When are the rainiest and stormiest months in the Valley?
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Wednesday is a First Alert Weather Day due to the potential for severe thunderstorms.
Is this a typical time of the year when we get severe thunderstorms in the Valley? The short answer is yes.
The three graphics below show how the frequency of severe weather changes depending on the time of the year. The first map on top shows the chance of severe thunderstorms on July 1, averaged over 30 years of data from 1982 to 2011. Notice that the risk is near zero (but not exactly zero) in Arizona but is much higher from the plains into the eastern United States.
The second map shows the typical risk of storms, over 30 years, on July 22. Notice the circle that shows up over part of Arizona; that represents a 1% risk.
Finally, the third map shows the risk of severe thunderstorms on September 16. The circle has now disappeared because the risk dropped back to near-zero. In summary, late July into August is typically the peak time of year for severe weather in Arizona.
What about rainfall?
Rainfall follows a similar pattern, but it is not exactly the same. In Phoenix, there are actually two rainfall peaks that you can see in the graphic below. The first peak, as you might guess, is during the monsoon.
The rainiest month for Phoenix is August, which averages 0.93 inches of rainfall, while the second rainiest is July with 0.91 inches. There is a second rainfall peak from the winter into early spring. December through March averages between 0.75 and .90 inches of rainfall.
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