Arizona, 2025

Flash Flooding in Arizona, June 2 to 4, 2025

June 2 to 4, 2025 · NWS PSR · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

4, which for early June is near record levels, combined with a series of low pressure systems that affected the Desert Southwest to result in periods of showers and thunderstorms between June 1-4. The first round of rainfall activity was observed across south-central AZ during the overnight hours of June 1-2, with observed amounts of 1-2 inches across northern portions of the Phoenix area…

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$500
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS PSR wrote it up.

Remnant moisture plume from a tropical system with precipitable water values between 1.0-1.4, which for early June is near record levels, combined with a series of low pressure systems that affected the Desert Southwest to result in periods of showers and thunderstorms between June 1-4. The first round of rainfall activity was observed across south-central AZ during the overnight hours of June 1-2, with observed amounts of 1-2 inches across northern portions of the Phoenix area towards the foothills and higher terrain areas to the north and east. The rainfall was enough to result in flood impacts near the Wildcat Burn Scar located east of Carefree. Another round of rainfall activity was observed during the overnight hours of June 3-4 across portions of La Paz County in association with a secondary low pressure system that resulted in a road closure near Parker due to flooding.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Phoenix, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 2, 4:49 AM MST, 21 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 2, 4:49 AM MST, 21 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Phoenix AZ
449 AM MST Mon Jun 2 2025

.UPDATE...Updated Aviation Discussion...

&&

.DISCUSSION...

Key Messages:

- Lingering showers and a thunderstorm or two early this morning
  across the Phoenix metro will lift to the north, with isolated
  to scattered chances in higher terrain during the daytime hours

- Another round of isolated light showers possible Tuesday night
  and Wednesday

- Below normal temperatures today will quickly rebound towards
  normal through the middle of the week and then above normal late
  week

The majority of the region enjoyed some rainy conditions on Sunday,
as most areas in south-central Arizona saw at least 0.25". The
more robust shower and isolated storm activity is occurring early
this morning, with the primary driver being the low center
passing over the Phoenix metro that is tapping into some
uninhibited instability of around 500-100 J/kg according to the
latest SPC Mesoanalysis. The already moistened profiles from
yesterday's rains is allowing for more efficient rains to reach
the surface, resulting in impressive amounts across the West
Valley nearing or exceeding 1.00" in some areas with training
showers. Moderate to heavy rains will continue to lift to the
north and east along with the low center, with drier air filtering
into the region, resulting in limited shower activity primarily
across the higher terrain north and east of Phoenix later today.

The upper level closed low will eject eastward throughout the day,
as drier air begins to erode the tropical moisture across the
region. Thus, even though there is another troughing feature
following this current low, there is not much optimism of more
rain potential beyond today across the region, although the best
chances (10-25%) remain on Wednesday as the closed low begins to
migrate eastward across the region. However, this feature remains
considerably dry in the mid to upper levels, thus kept rain to
just isolated chances across the northern portions of the CWA on
Wednesday.

General longwave troughing will continue to linger across the
Desert Southwest going through late week, although the exiting
mid-week trough will result in mid-level heights rebounding back
towards climatological norms near 582-585 dam. Sub-tropical
ridging begins to build across northern Mexico and southern TX mid
to late week, with ensembles showing a pretty expansive 591 dam
area Thursday and Friday. Ensembles then seem to be in pretty
good agreement of this ridge eroding the longwave troughing late
week and into the weekend, with mid-level heights building into
the 585-588 dam range by this weekend. Thus, temperatures will be
warming throughout the week, with today being the coolest (below
normal). Near normal temperatures through the middle of the week
will precede near to above normal temperatures, as the NBM IQR
nears the mid to upper 100s across the lower deserts over the
weekend. Thus, a return of Moderate HeatRisk to the region by this
weekend seems inevitable due to the good agreement of the pattern
evolution through this weekend.

&&

.AVIATION...Updated at 1150Z.

South Central Arizona including KPHX, KIWA, KSDL, KDVT:
The area of rain over the northern portions of the Phoenix Metro
will gradually wind down just after sunrise with lingering CIGs
between 5-7K feet through mid morning. Wind directions will be a
little problematic this morning with higher confidence for north
northeasterly winds initially before setting back out of the west
southwest by noon. Cloud decks will gradually lift going into the
afternoon and scatter out leaving mostly clear skies by this
evening. West winds are likely to persist through the evening
hours before shifting easterly late tonight.

Southeast California/Southwest Arizona including KIPL and KBLH:
No aviation impacts are expected through the period with mostly
clear skies. Expect southeasterly winds for much of the period at
KIPL with the exception of some southwesterly winds this evening
and southerly winds for the entire period at KBLH.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
Lingering wetting rains (50-80%) with a few isolated thunderstorms
across the eastern districts this morning will slowly shift
eastward throughout the day. Lingering showers are possible on
Tuesday and Wednesday across mainly the higher terrain in the
eastern districts, but wetting rain chances remain low (15% or
less). This abnormally wet pattern will quickly transition back
to more typical dry conditions and seasonable temperatures mid to
late week, as minRH's degrade from 25-50% to 15-25% by mid-week
with overnight recoveries remaining good to excellent (above 40%)
through this period. Late week RH's will continue to degrade near
10-15% and overnight recoveries becoming poor to fair (20-40%).
Outside of erratic, gusty winds near showers and storms early in
the week, winds should be fairly typical for late spring with the
usual afternoon upslope gustiness.

&&

.PSR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AZ...None.
CA...None.
&&

DISCUSSION...Young
AVIATION...Kuhlman
FIRE WEATHER...Young/18

The radar

The Phoenix radar (KIWA), 64 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 12:07 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Maricopa

When
June 2, 5:10 AM MST to 7:10 AM MST
Where
Maricopa County, 8.45 mi ESE of Carefree to 8.97 mi ESE of Carefree
Cause
Heavy Rain
Property damage
$500
Reported by
Park/Forest Service
Coordinates
33.851, -111.795

Photos taken along Bartlett Dam Rd show evidence of flash flooding over the road in multiple spots, including at the Camp Creek crossing, with many small boulders, sediment, and other debris left over in the road. No injuries were reported.

Flash Flood, La Paz

When
June 4, 12:49 AM MST to 1:49 AM MST
Where
La Paz County, 0.97 mi WNW of Parker to 0.87 mi NW of Parker
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
34.156, -114.296

The intersection of 4th Street and California Avenue in Parker was closed due to flooding. No damages nor injuries were reported.

What these are

Flash Flood
Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Arizona in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, June 2025

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1261506, 1261507.