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MOST ACCURATE FORECAST: Christmas storm bringing cooler air and rain to Arizona

Our first round of Valley rain is moving through as a Christmas storm impacts the western U.S.

Christmas storm bringing cooler air and rain to Arizona

By: Jorge Torres

Posted

and last updated

PHOENIX — Our first round of Valley rain is moving through as a Christmas storm impacts the western U.S.

With potential impacts to holiday travel and outdoor events, Wednesday and Thursday are ABC15 Weather Action Days. Take action and adjust your plans as needed to stay safe in the storm.

Rain chances continue this morning and again Wednesday night into Thursday morning across the Phoenix metro area. There is also a chance of a few isolated thunderstorms in the mix, too.

Some Valley neighborhoods could pick up a quarter to a half an inch of rain, with higher totals possible across parts of northwestern Arizona.

A Flood Watch is in effect for Mohave County this morning through Thursday morning, where excessive runoff could lead to flooding in low-lying and flood-prone areas.

Winds will also pick up a bit today, with gusts near 25 mph across the Valley, up to 30 mph in the high country.

Across northwestern Arizona, winds could gusts as high as 50 mph and a Wind Advisory is in effect for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Mohave County.

Snow levels with this storm system will remain high at 9,000 to 10,000 feet, so Flagstaff will likely only see rain.

There are some lingering chances for precipitation up there into the weekend, and by then we could see some snow flakes come down as colder air settles in.

Here in the Valley, daytime highs will fall into the low 70s by Friday before dropping into the upper 60s over the weekend.

Overnight temperatures will get colder too, with lows falling into the 40s in Phoenix by Sunday morning.

We are also tracking some potential air quality issues this week.

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality has issued a High Pollution Watch for Thursday due to more holiday burning, which may lead to increased particle pollution.

Air quality will be at its worst during the early morning and late-night hours, so if you have a respiratory condition like asthma, bronchitis, or COPD, try to limit your time outdoors during those periods.