PHOENIX — Major changes are coming to Arizona this week as a big fall storm system moves in.
Temperatures will drop nearly 20 degrees by Thursday, putting us around 20 degrees below normal for this time of year!
Winds are also picking up as this storm system approaches.
Expect breezes here in the Valley Wednesday and Thursday with peak gusts at 25 to 30 mph.
Up north, Wind Advisories go into effect across northern Arizona at 10 a.m. Wednesday and will last until 8 p.m. Watch out for wind gusts near 45 mph in places like Flagstaff, Heber, Winslow and Show Low.
Spotty rain showers are possible in the Phoenix area on Wednesday and Thursday. Rainfall amounts will be light though, with less than two-tenths of an inch expected.
We'll see rain showers and isolated thunderstorms on Wednesday across the high country before snow levels drop to near 4,500 feet by Thursday night.
Winter Weather Advisories are in effect Wednesday evening through Thursday evening across the Mogollon Rim, along the Kaibab Plateau and for the higher elevations across northeastern Arizona. Travel may become hazardous in these areas as the roads become icy and high winds drive blowing snow.
Flagstaff, and other areas above 6,000 feet in elevation, could pick up three to six inches of snow. Spots between 4,500 and 6,000 feet, like Prescott and Sedona, will likely be in the 1 to 2 inch range.
The rain and snow will end by late Thursday night, but the cold air will stick around.
Valley highs will only reach the mid 60s Thursday and Friday, before warming back into the 70s over the weekend.
Overnight lows will fall into the 40s across the Valley by Friday morning and drop that low again Saturday morning, too.
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2022 Rainfall totals:
Sky Harbor Official Rainfall: 3.73" (-2.20" from average)
Valley Average (Phoenix Rainfall Index): 5.28"
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Daily rainfall reports from all across the Valley can be found here.
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PHOENIX IS GETTING DRIER - LOWER RAINFALL AVERAGES NOW
Average Monsoon Rainfall in Phoenix (1981-2010): 2.71" of rain
NEW Average Monsoon Rainfall in Phoenix (1991-2020): 2.43" of rain
Average Yearly Rainfall in Phoenix (1981-2010): 8:03" of rain
NEW Average Yearly Rainfall in Phoenix (1991-2020): 7.22" of rain
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