First Alert Weather Day Declared for Saturday as Storms Approach

86 degrees. That is the forecast high for Phoenix this afternoon on Thursday, making it the warmest day of the week. The temperature sits seven degrees above the average for this time of year. Residents can expect sunshine and breezy conditions with winds blowing from the east at 10 to 15 miles per hour.

A slight cooldown arrives Friday with an afternoon high of 80 degrees. The chance of light rain increases by Friday afternoon and evening. Rainfall totals in the Valley are expected to be minimal, likely reaching only a couple hundredths of an inch. An isolated thunderstorm or two is also possible during the day.

Rain chances climb to nearly 40 percent Friday evening as a separate low-pressure system approaches. Saturday becomes a First Alert Weather Day due to continued rain risks. While precipitation remains light in the Valley, Northern and Eastern Arizona will see higher amounts. Those regions are forecast to receive between a half-inch and one inch of rain on Saturday.

Sunday offers a break between storm systems. The weather pattern shifts to mostly sunny skies with a high of 74 degrees in the Valley. Another storm system is currently on track to enter Arizona Monday night. This system will bring rain chances from late Monday through early Wednesday.

Meteorologists expect the incoming system to be cooler than the current air mass. Valley highs are projected to drop to the upper 60s by midweek. Officials will continue to monitor the potential track of this system to determine the exact amounts of rain and snow it may deliver to the state.