Lightning strikes behind Tumamoc Hill just after sunset on Aug. 23. The storms produced localized flooding from heavy rains.

After a slow start to the monsoon, August was the wettest month of the season, putting Tucson slightly below average with one month to go.

Throughout August, the Tucson International Airport received a total of 2.82 inches of rain, the National Weather Service said. This puts August 2022 above normal as the average rainfall seen for the month is 1.98 inches. Last year, the airport received 3.85 inches of rain in August.

Even though it was a stormy month, Tucson just fell short of the monsoon average. So far this season, June 15 through Aug. 31, the airport has received a total of 4.13 inches of rain. The average for those dates is 4.37 inches of rain.

According to the NWS, some parts of Tucson have struggled during the monsoon whereas a lot of Southeast Arizona is actually seeing above normal rainfall. Despite only being near normal, the NWS said itโ€™s been a pretty good monsoon in general.

The average rainfall for a Tucson monsoon, June 15 through September 30, is 5.55 inches.

September, the last month of the monsoon, is trading in storms for sunshine as this weekend is predicted to have 100 degree days. Friday, Saturday and Sunday are all expected to have highs in the 100s and lows in the upper 70s, the NWS said.

Next week, Monday and Tuesday are also expected to have highs in the 100s.

Although the week gets off to a sunny start, the NWS said there is a possibility for rain later in the week. Some moisture from potential tropical systems may come Tucsonโ€™s way late next week, the NWS said. For this time of year, the NWS tends to look toward the tropics for moisture pushes.

The weather service said September tends to be hit or miss when it comes to rain. Sometimes Tucson sees periods that are more active than others and the decline in storms will be a gradual process.

Even though storms typically become less active in September, the weather service wants to remind people that the monsoon isnโ€™t quite done yet and there are still chances for storms.


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Jamie Donnelly covers breaking news for the Arizona Daily Star. Contact her via e-mail at jdonnelly@tucson.com