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I am anchor
The Associated Press/Matt York
A pedestrian navigates a flooded street Friday, Aug. 24, 2018 in Phoenix that was overrun with heavy monsoon rains. Rain has been missing so far this monsoon season.
The prize for breaking the Valley’s heat record is likely just more sunshine.
On Tuesday, there was no monsoon in sight as Valley temps reached at least 110 degrees for the 19th consecutive day — breaking a record last set nearly 50 years ago — on June 29, 1974.
On Tuesday, temperatures hit 110 degrees — breaking the record around noon — at Sky Harbor International Airport, according to the National Weather Service.
Why has the Valley been monsoon-less so far this summer?
“Good question,” said Austin Jamison, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Phoenix. “It’s probably a thing that will have to be retroactively studied.”
A better answer is that “windflow patterns” aren’t set up in such a way to get a good influx of moisture into the region, Jamison said. The latter part of this week will continue to be hot, the meteorologist said.
Last week, Jamison and another Phoenix meteorologist said there’s a chance this summer is going to be dry and hot throughout.
A high of 119 degrees could be in the cards for Friday, Jamison said. Saturday and Sunday could be almost as hot — with temps hitting 116 degrees both days. In fact, high temps of 110 degrees are expected through next Tuesday, Jamison said.
But there could be a glimmer of hope for the Valley to get the wet stuff on Friday night. There is a 10% to 20% chance of rain across the Valley, the meteorologist said.
“(There will be) more activity this weekend and next week,” Jamison said. “But it’s not going to lower (temperatures) to average even. It’s going to be quite hot.”
The average high temp for this time of year is 107 degrees, Jamison said.
Maricopa County identified 425 heat-associated deaths occurring in 2022, which represented a 25% increase from the previous year. The county’s health department’s most recent numbers show 12 residents have died in 2023 from issues likely connected to heat so far this year.
Nearly 3,000 residents visit Arizona emergency rooms annually because of heat-related illnesses, the health department adds.
Temps could come down should the Valley see some significant moisture and thunderstorms, Jamison said.
This year is different than what followed the monsoon season of 2021 that provided a bounty of rain.
In July 2021, areas such as Miami, about 50 miles east of Apache Junction, and Sun City saw their fair share of the wet stuff. Miami reportedly received 8.55 inches in that month while a Sun City weather station reported to have 5.59 inches of rain during July, officials said.
Monsoon season typically starts around June 15 and ends near Sept. 30.
As of July 18, Sky Harbor has yet to see a drop of rain since the start of this year’s monsoon season, Jamison said.
The meteorologist admits a party isn’t in store after breaking the heat record.
“It’s not one of those records you want to hit.”
Glendale Independent Editor Steve Stockmar contributed to this story.
Brent Ruffner Lead News Reporter | Daily Independent @AzNewsmedia
Journalism has fascinated Brent Ruffner since junior high school.
Since 2001, his stories have been published in newspapers from the Albuquerque to the Arizona and he has always had a knack for making sure his facts are right and his words are to the point.
Growing up, Brent watched as sports reporters covered his beloved Phoenix Suns, a team he followed since Charles Barkley first arrived in Phoenix via trade in 1992. Sports reporting was a dream back then.
But after gaining some writing experience, Brent found a love for news instead of covering different types of sports. In 2008, he moved to New Mexico and covered crime, schools and city beats all while holding elected officials accountable.
He covered stories that ranged from a DEA drug bust gone bad to an award-winning story on school lunches.
In Arizona, Brent was a freelance writer who covered everything from the importance of citrus in the state to Esteban owning a store in downtown Prescott.
Brent is a 2007 graduate of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.
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