said the Valley could see blowing dust, damaging wind gusts, and flash flooding as the storms arrive. Quarter and half-dollar-sized hail was reported, and rain was expected to remain possible through the night into the early Tuesday morning commute, when temperatures were expected to fall to around 85 degrees.
Monday night in The Valley
Captain Ashley Losch of the Glendale Fire Department said, "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," giving a practical warning for anyone in the storm path.
The Valley was not expected to get a break right away. Tuesday was expected to be mostly cloudy and mainly dry in the Valley, while storms were expected to pop up in the mountains and High Country Tuesday afternoon.
Tuesday in eastern and northern AZ
A flood watch was expected to be in effect on Tuesday in eastern and northern AZ because of excessive runoff as more rain fell on saturated ground. That setup points to water already on the move, so new rain can push creeks and low-lying areas over quickly even after the hardest storms shift away from the Valley.
The Valley was not expected to see any rain until late Tuesday night, which leaves a short window between the early-day calm and another chance for storms. Phoenix Weather Dust Storm Threatens Valley With 60 mph Winds also tracked the dust risk tied to the same storm pattern.
Valley Thursday to Monday
Storm chances were expected to lower for the Valley Thursday through the weekend even as temperatures heat back into the 110s. An extreme heat warning was expected to be in effect for the Valley and desert from Thursday to Monday, creating a fast turn from storm cleanup to heat precautions.
For people in Phoenix and Scottsdale, that means the immediate focus is Monday night through Tuesday morning, then a shift to heat planning later in the week. Phoenix Weather Forecast rises to 114 degrees before weekend rain chances lines up with the same move toward hotter, drier conditions after the storms ease.
