Flagstaff closing in on record run of dry winter days
Jan 29, 2014, 5:00 AM | Updated: 5:00 am
PHOENIX — While much of the nation has suffered through brutally cold temperatures and heavy snow this month, Arizona is closing out a bone-dry January.
Barring rain or snowfall by midnight Wednesday, Flagstaff will tie a record for the longest winter run without moisture at 39 days. That hasn’t happened since 1917.
The Valley hasn’t received measureable rain the entire month and the last time it rained was Dec. 20.
Austin Jamison with the National Weather Service said Sky Harbor usually receives .91 inches of rainfall in January.
“It’s not looking good for the Valley to get rainfall for the rest of January. Phoenix went rainless in January of 2006 and 2012. Before that, back in 1976.”
As dry as the Valley seems now, the Valley is far from record-breaking territory. Phoenix went 160 days without rainfall from Dec. 30, 1971 until June 6, 1972.
We also went without rainfall for 143 days between Oct. 19, 2005 to March 10, 2006.