Phoenix Weather

[Mike M]

Here are the latest conditions and the forecast for the Phoenix area.

[Localonthe8s]

Great job!

[NYCTWCjunkie]

I second that notion. 

[lfmusiclover]

I third it!  8)

[Mike M]

Glad you guys like it.

[NYCTWCjunkie]

The recent start of the monsoon season couldn't come soon enough for the desert southwest of the United States.
Scattered showers and a few thunderstorms have made its way into drought-stricken Arizona, including Phoenix.
During this late Monday night, there are very isolated areas of light showers, but nothing significant. While it is
slightly milder and overcast in the western two-thirds of the valley and the showers being on the southeast side,
it is clear and a few degrees or so cooler on the northeast side (evident in the Phoenix metropolitan area
current conditions weather map).

Although being a small chance of it happening, the threat of more showers and thunderstorms is in the forecast
for later today with high temperatures just above the century mark.

I have not added the transparent byline on the photo yet, but to give the appropriate copyright credit,
the current conditions graphic page background is by Pupkin at Flickr.

PLEASE NOTE:
Glendale Municipal Airport did not submit their latest weather observations at the time of this post,
so Luke Air Force Base has been moved from the regional observations graphics pages to being posted on
the Phoenix metropolitan area weather map for Glendale's latest observations. Cave Creek, Arizona also had
its reporting site not submitting their latest weather update, so I used Gila Bend, Arizona as well as
Casa Grande, Arizona for the regional observations list.



























Phoenix metropolitan area radar as of 10:45 PM Mountain Standard Time
(courtesy of The Weather Channel)...

[Localonthe8s]

Great job!

[NYCTWCjunkie]

Thanks!

Within the last 6 to 8 hours, some areas of monsoon rain fell in the Valley of the Sun. To catch you up to speed,
check out Phoenix's local television coverage on the heavy rains that fell in parts of the region.

KSAZ-TV (Phoenix) (July 31):
Heavy rain pounds the Valley

KPNX-TV (Phoenix) (July 31):
More humidity will lead to more storms

[NYCTWCjunkie]

THE WEATHER OBSERVATIONS POSTED BELOW AREN'T CURRENT. THEY ARE FROM EARLIER IN THE DAY.

This is expected to be the hottest day of the week in the Valley of the Sun this afternoon.

Temperatures are expected to be near record high readings for today's date and it could do the same tomorrow.
Many locations are already above the century mark at this midday hour, so we'll see how hot it will get today.
There is a Heat Advisory in effect for the Phoenix metropolitan area until 8:00 PM Mountain Standard Time tonight.

Sky Harbor International Airport is close to setting a new all-time record for most 110°+ days in a single year.
Please note I'm only including yearly totals. I'll add the monthly breakdown once I figure out how to post them
where columns are aligned. The following information is directly from the National Weather Service.

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE - PHOENIX, AZ
8:55 AM MST WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2007
 
2007 COULD SET RECORD FOR MOST 110°+ DAYS AT PHOENIX...
 
Through August 21st, there have been 27 days with a high temperature of 110° or greater at
Sky Harbor International Airport. This ties 1936, 1974, 1985 and 1989 as the 3rd most on record.
The most on record is 28, which occurred in 1979 and 2002. See Table 1 below for additional information.

However, summer 2007 is far from over.  The latest observed 110° or greater temperature occurred
on September 15, 2000, meaning there is nearly a month-long window remaining when 110°+ temperatures
are climatologically possible. With high temperatures forecast to remain near 110° through the end of this week,
there is a high probability that 2007 will set the new record.
 
Have 110°+ days been increasing over the years?  Yes, based on observed maximum temperatures for Phoenix
from 1896 through 2007. See Table 2 below for additional information. Possible reasons for this trend include
urbanization and regional/global climate change.
 
TABLE 1 - TOP 10 YEARS WITH HIGHS OF 110° OR GREATER AT PHOENIX

T-1.  1979 and 2002... 28
T-3.  1936, 1974, 1985, 1989, 2007*... 27
   8.  2003... 26
T-9.  1981 and 1995... 25

*through August 21, 2007
All-time monthly record is in June 1974 and July 1989.


TABLE 2 - ANNUAL FREQUENCY OF 110°+ DAYS BY DECADE

1890s... 5.3 per year
1900s...    5.2 per year
1910s...    3.8 per year
1920s...    7.7 per year
1930s...   11.8 per year
1940s...    7.2 per year
1950s...    6.7 per year
1960s...   10.3 per year
1970s...   17.0 per year
1980s...   19.0 per year
1990s...   13.6 per year
2000s...   21.9 per year*

*through August 21, 2007

[NYCTWCjunkie]

After reaching a high temperature of 109° in Phoenix yesterday, the new record was not set for most days of 110°
or higher in a single year. While it is forecast to reach 109° again today, there is no Heat Advisory in effect.

[Localonthe8s]

I love the background. Thanks.

[NYCTWCjunkie]

Thanks, Thunder2011.

