PHOENIX — Monsoon 2021 has delivered and there's still nearly a month and a half left before the season is over!
As of August 19, Phoenix Sky Harbor has picked up 3.37" of rain, surpassing the two previous monsoon seasons combined!
It also makes it the wettest monsoon since 2014.
Phoenix has also had more days of rain during the monsoon compared to previous years.
This year, there have been 17 days with measurable rainfall, tying for 14th on the all-time list.
Over the past two years, only 10 days of measurable rainfall were observed at Sky Harbor.
It's been a windy monsoon, too! At Sky Harbor, there have been six days with wind gusts more than 40-mph, including the August 16 severe wind event. On that day, a 69-mph wind gust was observed, making it one of the higher wind gusts there in half a century!
One of the reasons why it's been so active this year is due to a shift in the ridge of high pressure. Last year, it was parked over Arizona, causing hot and dry weather.
This year, it's farther to the north, allowing for more moisture to move in, meaning more storms.
The monsoon typically wraps up by the end of September.
