Forecasters say the recent rainfall in northern Arizona has offered temporary relief from wildfire danger. But it has not been enough to lessen drought conditions that have been in place across the state for much of the year.
June is traditionally the driest and warmest time of the year in northern Arizona and is considered the heart of the region’s wildfire season.
This week’s storms brought between a quarter and three-quarters of an inch of precipitation to most areas, while nearly three inches fell in others. The Grand Canyon and parts of the Havasupai reservation received heavy rain on Tuesday, which stranded several hikers as flash floods ripped through Havasu Creek.
According to the National Weather Service, June will likely be wetter than normal, but wildfire danger could still increase in southern and central Arizona by the middle of the month. Fire conditions are predicted to remain in the normal range in northern Arizona in June with fire danger in the rest of the state dropping to normal for July and August.
Conditions over the next couple weeks are expected to dry out and temperatures will likely reach the triple digits in some lower desert areas.
All of Arizona remains at some level of drought after an especially dry winter. The southern part of the state has reached “extreme” levels while the southeast corner of Arizona is in “exceptional” status, the highest level of drought recorded by the Weather Service.
Forecasters, however, are predicting higher-than-normal precipitation for the upcoming monsoon season in Arizona along with warmer temperatures.
This weekend, high pressure strengthens over the region moving through the extended forecast with gradually hotter afternoons daily.