Arizona's dry winter might lead to a more active monsoon this year.
Isaac Smith with the National Weather Service in Phoenix said the state may receive 33% to 50% above average rainfall this summer.
“When we see this dry, La Niña winter that typically favors above normal precipitation for the monsoon season following that. It's not a guarantee, but it increases the odds," Smith said.
The monsoon forecast applies to most of the state. But Smith said Yuma is an outlier and could see less precipitation than normal.
Metro Phoenix forecast
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 102 and a low around 75.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 101 and a low around 76.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 105 and a low around 79.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 100 and a low around 79. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west in the morning. A 30% chance of evening showers.
Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 94 and a low around 75. A 40% chance of showers.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 96 and a low around 74.
— National Weather Service
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Meteorologist say this is a seasonal weather pattern and isn’t predicted to break any high-temperature records. -
From Flagstaff, Darren McCollum with the National Weather Service said the start of meteorological winter comes with a short term period of dry and cooler weather. -
A team of researchers has been studying meteorological and air quality data collected during the 189 dust storms we’ve experienced in Phoenix since 2010. Based on that analysis, they recently unveiled the "Phoenix Dust Scale," a ranking system to assess the severity of dust storms. -
A team of 22 meteorologists and weather experts spent years developing the first standardized dust storm scale. It's designed to classify severity, like the Enhanced Fujita scale that's used for categorizing tornadoes. -
The city of Flagstaff is having one of the wettest starts to the water year on record, according to the National Weather service. A water year is a yearlong measurement of surface-water supply.
