Scattered thunderstorms closed out the second week of August across the Valley. While the rainfall was welcome, monsoon conditions were not expected to last through the weekend.
Dry weather was forecast for Aug. 16 and 17, with no additional thunderstorm activity anticipated, according to Gabriel Lojero, a meteorologist with the Phoenix office of the National Weather Service.
“As a drier air mass is moving in, it’s going to shovel that moisture that was responsible for instigating the thunderstorm activity on Wednesday and Thursday,” Lojero said.
The moisture moved east, leaving metro Phoenix dry over the weekend, according to Lojero.
The National Weather Service forecast for Phoenix called for dry conditions and slightly below-normal temperatures through Aug. 18. The drop in surface moisture following thunderstorms on Aug. 14 and 15 was the main factor, according to Lojero.
Clear skies and a low of 82 degrees were expected in metro Phoenix on the evening of Aug. 16.
Mild conditions were set to continue into Aug. 17, with a high near 103 degrees and an overnight low around 82.
Later in the week, the weather service expected a combination of rain and extreme temperatures.
“Potentially by the latter half of the week, we may see moisture increase and thus maybe some slightly higher thunderstorm chances,” Lojero said.
The weather service predicted temperatures would rise, reaching above 110 degrees, beginning Aug. 20 and continuing through the end of the week.
Lojero said there was a potential that the weather service would need to issue “some extreme heat products.”
Despite the forecast rain chances, overnight lows were expected to remain in the 90s toward the end of the week in metro Phoenix, which added to the extreme heat risk, according to Lojero.