![]() This pattern actually held into the early summer and resulted in a lack of thunderstorm activity during the first part of the monsoon. May 2019 was significantly cooler than normal, and in fact the monthly average temperature was nearly identical to that in April. Lingering cooler weather and even a few storm systems continued through the spring season as the El Nino phase was very slow to deteriorate. While an early February storm produced substantial snowfall in northern Arizona, lower elevations experienced the greatest rain and snow during a late February storm. Old time residents commented that the winter 2018-19 was more like winters when they were young and temperature records indeed support this as the average Jan-Mar temperature was similar to the average prior to 1980. In fact, the first 3 months of the year combined produced the coolest Jan-Mar in Phoenix since 1998, and coolest in Yuma since 1985. While temperatures in January and March were near normal, a series of potent storm systems in February resulted in a period of abnormally cool weather. With a weak El Nino in place, 2019 started fairly unsettled across the Southwest United States. Records for Phoenix began in 1896, first taken in downtown and since moved to Sky Harbor airport in the 1950s. Compared to recent years in Arizona which have habitually fallen in the top 10 warmest ranking due to the impacts of a rapidly changing climate, 2019 was actually somewhat cooler and ended up closer to normal than the area has become accustomed to. The year 2019 ended up being only the 28th warmest year recorded in the history of central Arizona (Phoenix), and the 46th warmest recorded for southwest Arizona (Yuma). ![]()
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