Monsoon season appears to have arrived early

July 02, 2013

If you were thinking the monsoon arrived a bit early in the year, you are right. Weather experts said temperatures in the last two weeks seem to signal the approach of the season. Meteorologists say high temperatures, dry lighting storms and the muggy humidity are not uncommon when monsoon approaches. They are warning signs the season is here, and they usually arrive in July.

Ken Waters is with the Phoenix office National Weather Service. He said no one monsoon season is the same, but this year’s seems to have arrived differently.

“We’re already starting to get monsoonal thunderstorms coming through and looking at the calendar the average day to get the real monsoon activity season in Phoenix is actually, historically is about July 7,” said Waters. “So we’re actually kind of ahead of schedule in that regard."

Water said reports show thunderstorms could arrive in mid to late July. He said in the past, heavy rains usually arrive in August.