Mother Nature is a Tease

Sprinkles don't count for much; rain eludes Phoenix again

Lindsey Collom
The Arizona Republic
Mar. 1, 2006 12:00 AM

Disregard the sprinkle marks on your windshields: There was no measurable rain in the Valley as of late Tuesday, weather officials said.

But there were traces of rain reported in Peoria, Litchfield Park, Mesa, north Phoenix, Wickenburg and other areas. And that was enough to get people excited.

"It smells like rain and feels humid," said Jesse Matthews, 27, of Phoenix. "It sprinkled in my hand when I walked out of my apartment. (It was) cool."
advertisement


Measurable rainfall equals at least 1/100 of an inch. However, traces are just that: You see the rain, feel it, but it's not enough to record.

Tuesday marked the 133rd consecutive day in without measurable rain at the official Sky Harbor International Airport reporting station. The previous record was 101 days from September 1999 to January 2000.

Meteorologist Mike Bruce of the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Phoenix said the dry spell could top the record if it lasts through March 27.

"We have had major storms before in March and early April, so it's not out of the question that we could still get one," Bruce said. "Climatologically, if it doesn't rain here through the early part of April, it's rare we'll get any rain here until the monsoon." Chances of a measurable rain today are 40 percent in the morning.