PHOENIX — A weak storm system is moving in from the southwest, bringing more clouds our way.
We may see a few spotty showers from it overnight and Tuesday across parts of central and southern Arizona.
Breezes will pick up Tuesday afternoon, too. Peak gusts will top out near 25 mph between lunchtime and sunset.
Then, winds will really crank up Tuesday night and Wednesday as a major winter storm moves in from the north.
We are expecting significant travel impacts across Arizona due to high winds, rain and snow, so Wednesday will be an ABC15 Weather Action Day.
Take action now to get ready for this storm. Adjust any travel plans across the high country on Wednesday. Slick, icy roads and low visibility from blowing snow will make travel hazardous in many areas.
High winds will be the biggest concern across Arizona.
Much of the state is under either Wind Advisories (for gusts near 50 mph) or High Wind Warnings (for gusts topping 60 mph). That includes the entire Phoenix metro area.
Those high winds could cause damage and will lead to dangerous driving conditions, especially for semi-trucks.
Low visibility from blowing snow will be another big concern as the snow level drops as low as 2,500 feet by Wednesday night.
Winter Storm Warnings are in effect late Tuesday night through Wednesday night for areas above 5,000 feet in elevation across northern Arizona and along the Mogollon Rim.
Six to 12 inches of snow is possible in places like Flagstaff, Williams and Pinetop-Lake. Six to eight inches of snow is possible in Heber and Show Low. In Payson and Sedona, we're expecting four to six inches, and we could get two to four inches of snow in Prescott.
We aren't expecting much rain in the Valley from this storm, but some spots could see around a tenth of an inch of rain on Wednesday morning.
The core of this storm will move east on Thursday, but we could see some lingering snow showers Thursday, Friday and Saturday up north.
Then, the next storm system moves in from the west late Saturday and Sunday brining more rain and snow to our state.
Stay tuned for updates on this next storm as we get closer.
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2023 Rainfall totals:
Sky Harbor Official Rainfall: 1.20" (-0.24" from average)
Valley Average (Phoenix Rainfall Index): 1.58"
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2022 Rainfall totals:
Sky Harbor Official Rainfall: 5.78" (-1.44" from average)
Valley Average (Phoenix Rainfall Index): 7.02"
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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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