Thunderstorms Target Arizona, Much of Interior West
Moisture funneling northward from Mexico will continue to fuel locally drenching thunderstorms over Arizona, New Mexico and much of the interior West this week.
Not only will the thunderstorms occur over the mountains, but also some desert areas can be doused by a quick-hitting downpour.
The strongest thunderstorms can produce blinding downpours and powerful wind gusts. The greatest danger from the storms is flash flooding.
A thunderstorm clobbered Las Cruces, N.M. Sunday evening. Over 2 inches of rain poured down, inundating streets, homes and businesses in the city along the Rio Grande River in the southern part of the state.
Flash flooding also occurred 50 miles farther north in Truth or Consequences, N.M. the same day.
Dry stream beds, known locally as arroyos, can become raging torrents in a matter of minutes. The storms do not have to hit the immediate location but can occur miles upstream.
Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms in arid areas of the Southwest can lead to road washouts like this one. Photo by photos.com.
In some cases, only a quick half an inch of rain can lead to dangerous flash flooding. The storms during the late afternoon and evening hours, assisted by the heating of the day, have the potential to dump 3 to 4 times that amount in an hour.
People are urged to be especially careful this week and not to camp or seek refuge in the arroyos or canyons, where rapid runoff can occur.
The storms are taking place this week as scores of illegal immigrants leave Arizona amidst a new state law, SB 1070 crackdown, according to Reuters.
The moisture from the storms is being flung all the way from northern Mexico to interior California and western Texas, northward to eastern Oregon and much of Idaho.
The seasonal wind from Mexico is referred to by local residents as the "Monsoon" and leads to a period of thunderstorms that can last weeks during the mid- to late-summer.
The thunderstorms during the monsoon are also accompanied by higher humidity compared to the rest of the year. It is the higher humidity that allows rain from the storms to reach the ground and also adds to the discomfort of the already hot air.
Many of the storms will "not" bring a soaking rain.
The lightning strikes from the mainly dry thunderstorms can spark wildfires.
The rainfall is needed in the area. Phoenix normally receives around an inch of rain during July. This month, however, only a few hundredths of an inch have fallen.
The thunderstorms can hit other cities in the West including Las Vegas, Reno, Salt Lake City, Albuquerque, Boise, Flagstaff, Tucson and El Paso.
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| Low | 29° | Mullan Pass, ID |
| Precip | 1.17" | Chapel Hill, NC |
WeatherWhys®
People need to pay close attention to the UV index during this time of year. On a sunny day late in the spring and into the summer, the UV is usually at least an 8, which is very high. Readings over 11 are considered extreme values in which only 10 minutes of full exposure to the sun will produce a sunburn.
This Day In Weather History
New Hampshire (1814)
A tornado crossed Merrimac, Litchfield, Londonderry and North Chester. The same storm produced hailstones that had an 11-inch circumference and weighed 1/2 pound.
Northeast (1989)
More rain in an already wet month. Monthly totals topped 11 inches at New York City, 9 inches at Bridgeport, Conn., and 8 inches at Baltimore (all three totals set records for May).
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