Rain returns to Phoenix area; First warning issued for this weekend

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Not a bad start to the morning with lows around 21 degrees! We had a low of 25 degrees, and that's the lowest temperature since June 3rd.

Expect plenty of sunshine this afternoon and highs of around 41 degrees Celsius; three degrees above our average high.

Great news! Temperatures will drop over the weekend and early next week. We have a series of low pressure systems that will keep temperatures above 30 degrees throughout the work week, breaking our record of consecutive days with temperatures above 38 degrees.

Tropical Storm Ileana has formed off the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula. Moisture from this system will move northward, increasing the chance of rain in Arizona, especially on Sunday and Monday. Higher elevations could also see some thunderstorms and showers late Saturday.

We have declared a first weather alert for Sunday as tropical moisture and a low pressure system will bring rain to the state. So far, models are showing between 0.25 and 1.3 cm of rain in parts of the valley.

In the Phoenix area, the chance of rain and thunderstorms is up to 40% during the day on Sunday and up to 60% overnight Sunday into Monday, the highest chance of rain in the Valley.

There is also a chance that persistent thunderstorms will hit the valley on Monday afternoon.

Dry and calm conditions will return from Tuesday and persist well into next week. As cooler air moves into the region, temperatures will only be between 35 and 35 degrees Celsius from Tuesday to Thursday, with lows of 15 degrees Celsius in the morning.

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