Early storms across northern Arizona could mean delayed fire season
Officials kept watch on a storm system making its way across northern Arizona this week, just about a month before the monsoon traditionally starts for the area.
The storms, so far, have primarily impacted communities across Yavapai County stretching down across the central and eastern portions of the Mogollon Rim.
"So far, we've mainly seen just your curb-to-curb flooding in certain parts of northern Arizona," which will likely continue through Friday, National Weather Service meteorologist Lamont Bain, in Flagstaff, said.
Rainfall at Flagstaff Pulliam Airport on Friday had already set a new daily record by 1 p.m., the weather service tweeted. The old record was 0.50 inch, set in 1957, while the new benchmark reached 0.57 inch on the day.
The potential for showers and thunderstorms will start winding down through the middle of the week, Bain said.
City officials in Flagstaff hosted two meetings this month to prepare residents for the potential for more flooding this summer after the community faced dozens of flood events last year. While officials emphasized the importance of readying properties and paying attention to emergency alerts, there is no clear way to predict what lies ahead.
Thinking ahead: After last year's floods, Flagstaff begins preparing residents for monsoon
"I do think that we have to be a little careful about drawing comparisons between what we're seeing now and if that's going to necessarily be a preview of the monsoon," Bain said.
The monsoon is unpredictable by nature, Bain said, which is why meteorologists often hesitate to make firm predictions this far ahead of time.
"Unfortunately, it's one of those things that we just kind of have to wait and see how it goes," he said.
While the current storm system might have no bearing on the monsoon, it could impact the traditional wildfire season. Because the rain rolled in during what is usually the area's peak fire season, the extra moisture will also likely delay the onset of the season, Bain said.
"It will certainly keep the fire potential on the lower end of the spectrum," he said.
Bain also warned that this early rain could spark a green-up of the surrounding areas. If the traditional monsoon, which usually starts around the end of June, is also delayed, the vegetation could then dry out quickly and add to dangerous fire conditions.
Reach the reporter at LLatch@gannett.com.
The Republic’s coverage of northern Arizona is funded, in part, with grants from Vitalyst Health Foundation and Report from America. To support regional Arizona news coverage like this, make a tax-deductible donation at supportjournalism.azcentral.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Early rain across northern Arizona could push back fire season
