weather

Yeah, that wasn’t in the forecast. Thunder and brief showers in and around North Phoenix today—just a few drops in the proverbial bucket—arrived more than 24 hours ahead of the official forecast. 

The National Weather Service issued its first extreme heat warning of the season for this Sunday from 10 am – 8 pm.  Temperatures may reach between 105-109 degrees [less in North Phoenix, however] and residents are advised to plan ahead and be aware of this sudden increase in temperature.

Brief storms this morning brought “heavy rains and yes, small hail” to parts of the North Valley, though not enough to dent the drought. Now a big warm-up is on tap.

Wind gusts up to 45 mph could make driving dangerous on I-17 and other open, north-south roads, while creating extreme fire danger and making the very air hazardous. Off-road vehicle use will be prohibited, and officials advise securing loose outdoor objects.

Rainfall from the weekend’s storm varied notably across North Phoenix, from a third of an inch in New River and around Lake Pleasant to barely a trace in Norterra. The precipitation, once again, did little to counter a 21-year statewide drought.

The storm moved in quickly and moved right on out, dropping up to a third of an inch in parts of the region. Get the totals for Norterra, Sonoran Foothills, Tramonto, Anthem, New River and Desert Hills.

A trailer fire on I-17 near Camp Verde closed all southbound lanes before dawn this morning. Snow fell across the region above 4,000 feet.

The storm overnight dropped anywhere from 1/3 of an inch to 2/3 of an inch of rain across North Phoenix. See the totals at various gauges.