Monsoon storms on Labor Day brought rain, thunder, dust, and lightning across Arizona, disrupting outdoor activities and flights. By early Tuesday, most power had been restored, with only a small number of SRP customers still affected, while APS reported no remaining outages, according to ABC15.
High winds and heavy rain on Monday evening caused power outages for about 8,900 SRP and APS customers and led to dozens of flight delays at Phoenix Sky Harbor, where average departures were delayed 57 minutes during a one-hour FAA ground stop that began around 5:30 p.m. Wind gusts reached 52 mph near downtown Phoenix and Deer Valley, prompting a dust advisory for the West Valley until 7 p.m. and a severe thunderstorm warning for Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Paradise Valley. The storms came as “Happy meteorological fall,” marked the start of the season, with Phoenix recording its 4th hottest and 25th driest summer on record, as reported by AZFamily.
As meteorological fall begins, cooler weather and isolated showers are expected. Rain chances for the Valley are highest between Thursday and Saturday at 20–30%. A "Sonoran MCV," a cluster of thunderstorms, is forecast to bring heavy rainfall to southwestern Arizona from late Monday through Wednesday, as mentioned by AZFamily. In the northern mountains, the monsoon is expected to increase from Wednesday with more widespread showers and thunderstorms. The National Weather Service reports a gradual cooling trend and a slow retreat of the monsoon.
