Funnel cloud in W. Valley
More rain, snow forecast for state in coming week
A storm that swept across Arizona on Friday brought rain, snow — and a funnel cloud over Buckeye. The storm is expected to leave behind colder temperatures and a chance of fog early today.
A cold, wet storm swept across Arizona on Friday, bringing rain, snow and even a funnel cloud over Buckeye. It will leave behind colder temperatures and a chance of fog early today.
While rain was expected to clear by today, weather officials say more rain is possible early next week.
The storm covered most of the state and lingered throughout the day. Snow accumulated in the higher elevations and was spotted as far south as Benson, along Interstate 10 southeast of Tucson.
Skiers made their way to Flagstaff and to Sunrise Park Resort in the White
Mountains, taking advantage of new snow.
At Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, the recent showers bring the year’s total to 5.93 inches of rain, which is about 2 inches below normal, said National Weather Service meteorologist James Sawtelle. Patchy fog may be seen in parts of the metro area this morning, Sawtelle said. A high of 55 degrees is forecast today in Phoenix with mostly sunny skies expected by the afternoon.
Additionally, a freeze watch is in effect for Sunday morning, and could be upgraded to a freeze warning and possibly extended into Monday, Sawtelle said.
“You do want to take precautions, think about protecting sensitive plants and also bringing your pets inside because they get cold at night,” Sawtelle said.
Showers and snow are expected to continue over the weekend in higher terrain areas east and north of Phoenix, which should taper off by the middle of next week, Sawtelle said.
About 7.5 inches of snow was recorded at Desert View in Grand Canyon on Friday afternoon while Show Low saw between 5 and 6 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service in Flagstaff.
There’s a 20% to 30% chance of rain in the forecast Monday into New Year’s Eve, according to Sawtelle. The temperatures are expected to be “relatively cool” with a high of 57 degrees Monday and close to 60 degrees for the remainder of the week, he said.
The cold-air funnel cloud that formed in Buckeye occurred as the Valley experienced cool temperatures and a bit of rain on Friday, officials confirmed.
The funnel cloud did not touch down, but did form near Baseline Road and Wilson Avenue for a brief period, National Weather Service meteorologist Derek Hodges said.
It’s different, though, than the funnel clouds that could spawn tornadoes, which tend to last longer and have a more predictable pattern, Hodges said.
He said cold-air funnel clouds are typically “quite tiny” and last only a couple of minutes, and that there was no real risk of a tornado touching down in the Valley on Friday.