Rainfall Sets Record For Phoenix As Baseball Games Canceled

By Scott Bourque
Associated Press
Published: Saturday, February 22, 2020 - 10:21am
Updated: Saturday, February 22, 2020 - 3:32pm

Rainfall in Phoenix on Saturday set a record for the date as soggy conditions prompted cancellation of some spring training baseball games.

The National Weather Service reported 0.9 inches of rain by late morning Saturday, easily breaking the previous record of 0.45 inch set in 1913.

MLB teams canceled five games, including one featuring the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies. Two other games'start times were reset for later Saturday and one game was rescheduled for March.

The weather service said up to 1 inch of rain was expected through Sunday morning in Phoenix, Prescott, Flagstaff and Show Low, while Maricopa County officials said localized flooding such as ponding on roads and minor runoff in washes would be a concern late Saturday.

Rainfall was expected to wane Saturday night and Sunday morning as the weather disturbance moved eastward.

The Arizona Department of Transportation joked on Twitter that the cool and wet weather in Phoenix resembled those of Seattle and urged drivers to slow down, turn on their lights and not tailgate.

The weather service said snowfall in higher elevations would include up to 4 inches in Flagstaff and up to 3 inches in Heber.

The wet weather also caused flooding at Tonto Creek. National Weather Service Meteorologist Marvin Percha says the water levels in the creek make crossing it dangerous.

"A short time ago we issued a flood warning for up there, as the creek has risen to what we call action stage," he said. "Basically it’s becoming unsafe for vehicles to attempt to cross that creek."

Percha says there’s a chance for isolated showers in the eastern part of the state this evening — but the rain should be gone by tomorrow.

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