Severe Flood Watch Issued for Areas in Utah and Arizona Due to Heavy Rainfall

A widespread Flood Watch covers much of Arizona and Utah as tropical moisture from the eastern Pacific combines with an approaching storm system, raising the risk of flash flooding through Tuesday night.

National Weather Service offices in Flagstaff, Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City and Grand Junction have all issued watches tied to the same moisture surge, which forecasters say could bring rainfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour in the heaviest storms.

Northern and Central Arizona

NWS Flagstaff has a Flood Watch in effect from Sunday evening through Tuesday evening for all of northern and central Arizona.

The watch covers the Grand Canyon Country, the Kaibab Plateau, Marble and Glen Canyons, the Coconino Plateau, the Mogollon Rim, the White Mountains and the Little Colorado River Valley.

Cities in the watch include Flagstaff, Page, Window Rock, Tuba City, Winslow, Sedona, Payson, Williams, Prescott, Show Low, Pinetop-Lakeside, Springerville, St. Johns, Chinle, Kayenta and Grand Canyon Village.

Forecasters say low pressure interacting with tropical moisture could produce numerous showers and embedded thunderstorms, with heavy rain falling on already saturated soils and burn scars.

That combination raises the risk of localized flash flooding and rises on rivers such as the Little Colorado.

Northwest Arizona

NWS Las Vegas has issued two separate watches for northwest Arizona. The first covers Lake Havasu, Fort Mohave and the Arizona sides of Lake Mead and Lake Mohave from early Monday through early Tuesday morning, including Lake Havasu City and Bullhead City.

A second watch covers the Hualapai Mountains and the Northwest Plateau and Deserts from late tonight through Tuesday evening, including Kingman, Colorado City, Valentine, Dolan Springs and Wikieup. Showers and thunderstorms capable of producing flash flooding are expected in both areas.

South Central and Southeast Arizona

Farther south, NWS Phoenix has a watch in effect from late Monday night through Tuesday evening for south central Arizona, including Apache Junction, Fountain Hills, Cave…