NWS Forecast Office Phoenix, AZ

Showers and storms on Tuesday have saturated soils across portions of the region, especially along Northern and Western Maricopa County. The slow moving low pressure system that is currently situated just west of the region will make for a long duration of favorable moisture and forcing for additional rounds of showers and isolated thunderstorms. As such, a Flood Watch remains in effect for Northeastern Maricopa County valid through 6 AM MST Thursday.

The unsettled pattern over the Southwest US continues, as yet another weather system dives southwest of the region Friday and brings rain chances through at least Saturday night as it slowly progresses northeastwards through AZ. Due to this system's unique trajectory, the locations most favored for higher multi-day rainfall totals will be Southwest AZ and Southeast CA. Multiple rounds of showers can be expected, with the highest rainfall rates likely Friday as dynamic forcing ahead of the system is maximized. A few isolated thunderstorms cannot be ruled out.

Rainfall totals with this next system (Thursday night through at least Saturday night) are likely to be higher out west, across Southeast California and Southwest Arizona. Forecast rainfall totals for the multi-day event average around 0.5-1.5" across lower desert locations out west, with higher totals upwards of 1.5" confined to higher terrain such as the Chocolate Mountains, Western Joshua Tree National Park, and potentially the Kofas, to name a few. Forecast rain totals across South-Central AZ generally average between 0.2-0.5" over the same period.