Double whammy from triple-digit temperatures, triple-digit days without rain hits Phoenix
By
Adriana Navarro, AccuWeather staff writer
Published Jul 21, 2020 3:55 PM EST
After Monday marked the one-hundredth consecutive day without measurable rain, Phoenix, Arizona, was passed over once again on Tuesday morning by scattered showers, leaving the city dry about a month into monsoon season, which began in mid-June. Even though a few raindrops fell on Monday and Tuesday in Phoenix, no measurable amount of rain was able to be recorded. This streak continued on Wednesday as well.
"Phoenix is now up to 100 days of not seeing any measurable rainfall, more than three months," AccuWeather Meteorologist Isaac Longley said.
The last time Phoenix saw any measurable rain was on April 11 when spotty showers in the region brought a mere 0.08 of an inch of drizzling rain over the city. As of Wednesday,, the 101st day, any rainfall that has graced the city has been too little to measure.
In the same time span, on average, the desert city receives only 0.9 of an inch of rain, which isn't much to begin with.
A map of the percent of average rainfall areas of Arizona have received from the beginning of the monsoon season on June 15 to July 19, 2020. (Twitter/@NWSPhoenix)
"While this is an impressive streak, it is not uncommon for locations such as Phoenix to see such long periods without rainfall considering that they are located in the Desert Southwest," Longley said.
The longest streak Phoenix has recorded without rain occurred in 1972 when the city received no measurable rainfall for 160 consecutive days. That streak ended on June 7. The current 100-day streak actually ties for the 25th longest stretch, according to the National Weather Service.
A graphic of time periods without measurable rainfall. The longest recorded time Phoenix has gone without rain was for 160 days in 1972, ending on June 7. (Twitter/@NWSPhoenix)
"Due to the spotty nature of showers and thunderstorms associated with the seasonal monsoon, these lengthy dry periods can vary greatly from one location to another," Longley said. "One location may see a good amount of rainfall while Phoenix remains dry."
Besides Tuesday, there have been two other days during the past 100 days where the city received traces of rain: May 10 and July 20. The sweltering temperatures have not made conditions any more bearable.
A map from the National Weather Service showing the total precipitation from the beginning of the monsoon season on June 15 to July 19, 2020. (Twitter/NWSPhoenix
Over the last 100 days, Phoenix was roughly 3 degrees warmer than normal, and the average high temperature over the timespan was 101.1 degrees with an average low of 75.3 degrees. Since July 1, the average high has jumped to 110.2 degrees with an average low of 88.1 degrees.
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Of these 100 days, 67 had a high of at least 100 degrees and only 10 days had a low of at least 90 degrees. The lowest temperature in this timespan was back at the beginning of the stretch on April 12 when temperatures dipped to 52 degrees. In comparison, the low on Tuesday morning, July 21, at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport was 89 degrees. The highest temperature during the past 100 days was 116 degrees on July 12.
According to Longley, the streak of days without measurable rain may come to an end on Thursday with a storm system moving into the Great Basin, which would increase the coverage of showers and thunderstorms from the monsoon.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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News / Weather News
Double whammy from triple-digit temperatures, triple-digit days without rain hits Phoenix
By Adriana Navarro, AccuWeather staff writer
Published Jul 21, 2020 3:55 PM EST
After Monday marked the one-hundredth consecutive day without measurable rain, Phoenix, Arizona, was passed over once again on Tuesday morning by scattered showers, leaving the city dry about a month into monsoon season, which began in mid-June. Even though a few raindrops fell on Monday and Tuesday in Phoenix, no measurable amount of rain was able to be recorded. This streak continued on Wednesday as well.
"Phoenix is now up to 100 days of not seeing any measurable rainfall, more than three months," AccuWeather Meteorologist Isaac Longley said.
The last time Phoenix saw any measurable rain was on April 11 when spotty showers in the region brought a mere 0.08 of an inch of drizzling rain over the city. As of Wednesday,, the 101st day, any rainfall that has graced the city has been too little to measure.
In the same time span, on average, the desert city receives only 0.9 of an inch of rain, which isn't much to begin with.
A map of the percent of average rainfall areas of Arizona have received from the beginning of the monsoon season on June 15 to July 19, 2020. (Twitter/@NWSPhoenix)
"While this is an impressive streak, it is not uncommon for locations such as Phoenix to see such long periods without rainfall considering that they are located in the Desert Southwest," Longley said.
The longest streak Phoenix has recorded without rain occurred in 1972 when the city received no measurable rainfall for 160 consecutive days. That streak ended on June 7. The current 100-day streak actually ties for the 25th longest stretch, according to the National Weather Service.
A graphic of time periods without measurable rainfall. The longest recorded time Phoenix has gone without rain was for 160 days in 1972, ending on June 7. (Twitter/@NWSPhoenix)
"Due to the spotty nature of showers and thunderstorms associated with the seasonal monsoon, these lengthy dry periods can vary greatly from one location to another," Longley said. "One location may see a good amount of rainfall while Phoenix remains dry."
Besides Tuesday, there have been two other days during the past 100 days where the city received traces of rain: May 10 and July 20. The sweltering temperatures have not made conditions any more bearable.
A map from the National Weather Service showing the total precipitation from the beginning of the monsoon season on June 15 to July 19, 2020. (Twitter/NWSPhoenix
Over the last 100 days, Phoenix was roughly 3 degrees warmer than normal, and the average high temperature over the timespan was 101.1 degrees with an average low of 75.3 degrees. Since July 1, the average high has jumped to 110.2 degrees with an average low of 88.1 degrees.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Of these 100 days, 67 had a high of at least 100 degrees and only 10 days had a low of at least 90 degrees. The lowest temperature in this timespan was back at the beginning of the stretch on April 12 when temperatures dipped to 52 degrees. In comparison, the low on Tuesday morning, July 21, at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport was 89 degrees. The highest temperature during the past 100 days was 116 degrees on July 12.
Related:
According to Longley, the streak of days without measurable rain may come to an end on Thursday with a storm system moving into the Great Basin, which would increase the coverage of showers and thunderstorms from the monsoon.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo