MORE MONSOON STORMS
A dust storm comes through Gilbert Saturday. More monsoon storms hit the Valley.
A storm near New River and Cave Creek was producing heavy rain and hail, according to the National Weather Service.
The Weather Service said the storms would cause some flooding in the Anthem-Cave Creek area, including on Interstate 17.
There were reports of isolated storms in north and northwest Maricopa County that could produce rain.
“We’ll have to see if these make their way into Phoenix, but with these storms, we’re seeing a lot of heavy rain and small hail, so that will kinda be a threat throughout the day,” said Andrew Deemer, Weather Service spokesman.
Northwest Maricopa County would likely be hit with with strong winds, lightning and torrential rains, the Weather Service said.
A high of 106 degrees was predicted for Saturday in Phoenix, the Weather Service said on its site.
“We are going to see the low 100s across the Valley, which is not too bad for this time of year, and tomorrow we’re going to rinse and repeat and kinda do the same thing. It’ll almost be a carbon copy,” Deemer said.
There’s hope the Valley would also share in the wet weather this weekend. The Weather Service predicted a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms in Phoenix on Saturday evening.
The storm had already hit northern Arizona. Many areas were already experiencing flooding Saturday afternoon. A video posted by the Arizona Department of Transportation showed a flooded wash in Mayer — near the burn scar of the 2017 Goodwin Fire. The area has been especially prone to flooding following the wildfire.
A rockfall on State Route 89 near Prescott forced the highway to close at milepost 302 in both directions Saturday afternoon. All lanes reopened about 3:30 p.m.
Portions of western Yavapai County south of Route 66 could see some flooding through the evening, according to a tweet from the Weather Service.