Much-needed Rain Could be on the Way to the Desert Southwest
Christy Bowen
3 hours agoA tropical rainstorm brewing in the Eastern Pacific is forecast to move into the Desert Southwest over the next few days, bringing much needed moisture to this corner of the U.S. Meanwhile, the storm system that has been menacing the zone from the Pacific coastline to the Rocky Mountains this week will push to the east this weekend, leaving drier and warmer conditions for the bulk of the West. Here is a look at what to expect in the western U.S. in the days ahead.
Rainy Stretch of Weather Coming to an End in Parts of the West
It was a wet stretch from Wednesday morning through Thursday for a portion of the interior West. Some pockets in Northern California and eastern Oregon picked up rainfall amounts measuring between 0.50 and 1 inch of rain during this time. The zone from western Arizona and up into southern Nevada did not pick up measurable rainfall. Southern California has also remained dry.
More rain is forecast to fall in parts of the Pacific Northwest and the Intermountain West by the time that the work week wraps up on Friday. This surge of moisture will go a long way in alleviating wildfire concerns over the parched landscape. However, too much rain too quickly will raise the risk of flash flooding and mudslides, particularly across recent burn scar locations.
Most of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and Montana are forecast to be mostly free of rain by the end of the weekend and into the early part of next week. The lack of moisture will pair with more sunshine to send daily highs back to typical levels for the middle of September.
The exception to the dry pattern will be across parts of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. A weak storm system is forecast to push into the region by the end of the weekend, ushering in the chance of scattered rain showers and isolated thunderstorm activity.
As this system moves to the east on Friday and Saturday, the rain and the threat of storms will envelop the swath of land from the Rockies and down into the Plains and the Upper Midwest through Sunday.