Strong Storms Continue to Hammer Southwest With Flooding Rain - AccuWeather.com

By Brian Thompson, Meteorologist

September 28, 2014; 4:59 AM ET

An early-season storm system moving across Great Basin of the United States will help to trigger numerous thunderstorms, some producing localized severe weather and flash flooding through the weekend.

A small number of the storms will be severe, bringing wind gusts up to 65 mph, frequent lightning strikes and perhaps even a short-lived tornado. The storms have the potential to not only cause property damage and power outages, but can bring sudden low visibility from blowing dust.

While rainfall amounts will vary greatly because of the scattered nature of the moisture, the potential will exist for more than 2 inches of rain. This amount of rain is more than what typically falls during the entire month of September in many parts of Arizona and Utah.

The weather was already wreaking havoc on the Phoenix area by the afternoon hours Saturday. Trained spotters reported flooded and impassable roads throughout Maricopa County.

The Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport temporarily stopped all take offs and landings due to the weather. More than 30 inbound flights were diverted to other airports.

Motorists should be prepared for blinding downpours and flooding. Remember that many vehicles can be carried away by only a foot or so of water.

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Despite the threat for flash flooding, the rain will be beneficial to portions of the interior West and Southwest that have been dealing with drought.

While this system will not help bring much, if any, rainfall to the hardest-hit drought areas in California, some places farther east will receive welcomed rainfall. Parts of southern Utah and northern Arizona are battling a long-term severe drought and will benefit from the rain.

The overall weather pattern that is beginning to spawn this storm has already helped bring much-needed rainfall to portions of northern California. The rain helped firefighters battling large wildfires in that area.

This map, which focuses on the Southwest is a culmination of the U.S. Drought Monitor, the Palmer Drought Index and soil moisture departure from average as of Thursday, Sept. 25, 2014.

As isolated severe storms and flash flooding focus over the Great Basin, colder air will spill into the Sierra Nevada.

According to Western Weather Expert Ken Clark, "Snow will fall mainly above 7,500 feet in the Sierra Nevada this weekend with 4-8 inches over the high country."

Drier weather will prevail across the Four Corners by Monday and Tuesday.

AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski contributed content to this story.

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