A semi-shrouded lightning bolt illuminates a shaft of rain in the north-central part of Tucson on Wednesday night. Rain, at times heavy, and lightning covered most of the valley during the early evening and into the night.
A rainy weekend is expected in Southern Arizona as the National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch for Friday and Saturday.
Starting late Friday morning through Saturday night, all of southeastern Arizona should expect excessive rainfall coming from the south and moving north, the NWS said. The NWS also warned that the flash flood watch can also cause flooding of washes and roadways.
In Tucson, both Friday and Saturday have 80% to 90% chances of heavy rain and thunderstorms, the NWS said.
Showers will continue Sunday with a possibility of thunderstorms in the afternoon, the NWS said. There is a 60% chance of precipitation.
A car zooms through the foot-deep water flooding the intersection of Glenn Street and Tucson Boulevard on Wednesday night. The storm dropped rain over much of the valley starting shortly before sunset and into the night.
In Wednesday’s storm, some areas in Pima County saw 1 inch of rain while others barely got any. The Marana Regional Airport received a total of 1.03 inches of rain, the NWS said. The downtown area near Congress Street and Stone Avenue received 0.18 of an inch of rain while the Tucson International Airport received 0.01 of an inch.
So far, the total amount of rain Tucson has received during the 2022 monsoon is 2.03 inches, the NWS said. Last year, Tucson saw 12.79 inches of rain during the monsoon.
A semi-shrouded lightning bolt illuminates a shaft of rain dropping on the north-central part of town as a monsoon cell begins growing over Tucson, Ariz., August 17, 2022. Rain, at times heavy, and lightning fell over most of the valley during the early evening and into the night.
A car zooms through the foot-deep water flooding the intersection of Glenn Street and Tucson Boulevard, the after effect of a monsoon storm that expanded over Tucson, Ariz., August 17, 2022. The storm dropped rain over much of the valley starting shortly before sunset and into the night.
Lightning strikes the Santa Catalina Mountains near Pima Canyon during a monsoon storm on Aug. 10, 2022.
Lightning strikes the Santa Catalina Mountains near Pima Canyon during a monsoon storm on Aug. 10, 2022.
Monsoon storm moving Marana across slowly obscures the view of Picacho Peak 20 miles to the northwest on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022.
The clouds open and rain pours from a monsoon storm moving across the Tucson Mountains into Marana on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022.
A monsoon storm moves across Marana and into the Tortolita Mountains on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022.
Power lines down on Linda Vista Drive between N. Bald Eagle Ave. and W. Waterbuck Drive after a powerful monsoon storm moved across the Tucson Mountains into Marana on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022.
Power lines down on Linda Vista Drive between N. Bald Eagle Ave. and W. Waterbuck Drive after a powerful monsoon storm moved across the Tucson Mountains into Marana on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022.
Lightning strikes the ground while a monsoon storm passes over the Rincon Mountains on the east side of Tucson, Ariz. on Aug. 7, 2022 as seen from Babad Do'ag Scenic Overlook in the Santa Catalina Mountains.
Visitors watch a monsoon storm as it passes over the Rincon Mountains on the Eastside of Tucson, Ariz. on Aug. 7, 2022 as seen from Babad Do'ag Scenic Overlook in the Santa Catalina Mountains.
A monsoon storm passes over the Rincon Mountains on the east side of Tucson, Ariz. on Aug. 7, 2022 as seen from Babad Do'ag Scenic Overlook in the Santa Catalina Mountains.
A large bolt hits the southern end of the Rincon Mountain foothills, near Colossal Cave Road and Mary Ann Cleveland Way, part of a monsoon storm that spread rain, wind and hours of lightning in Vail, Ariz., August 7, 2022.
The last of the day's light hits monsoon storm clouds while lighting strikes in the Rincon Mountain foothills in Vail, Ariz., August 7, 2022.
Lightning strikes in the southern Rincon Mountain foothills, the second night in row a monsoon storm moved in from the east and through Vail, Ariz., Aug. 7, 2022.
The day's dying light catches the high monsoon storm clouds while lighting strikes in the Rincon Mountain foothills in Vail, Ariz., August 7, 2022.
A bolt of lightning hits the southern slopes of the Rincon Mountains shortly after sunset, part of a monsoon storm as it rolls in over Vail, Ariz., August 6, 2022. Steady light rain was preceded by gusty winds as well as the light show.
Twin bolts hit the southern slopes of the Rincon Mountains as a monsoon storm rolls in over Vail, Ariz., Aug. 6, 2022. High winds and rain also flowed through the area into the night.
A large bolt touches down in the foothills of the southern Rincon Mountains, one of hundreds of lightning strikes generated from just before sunset until far into the night by a monsoon storm over Vail, Ariz., August 6, 2022.
Shortly after sunset, a monsoon storm rolls in over Vail, Ariz., August 6, 2022. The storm brought gusty winds, rain and hours of lightning as it headed northeast and into the Santa Cruz valley.
A monsoon storm rolls in over Vail, Ariz., Aug. 6, 2022, dropping rain as well as lightning in the Rincon Mountains and foothills. Lightning was hitting throughout the area for several hours.
