Hurricane Hilary in Arizona: Phoenix, Tucson areas to see rain, thunderstorms this weekend
The Phoenix area, along with western parts of Arizona, should continue to see rainfall and cooler temperatures throughout the weekend thanks to Hurricane Hilary, which began as a tropical storm on Wednesday when it formed off Mexico's southern Pacific coast.
Hilary's impact in the Valley was felt Thursday when Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, the site used by the National Weather Service in Phoenix for official rainfall totals, measured 0.01 inch of rainfall, breaking a 147-day streak of unmeasurable rainfall.
Matt Salerno, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Phoenix, said the Valley should expect between a quarter to half an inch of rainfall, while places farther to the southwest such as Yuma could see about 2 inches.
Hurricane Hilary updates: Southern California faces 'potentially catastrophic situation'
Salerno said Southern California — the Los Angeles area in particular — is forecast to receive significantly more rainfall and high winds compared with Arizona, potentially receiving more than 6 inches of rain. The agency announced a flood watch will be in effect for western parts of Arizona starting Saturday and lasting until Monday afternoon.
Salerno said the Valley will see the brunt of the storm coming Saturday evening. Saturday and Sunday have a forecast high of 100, though Salerno said it was possible the high for those days might stay in the double digits.
On Saturday, highs were expected to not reach 100 degrees for the first time since June 13, more than two months ago. Lead meteorologist, Alex Young, says that the increased cloud cover and rain cooler air moving into the area are affecting the temperatures.
Valley residents should expect the effects of Hilary to dissipate sometime Monday, with the storm moving into Nevada and then the Pacific Northwest. That said, chances for thunderstorms will continue into the week across the state, including in Phoenix, Tucson and Flagstaff.
Tracking Hurricane Hilary: Increased monsoon activity for Arizona
Starting Saturday afternoon and into late night, southern Arizona will experience an increased chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms, according to weather service Meteorologist Kevin Strongman. There may be strong thunderstorms through Sunday afternoon in the region, according to Strongman.
Most of the region may be doused with light rain — up to an inch — with isolated areas seeing strong winds, Strongman said.
Western Pima County, Strongman added, will see some flash flooding. He noted that there will be some runoff in the washes. Strongman urged drivers to avoid flooded terrain. "Don't drown, turn around," he said.
Meanwhile, "extreme impacts' are not expected in northern Arizona, NWS Flagstaff meteorologist Paige Konieczny said. Rainfall is expected between Saturday and Sunday with deluge greater towards western Mojave County with up to an inch and a half, Konieczny said.
Western Arizona should see even higher rainfall levels, with Prescott, Wickenburg and Gila Bend projected to receive half an inch to an inch of rain and Yuma receiving 2 to 3 inches.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona weather: Phoenix, Tucson areas to see storms this weekend
