Another Round of Storms Could Hit Phoenix Monday: Here's What To Expect

PHOENIX, AZ — Another round of thunderstorms could develop across the Phoenix area Monday afternoon and evening after severe storms brought wind gusts of up to 80 mph to parts of south-central Arizona Sunday night.

Whether the Valley sees another round of strong storms will depend largely on how quickly the atmosphere recovers from Sunday's activity, according to the National Weather Service in Phoenix.

Sunday evening brought an especially active stretch of weather, with strong to severe thunderstorms moving through parts of south-central Arizona, including areas along Interstate 8 between Casa Grande and Gila Bend, as well as parts of the Phoenix metro area.

The storms produced peak wind gusts of 60 to 80 mph, forecasters said.

More storms possible Monday

Forecasters say thunderstorms could develop from late Monday afternoon into the evening if the atmosphere recovers quickly enough.

Storms are expected to develop first over the Mogollon Rim, White Mountains and southeast Arizona before potentially moving west into the lower deserts of south-central and southern Arizona.

If storms reach the Phoenix area, the primary threats will be strong outflow winds, locally heavy rainfall and blowing dust, particularly in areas prone to dust storms.

Outflow winds from storms developing elsewhere could also trigger new thunderstorms directly over the lower deserts, including parts of the Phoenix metro area.

Similar conditions are expected to remain in place Tuesday, keeping storm chances in the forecast, especially over higher terrain.

Triple-digit heat continues

Storm chances will not mean a break from the heat.

High temperatures across the lower deserts Monday are expected to reach 105 to 110 degrees. HeatRisk levels are expected to return to the moderate category across those areas.

The more serious heat threat is farther west.

Dew points in the mid-60s to low 70s could push heat index values as high as 110 to 120 degrees from late Monday morning through the afternoon across western Imperial County and the Lower Colorado River Valley.

An Extreme Heat Warning remains in effect for those areas through Monday evening because of the combination of high temperatures and humidity.

Storm chances increase later this week

Forecasters expect deeper moisture to move into the region through the middle of the week, bringing daily chances for showers and thunderstorms along with noticeably cooler temperatures.

Wednesday into the first half of Thursday could be particularly active. Increasing moisture during that period could raise the risk of flash flooding.

By late week and into next weekend, drier air is expected to return to the region. Storm chances should decrease, while temperatures settle closer to seasonal averages.