A large bolt hits in the lower reaches of the Rincon Mountain foothills as the monsoon storm makes its way into Vail, Ariz., August 6, 2022.
Three bolts in the vanguard of a monsoon storm strike the Rincon Mountains as it heads northwest and over Vail, Ariz., August 6, 2022.
Two bolts of cloud-to-ground lightning fall from into the Rincon Mountain foothills from monsoon storm rolling west and into Vail, Ariz., August 6, 2022.
Multiple ground strikes as well as cloud-to-cloud lighting flashes around a home on a ridge southeast of Tucson, Ariz., Aug. 3, 2022. The storm was mostly east of the Rincon Mountains until midnight. Another band was moving to the west just south of the city.
Lightning and a column of rain from a late night monsoon storm rolls over the area southeast of Tucson, Ariz., August 3, 2022. Frequent cloud-to-cloud as well as ground strikes were over the Vail area for much of the evening into the early morning hours.
Rain and lightning from a late night monsoon storm rolls over homes on a ridge southeast of Tucson, Ariz., August 3, 2022.
A woman walks with her umbrella as a sprinkle of rain falls in downtown Tucson on Aug. 3, 2022.
A woman walks along Sixth Avenue as a sprinkle of rain falls in downtown Tucson on Aug. 3, 2022.
Pima County Wastewater Reclamation crew members clear sand and rocks from a manhole at Havasu Road southeast of Columbus Blvd. inside Coronado Foothills Estates in Tucson, Ariz. on Aug. 1, 2022. A monsoon storm filled Finger Rock Wash as well as streets and a handful of homes on Sunday night.
Residents watch as crew members work to clear out rocks, dirt and mud off Havasu Road southeast of Columbus Blvd. inside Coronado Foothills Estates in Tucson, Ariz. on Aug. 1, 2022. A monsoon storm filled Finger Rock Wash as well as streets and a handful of homes on Sunday night.
A Pima County Wastewater Reclamation crew member, right, reacts as water spills out of a tube while crew members work to clear sand and rocks from a manhole at Havasu Road southeast of Columbus Blvd. inside Coronado Foothills Estates in Tucson, Ariz. on Aug. 1, 2022. A monsoon storm filled Finger Rock Wash as well as streets and a handful of homes on Sunday night.
While crews work to clean up the damage from Sunday evenings monsoon storm, a Havasu Road and Columbus Blvd. sign lies on the side of road farther southeast then the Havasu Rd and Columbus Blvd. corner inside Coronado Foothills Estates in Tucson, Ariz. on Aug. 1, 2022. A monsoon storm filled Finger Rock Wash as well as streets and a handful of homes on Sunday night.
A residents car is stuck in a pile of mud along East Havasu Rd inside Coronado Foothills Estates in Tucson, Ariz. on Aug. 1, 2022. A monsoon storm filled Finger Rock Wash as well as streets and a handful of homes on Sunday night.
Resident Maria Perri shovels some dirt along East Havasu Rd. in front go her home inside Coronado Foothills Estates in Tucson, Ariz. on Aug. 1, 2022. A monsoon storm filled Finger Rock Wash as well as streets and a handful of homes on Sunday night. "It was a raging river down here," said Perri. Some residents hung out in her drive way to get away from the flooding, added Perri.
Workers from Pima County Wastewater Reclamation clear sand and rocks from a manhole at Havasu Road and Columbus Blvd. in the Catalina Foothills on Monday, Aug. 1, 2022, after a raging Finger Rock Wash swamped a handful of homes on Sunday night.
Boulders and debris block Havasu Road at Columbus Blvd as seen on Monday, Aug. 1, 2022, after a raging Finger Rock Wash that swamped a handful of homes on in the Catalina Foothills on Sunday night.
A mud-splattered wheelchair at an adult care home on Havasu Road in the Catalina Foothills on Monday, Aug. 1, 2022. Rural Metro firefighters evacuated the residents after a raging Finger Rock Wash swamped a handful of homes on Havasu Road east of Columbus Blvd. in the Catalina Foothills on Sunday night.
A street sign fell victim to floodwaters on Havasu Road east of Columbus Blvd as seen on Monday, Aug. 1, 2022, after a raging Finger Rock Wash swamped a handful of homes on Sunday night.
A cyclist rides along The Loop at Grant Road next to the Santa Cruz River swollen with runoff from midtown Tucson storm on July 26, 2022.
Monsoon clouds rise above the desert floor southeast of Tucson, behind Tumamoc Hill on July 26, 2022.
A monsoon storm begins dropping rain as it grows to the southeast of Sonoita, Ariz., July 29, 2022. The cell was one of several that formed over the area, dumping rain on the plain for much of the afternoon.
A US Border Patrol truck heads east on State Route 82 as a monsoon storm boils up to the south just outside Sonoita, Ariz., July 29, 2022.
The statue, Tribute to Ranching, stands under a growing monsoon cloud outside the Santa Cruz County Fair & Rodeo Association grounds, Sonoita, Ariz., July 29, 2022. The cell was one of several that dumped rain on the area throughout the afternoon.
