Flood Watch Issued for Portions of South-Central Arizona
The National Weather Service in Phoenix has issued a Flood Watch affecting the Phoenix Metro area, rural Maricopa County, and Northwest Pinal County.
The National Weather Service issued the Flood Watch on November 1 at 10:34 AM MST, with the watch remaining in effect until November 2 at 5:00 AM MST. The alert covers multiple areas including the Aguila Valley, Northwest Valley, Tonopah Desert, Gila Bend, Buckeye/Avondale, Cave Creek/New River, Deer Valley, Central Phoenix, North Phoenix/Glendale, Scottsdale/Paradise Valley, East Valley, Fountain Hills/East Mesa, South Mountain/Ahwatukee, Southeast Valley/Queen Creek, and Northwest Pinal County.
An atmospheric river ahead of an incoming weather system is bringing well above normal moisture to the region, resulting in a prolonged period of light to moderate rainfall. Embedded convection is expected to produce pockets of heavier rain across the area through late tonight.
Additional rainfall amounts of one to two inches are anticipated through Sunday. Because soils are already moist, this additional precipitation will lead to increased runoff, potentially resulting in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations, as well as low-water crossings. Runoff in major streams, creeks, and rivers may persist through the first half of the week.