Northern Arizona recorded unusually heavy rainfall this fall following a dry winter and weak monsoon, the National Weather Service reports. Several communities logged some of their wettest autumns on record.
Flagstaff received more than 10.3 inches of rain — roughly double the seasonal average.
Payson and Bagdad experienced their second-wettest falls, while rainfall was above average along the Mogollon Rim and in Winslow, Clarkdale and Sedona.
The additional moisture will help replenish soil and groundwater levels and improve stream flows.
However, forecasters caution that the resulting growth of grass and brush could increase wildfire risk when drier conditions return, particularly during a La Niña year.
Veteran housing needs in northern Arizona hit a new high last year as the number of unhoused veterans grew nationwide.