Onlookers get video and photos while watching the debris filled leading edge of water fill the Tanque Verde Wash at Wentworth Road, Tucson, Ariz., July 28, 2022. Heavy monsoon rains over the past few days has water flowing in some of the area washes and low lying areas.
Birdie the Golf Dog takes a cooling break in the water beginning to fill the Tanque Verde Wash at Wentworth Road, Tucson, Ariz., July 28, 2022.
Paul Delligatti lines up his shot while recording video of the leading edge of floodwaters in the Tanque Verde Wash flow across Wentworth Road, Tucson, Ariz., July 28, 2022.
Dustin Ovayvar, left, and his family, were among the handful that waited to catch the arrival of the leading edge of the waters heading down the Tanque Verde Wash at Wentworth Road, Tucson, Ariz., July 28, 2022.
Tom Woodrow and his mother Diane wade through the northern channel after getting cut off watching the water fill the southern branch of the leading edge of flood water in the Tanque Verde Wash flow over Wentworth Road, Tucson, Ariz., July 28, 2022.
Tucson Fire Department personnel pull a man out of the floodwaters of the Arroyo Chico rushing through a construction channel near 9th Avenue just north of 6th Street during a monsoon storm that dumped inches of rain on parts of Tucson, Ariz., July 26, 2022. The man was eventually carried to a nearby ambulance.
A driver has second thoughts about driving into the flooded Arroyo Chico in midtown during a monsoon, Tucson, Ariz., July 26, 2022. The driver eventually turned around.
A driver takes his SUV into the running waters of the Arroyo Chico in midtown during a monsoon storm, Tucson, Ariz., July 26, 2022.
A Jeep blasts at high speed into the flooded Arroyo Chico after a monsoon storm dumped inches of rain on parts of Tucson, Ariz., July 26, 2022.
A woman and her curious dog get a closer look at the flood waters of Arroyo Chico running over Plummer Avenue during a monsoon storm that dumped inches of rain over parts of Tucson, Ariz., July 26, 2022.
A driver takes a jeep through the high waters of Arroyo Chico running over Plummer Avenue during a monsoon storm through the area, Tucson, Ariz., July 26, 2022.
Krishna Ghimire and Sumod Bastakoti take a selfie of themselves with storm clouds approaching from Sentinel Peak Park on July 26, 2022.
A lightning bolt hits in the valley as an afternoon monsoon storm rolls over east central Tucson, Ariz., July 22, 2022.
The setting sun lights up the patchy monsoon clouds overhead as Omar Rojas Jr. works on pitching out of the stretch with his dad, Omar Sr., on the diamond at David G. Herrera and Ramon Quiroz Park, Tucson, Ariz., July 21, 2022. The two Omars were working out while daughter/sister Julissa practiced nearby with her softball team. Monsoon 2022 may finally bring the rain, with precipitation forecast this weekend and throughout the coming week.
Mammatus clouds roll over the evening skies west of the Tucson Mountains during a little light monsoon activity around Tucson, Ariz., July 15, 2022.
With a monsoon cell dropping a bit of rain to the west, fans find seats in the grandstands long the strip during Street Rally night at the Tucson Dragway Tucson, Ariz., June 11, 2022.
Sarah Travis and her son John Donnelly, on shovel duty, and his friend Kai Squire, take advantage of the Department of Transportation and Mobility's sandbag filling site in the east parking lot of Hi Corbett Field, Tucson, Ariz., June 17, 2022. The trio were helping a neighbor in need get ready for the coming rains. This is the seventh year DTM is providing bags and sand for residents to make sandbags to deal with monsoon flooding.
Pima County crews expanded the Chuck Huckelberry Loop along the Canyon del Oro Wash north of Magee Road on June 7 and cleared out brush in the channel and performed flood control measures to prevent water from monsoon rains flooding the path.
A vehicle travels down North Houghton Rd. while a small storm passes over the Santa Catalina Mountains in Tucson, Ariz. on June 27, 2022.
Two vehicles drive through a series of puddles on East Speedway after a rain storm passed through the Eastside of Tucson, Ariz. on June 27, 2022.
A crew with Hunter Contracting Co. work on a pathway surrounding a new storm basin while monsoon clouds build to the south of Cherry Avenue Park in Tucson, Ariz. on June 29, 2022.
A rainbow fragment above Pima Canyon and the Santa Catalina Mountains on June 27.
Monsoon clouds over the Tohono O'Odham Nation loom behind the towers on Tumamoc Hill on June 28.
Olga Martinez, far left, and her daughter Raquel Diaz watch a monsoon storm pass over the Santa Catalina Mountains from "A" Mountain in Tucson, Ariz. on July 24, 2022.
Jamie Donnelly covers breaking news for the Arizona Daily Star. Contact her via e-mail at jdonnelly@tucson.com
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A semi-shrouded lightning bolt illuminates a shaft of rain in the north-central part of Tucson on Wednesday night. Rain, at times heavy, and lightning covered most of the valley during the early evening and into the night.
A car zooms through the foot-deep water flooding the intersection of Glenn Street and Tucson Boulevard on Wednesday night. The storm dropped rain over much of the valley starting shortly before sunset and into the night.
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