{"id":451544,"date":"2025-12-16T19:27:12","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T19:27:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/451544\/"},"modified":"2025-12-16T19:27:12","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T19:27:12","slug":"why-is-central-arizona-so-unseasonably-green-this-winter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/451544\/","title":{"rendered":"Why is Central Arizona so unseasonably green this winter?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tMountains near Payson in late November 2025.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Zach Buchanan<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re driving out of Phoenix, you may notice that the landscape is looking more lush than usual \u2014 a lot more lush.<\/p>\n

In a social media post on Sunday, the National Weather Service showed just how much foliage is growing in the high desert outskirts of the Valley and the pine forests to the north and east of Phoenix. Two maps of Arizona \u2014 both of which were created using a vegetation satellite product (NDVI) tool from NASA satellites \u2014 show a huge difference in vegetation from June 14 to Dec. 11.<\/p>\n

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If you’ve driven around central AZ from late-Fall through now you may’ve noticed the desert is a bit greener. There’s been a lot of small plant growth following a wet Fall. The vegetation satellite product (NDVI) in these images show the greenness change since early Summer. #azwx<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/JccR7Yo3bN<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 NWS Phoenix (@NWSPhoenix) December 15, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

NWS meteorologists confirmed that the atypical explosion of vegetation is a result of the record 6.31 inches of rainfall<\/a> that poured down in and around the Phoenix metro area during the fall.<\/p>\n

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\u201cSome locations in the metro area ended up getting closer seven or eight inches during that period as well,\u201d said meteorologist Matt Salerno. \u201cIt helps out with the natural growth of the high terrain areas and the larger pine and deciduous forests.\u201d<\/p>\n

Salerno said most of the growth consisted of grass and small shrubs, but some of it included trees that had been growing leaves at an unusual time. \u201cEven the palo verdes are flowering yellow, and typically they don\u2019t flower this time of year,\u201d he said. Like most plants, they flower in the spring.<\/p>\n

Salerno added that the area normally becomes greenest in the summer during the monsoon season. But as summer storms were delayed into the fall this year, the normal pattern has been thrown off and vegetation is experiencing an anachronistic period of regeneration and regrowth.<\/p>\n

\"aRed Mountain \u2014 not so red, in this case \u2014 northeast of Valley in late November 2025.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s almost like the trees are getting fooled right now,\u201d Salerno said. \u201cIt was so wet and now we\u2019re going into a warmer period. We\u2019ve been abnormally warm for December, which is helping keep things growing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The warm weather is due largely to the fact that La Ni\u00f1a conditions have started, meaning the American Southwest is likely in for a warmer and drier winter<\/a> than usual, Salerno said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

La Ni\u00f1a years are characterized by colder-than-normal ocean water over the Eastern Pacific, which leads to high pressure that keeps storms trapped in the north and keeps the Southwest warm and dry. It\u2019s the fifth time in six years<\/a> that the Pacific has seen La Ni\u00f1a conditions instead of El Ni\u00f1o conditions.<\/p>\n

Salerno predicts that come May, the vegetation map will start to look a lot more like it did in June 2025 \u2014 though it\u2019s possible the fall\u2019s heavy rains will keep things green for a while.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s still a lot of ground moisture around, so if that holds we may see things stay green for a little bit longer than usual,\u201d he said. \u201cBut usually when you get to the spring, things really start to dry out around here.\u201d<\/p>\n

So rejoice while you can, take a drive out of town or a hike in the foothills of the north and East Valley. Touch some grass and smell the greenery. This is a special winter.<\/p>\n

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