Scattered Thunderstorms To Target Tucson Area Throughout The Week

TUCSON, AZ — Tucson and much of southeast Arizona are in for a stormy stretch, with scattered afternoon and evening thunderstorms expected to continue through the work week as above-normal monsoon moisture keeps the atmosphere primed for storm development.

The National Weather Service in Tucson said the greatest concern Monday is a corridor stretching from Santa Cruz County north into central and eastern Pima County and southeast Pinal County.

Forecasters said abundant mid-June moisture, combined with daytime heating, will create enough instability for scattered storms to develop during the afternoon and into the early evening.

The main hazards are locally heavy rain, strong outflow winds and blowing dust. The strongest storms Monday could produce 1 to 1.5 inches of rain locally, and there is a 10% to 30% chance of wind gusts topping 50 knots in the most active areas.

Storms were already firing overnight Sunday into Monday, with radar showing activity across Graham, Greenlee and Cochise counties and northwest Pinal County in the early morning hours.

The pattern shifts slightly as the week goes on. Tuesday's moisture is expected to pull back toward the international border, limiting storm chances mainly to border areas eastward, with only slight chances elsewhere around Tucson.

Wednesday brings another round as a weak upper-level low near the California-Arizona border improves storm chances from Tucson south and east again. Thursday and Friday look similar, with activity focused mainly south and east of the city.

By the weekend, drier westerly flow is expected to push storm chances farther away. Temperatures should stay near normal through the period, though afternoon winds will be breezy.

Residents in the Safford area should expect gusts above 30 mph Tuesday through Thursday.