PHOENIX – The opening salvo of what’s expected to be multiple days of stormy weather put Phoenix nearly halfway to a daily record for rainfall.
The Valley started feeling the effects what used to be Hurricane Priscilla during Thursday’s daytime hours, with isolated light to moderate showers. Thunderstorms developed at night and produced precipitation across most of the region.
Phoenix proper saw widespread heavy activity, with over half an inch of rain falling in much of the city before the activity tapered off Friday morning. Some spots north of the Loop 101 as well as in the West Valley saw over 1 inch of rain.
“Going forward for this afternoon through tomorrow morning, it does seem like a lot of the focus of the rainfall will be again in the same areas,” Sean Benedict of the National Weather Service (NWS) in Phoenix told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Friday morning.
What is the Oct. 10 daily record for rainfall in Phoenix?
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, which the NWS uses for the city’s official readings, received 0.35 inches of rain from Thursday until about 1 a.m. Friday. Of that amount, 0.25 inches came down after midnight, putting Phoenix almost halfway to its daily record of 0.56 inches.
That existing record for Oct. 10, which was set in 1985, could be broken by the end of the day.
The Friday forecast calls for more showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening hours with the potential for additional rainfall totals of half an inch or more.
How long will stormy weather last?
The Valley could see storms and showers through early next week, but the peak activity is expected Friday night and Saturday.
“We expect things to start to develop again heading into this afternoon,” Benedict said Friday. “And more likely we’ll see most the rain hit the Phoenix area more for the evening into the overnight hours tonight.”
Chances for heavy rainfall will increase over the next couple of days, leading to increasing flooding concerns across the area. Greatest rainfall amounts are expected across south-central AZ, especially N and E of PHX. A Flood Watch is in effect for most areas through Sat. #azwx pic.twitter.com/uQN545FOMR
— NWS Phoenix (@NWSPhoenix) October 10, 2025
The NWS has issued a flood watch covering much of the state, including all of Maricopa County, from Friday at noon through Saturday night. Localized flash flood warnings could be issued for impacted areas as the storms roll through the region and cause potentially dangerous conditions.
To help protect property in low-lying areas, the city of Phoenix has sand available at several parks. In addition, Scottsdale and Tempe are offering their residents sand and bags.
“With the thunderstorms tomorrow afternoon, there’s potential for some strong, to maybe … severe thunderstorm that might bring some small hail or even some strong gusty winds with it,” Benedict said Friday. “Stay tuned for updates with that and make sure you’re prepared for all aspects of thunderstorms and rainfall.”
KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Ginia McFarland contributed to this report.
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