PHOENIX (CBS5) -
The monsoon will be making itself known the next couple of days.
This morning parts of the Valley are picking up very light rain showers and sprinkles with more rain to the south of Gila Bend. This moisture could help spark thunderstorms later this afternoon, but we have a better chance of thunderstorms tomorrow for the 4th of July.
Highs today will be below average at 103°. Tomorrow we'll be about 10 degrees below average with daytime highs in the mid 90s.
Winds will start to pick up this afternoon. These winds could cause blowing dust, especially across Pinal County. The Pinal County Department of Air Quality has issued an Airborne Coarse Particle High Pollution Advisory.
Independence Day will be an active weather day. Our best chance of thunderstorms will come first thing in the morning. Measurable rain is expected. We could see around a quarter of an inch of rain.
All that rain could lead to some flooding to the east of the Valley. A Flash Flood Watch has been issued by the National Weather Service from this afternoon until tomorrow. The Sunflower Fire has burned much of the vegetation and any heavy rainfall could lead to runoff.
Temperatures for Thursday will stay in the 90s, just a couple degrees warmer than Wednesday.
Although our thunderstorm activity will decrease after Wednesday, the monsoon will still bring the Valley a small chance of thunderstorms and cloud cover all the way through the weekend.
The monsoon won't be as strong Friday and for the weekend so temperatures to warm back up into the triple digits by Friday.
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