PHOENIX — Another stretch of dry weather came to an end in Arizona Tuesday.
Some strong low-pressure systems moved in, bringing rain chances up and the temperatures down throughout the state.
The first system arrived on Tuesday afternoon and brought widespread rain. As much as 2 inches of rain is expected in the Valley through Thursday. Up in Yavapai and Gila counties, 3 to 4 inches of rain is expected.
There will be a slight break in the rain early Wednesday morning before the second system moves in.
The second storm system will bring much colder air, and that's when we’ll see a change from rain to snow in the higher elevations.
The National Weather Service in Flagstaff says the rain will change to a wintry mix down to 6,500 feet, and snow will accumulate above 7,000 feet.
The snow will fall across the eastern Mogollon Rim and White Mountains late Wednesday night and Thursday, impacting travel along the Interstate 40 and Interstate 17 corridors.
Updates
6:42 p.m. - Rain, rain and more rain. Showers are more spotty in the western part of the state, according to NWS.
6:30 p.m. - Sky Harbor has gotten 0.35 inches of rain.
5:40 p.m. - The power is out for about 2,300 people in the East Valley, according to the SRP outage map.
Check for outages in your area here:
5 p.m. - We're still on target to receive 1 to 2 inches of rain in the Phoenix area between now and Thursday. The rain will come in rounds over the next couple of days.
Right now, some steady rain is moving north along the I-17 up toward Black Canyon City.
More rain is moving north from southern Maricopa County and Pinal County, so the rainfall rates should pick up around the Valley again soon.
It's quiet around northern Arizona for now, but as the storms move north, the rain will get to the I-40 corridor later this evening.
4:30 p.m. - Some storms are building in from the south and west, but it appears they'll arrive after a lull. Periods of heavy rain are possible throughout the evening.
From Buckeye to Apache Junction, everyone will see at least light to moderate rain this evening. Scottsdale, Deer Valley and Phoenix should be seeing the heaviest rain.
3:47 p.m. - The steady rain continues. NWS says .15 inches of rain has fallen at Sky Harbor. Get ready for a wet evening commute.
2:20 p.m. - Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport has measured nearly a tenth of an inch of rain so far, and we're just getting started. NWS says 0.07 inches as of 2:19 p.m.
2:15 p.m. - A storm over the East Valley is moving northeast at 20 mph. It's dropping steady rain and is capable of pea size hail and 40 mph wind gusts.
1:55 p.m. - Sky 12 showed dust in north Phoenix. Piestewa Peak is seen in the video.
1:45 p.m. - Dust was reported from San Tan Valley to north Phoenix.
12 News Weather Watchers reported rain in Gilbert, Chandler Heights, Queen Creek and Chandler.
TRACK RAIN: 12news.com/radar
A flash flood watch is in effect from 1 p.m. Tuesday until 11 p.m. Wednesday for a large portion of the state that includes areas like Phoenix, Prescott and Tucson.
Where can I get free sandbags?
Surprise
Residents should bring their own shovels to fill the bags.
- 3 Star Park, 15825 N. Jerry Street (south side parking area off of Jerry Street)
- Bell Road Lake (south side), 15105 W. Bell Road
- Water Well Site, 16849 W. Jomax Road
- Westgate City Facility, 13430 W. Westgate Drive
- Ashton Ranch Water Supply Facility,15151 W. Greenway Road
- AZ TechCelerator,12425 W. Bell Road
- Fire Station 302,18600 Reems Road
Gilbert
- Fire Station 1 (2730 E Williams Field Rd)
- Fire Station 3 (1011 E Guadalupe Rd)
- Fire Station 9 (3355 E Ocotillo Rd)
With all this precipitation, drivers need to get ready! NWS said the oils, dirt and dust collected on roads will make for slick conditions, especially in the East Valley. You’ll need to give yourself more distance to come to a complete stop.
The showers taper off late Thursday, and rain chances will die down into Friday. Some showers may linger in the eastern part of the state.
So as you prepare for some wintry weather, make sure to join our 12 News Weather Watcher Facebook group, where you can share your pics and videos with us.
For the latest weather updates, download our app and make sure to turn on the weather notifications.
