Significant rain event likely in Southwest to close out workweek

Heavy rain associated with a tropical disturbance that soaked Texas earlier this week is now pushing into the Southwest on Wednesday.

More monsoonal rain and thunderstorms are expected to develop across the Southwest on Thursday, but a more significant rain event is likely in the region as we close out the workweek.

Heavy rain and thunderstorms have led to life-threatening flash flooding over the past several weeks, including in Death Valley, California, where heavy rain forced the closure of several roads inside Death Valley National Park.

And in Las Vegas, two people were found dead in a flood channel after monsoon rain and thunderstorms turned roads into rivers along Sin City’s famous Las Vegas Boulevard.

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Flash flood threat into weekend
(FOX Weather)


 

"All of this rain certainly has been good to help us out with some of the drought conditions, but it has also led to some really life-threatening situations," FOX Weather meteorologist Jane Minar said. 

The FOX Forecast Center is expecting the monsoon flow once again on Wednesday afternoon and evening as daytime heating will allow for showers and thunderstorms to develop.

This moisture is being pulled in from a tropical disturbance that moved onshore in Texas last weekend and spun across the Lone Star State for several days, triggering Tornado and Flash Flood Warnings.

"We are going to be watching closely the Four Corners region, an area for the day today where we could see a little bit better risk of heavier rain that could lead to flash flooding," Minar said.

Flash flooding is possible from parts of Southern California and Nevada east through parts of West and North Texas.

However, the highest risk remains along the U.S.-Mexico border, as well as along the New Mexico-Colorado border.

The risk is significantly higher on Friday.

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The flash flood threat on Friday, Aug. 19.
(FOX Weather)


 

Flash flooding is likely again across the Four Corners region, but there is a much more significant risk of flooding across southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico.

This means cities like Phoenix and Tucson in Arizona and Reserve in New Mexico should keep a close eye on conditions Friday and prepare for likely Flash Flood Warnings.

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The rain forecast over the next seven days.
(FOX Weather)


 

"We really want to watch these rain totals very closely," Minar said. 

Significant rain totals are expected across the region, with Tucson expected to see anywhere between 3 and 5 inches of rain, with some locally higher amounts possible.

In fact, parts of southern Arizona could pick up more than 5 inches of rain.

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