Phoenix Ends Monsoon Season With Historically Low Rain

PHOENIX — Not only was this the hottest summer ever recorded in Phoenix, it was also the driest.

The Valley's monsoon season ended Wednesday with the lowest level of rainfall since the data collection started in 1990. Rainfall in Maricopa County averaged only 0.64 inches in 2020. According to the National Weather Service, it is the first time the average was below 1.5 inches.

The previous driest monsoon season was in 2009, when the city averaged just 1.19 inches of rain. The average is 2.78 inches in a typical year.

While rainfall was scarce, heat was something the city could count on this summer. Phoenix experienced the highest number of 110-degree and 115-degree days in a year and set over 20 daily heat records. Friday's high of 107 degrees tied for the warmest temperature ever recorded in Phoenix in the month of October since recording began in 1895.

That trend is expected to continue as fall begins: the city will see triple-digit temperatures for at least the next week.

"Dry and abnormally warm conditions are expected to continue into next week," the National Weather Service in Phoenix tweeted. "Remember to stay cool and hydrated."