There is a possibility that we might see that 110° day we are looking for. Temperatures will definitely be
well above 100° across the Valley of the Sun this afternoon and a Heat Advisory is in effect until 8:00 PM
Mountain Standard Time.

Surprisingly, when this report was made at almost the noon hour, it was 88° in Fountain Hills, Arizona.
Chances are cloud cover and its mountainous location likely has kept temperatures down for this long.
But it is expected to be 100° there as well.

There are a few reporting stations that failed to provide a report at 11:55 AM Mountain Standard Time,
so I made a few substitutions that are more regional than very local such as Casa Grande and Wickenburg.

[NYCTWCjunkie]

Phoenix finally set a new all-time record yesterday for the most 110° days in a single calendar year.
Sky Harbor International Airport recorded its high temperature of 113°, marking the 29th time this year
it has been at least 110°. It surpassed the previous record of 28 days in 1979 and 2002.
It also tied the record high temperature for yesterday's date (113° in 1981).

Check out my blog entry for more details on this milestone. I also have plenty of local coverage from
Phoenix television stations and both metropolitan area newspapers on this story.

http://nyctwcjunkie.blogspot.com/2007/08/phoenix-sets-new-all-time-annual-record_30.html

[NYCTWCjunkie]

An isolated area of showers is moving across Phoenix at this hour with even a thunderstorm passing through
Scottsdale as well. Following the unseasonably hot temperatures around 90° for most of this week,
readings will cool down just a bit, but it will remain above seasonable levels for mid-November.
By Sunday, highs will be in the upper 80s under fair conditions.



























Phoenix metropolitan area radar within the last 1 hour (courtesy of KPNX-TV)...

[NYCTWCjunkie]

THE WEATHER OBSERVATIONS POSTED BELOW AREN'T CURRENT. THEY ARE FROM EARLIER IN THE DAY.

It is a very unusually cool and damp day in the Valley of the Sun on this Friday, as temperatures are only in the 60s
and widespread rain can be found across the entire region.  I'll let you view the National Weather Service statement
for more details

http://forecast.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=psr&wwa=flash%20flood%20watch

[color="navy"]A low pressure system from near Baja California and another low pressure system from the California coast
will combine with abundant tropical moisture to produce significant rain over southeast California and
the Lower Colorado River Valley including Yuma through tonight. The air mass will become rather unstable
and this will lead to locally heavy rainfall which may produce flash flooding. Rainfall totals from 1 to 2 inches
are possible with heavy thunderstorms.[/color]

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT by the National Weather Service in Phoenix on November 30, 2007
A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING.

Locally heavy rain likely this afternoon through early Saturday east of the lower Colorado River Valley...

The Flash Flood Watch continues for portions of south-central Arizona, southwest Arizona and west-central Arizona
including the following areas in south-central Arizona... greater Phoenix area... northwest Maricopa County...
northwest and north central Pinal County and southwest Maricopa County. In southwest Arizona, southwest deserts.
In west-central Arizona, west central deserts.

From this afternoon through late tonight, a vigorous Pacific low pressure system will combine with
copious subtropical moisture to produce significant rainfall over the western and central Arizona deserts
starting this afternoon and continuing into this evening. The airmass will become rather unstable
late this afternoon and this will lead to locally heavy rainfall which may produce flash flooding.
Rainfall totals from one to two inches are possible with the heaviest showers and thunderstorms.

The heaviest rainfall will occur with embedded thunderstorms and may cause flooding of the Centennial Wash
near Wenden as well as the sols wash near Wickenburg. Local flooding of other washes and streams such as
the Indian Bend wash are possible as well.

A Flash Flood Watch means that flooding of washes, creeks and other drainage areas is possible within
the watch area. People in the watch area should keep an eye on the weather and be prepared for immediate action
should heavy rain and flooding occur or a Flash Flood Warning be issued.

Here is some local coverage on the highly unusual heavy rains in the Phoenix metropolitan area today.
Since the Arizona Republic and KPNX-TV share the same news site (AZCentral.com),
I'm only posting the East Valley Tribune hyperlink as a newspaper source listed below.

KPHO-TV (Phoenix) (November 30):
http://www.kpho.com/news/14735636/detail.html
"Potent storm to trigger rain, winds"

KPNX-TV (Phoenix) (November 30):
http://www.azcentral.com/12news/news/articles/webwx11302007-CR.html
"The Valley is under a Flash Flood Watch as rain moves in"

KNXV-TV (Phoenix) (November 30):
http://www.abc15.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=4dde8b11-1070-448d-a192-7dfc946aa3cc
"Rain totals could hit 3 inches in parts of Valley"

East Valley Tribune (November 30):
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/103078
"Flash flood warning issued for Friday night"




PLEASE NOTE:
Falcon Field in Mesa, Arizona did not issue their latest weather observations, so Willams Gateway Airport is being used
for Mesa's weather conditions in this report.



























Phoenix metropolitan area radar within the last 1 hour (courtesy of KPNX-TV)...