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File photo: Antelope Canyon in Arizona, a slot canyon carved by flash flooding — the same kind of desert terrain under this weekend's flood watch. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
In 60 seconds: A Flood Watch covers Phoenix and much of Arizona from 11 p.m. Saturday, October 31, to 5 a.m. Monday, November 2 — the second round of a storm system that already flooded Phoenix roads Friday, stranded drivers, and delayed nearly 800 flights. Trick-or-treat hours Saturday afternoon should stay mostly workable; the next wave arrives after 8 p.m.
- The Flood Watch runs 11 p.m. MST Saturday, Oct. 31, to 5 a.m. MST Monday, Nov. 2, covering Maricopa, Yavapai, Coconino, Navajo, Apache, Gila, Pinal, Pima, Santa Cruz, Graham, Greenlee, and western Cochise counties.
- Friday's storms dropped 2–3 inches on Paradise Valley and 1–2 inches across north Scottsdale, knocked out power to 5,000+ customers, and delayed nearly 800 flights at Phoenix Sky Harbor.
- Phoenix firefighters rescued 6 people from floodwaters Friday — four vehicles stuck in a wash near 40th Street and Camelback. No one was injured.
- The second round brings another 1–1.5 inches to metro Phoenix and 2–3 inches in higher terrain, on ground already soaked. The Weather Prediction Center puts the Four Corners under a Moderate Risk of excessive rainfall Sunday, Nov. 1.
- Never drive through a flooded road. The National Weather Service's rule is blunt for a reason: most flood deaths happen in vehicles.
Honestly, Friday was the warning shot. Anyone in the Phoenix area who watched the sky Friday evening saw what this system can do in under an hour — and the National Weather Service is saying the second act, starting late Saturday night, lands on ground that's already had all it can take.
What happened
Friday, October 30, started as a wet day and turned dangerous fast in the Phoenix metro. Intense thunderstorms raced across Phoenix and Scottsdale, dropping more than an inch of rain in less than an hour early Friday evening. Paradise Valley took 2 to 3 inches; much of north Scottsdale took 1 to 2 inches. Goodyear got hail on top of it.
The disruption piled up quickly. The Federal Aviation Administration put a ground stop on flights bound for Phoenix Sky Harbor from 11 a.m. to noon, and nearly 800 flights ended up delayed through the day. More than 5,000 customers lost power. And as Flash Flood Warnings went up across Maricopa County on Friday evening, Phoenix firefighters pulled 6 people from floodwaters near 40th Street and Camelback, where four vehicles were stuck in a wash. Fire officials said all six were assessed at the scene and refused transport to the hospital — a lucky ending to a situation that routinely turns deadly.
Latest verified facts
Here's where things stand now. The National Weather Service has a Flood Watch for Phoenix and much of Arizona from 11 p.m. MST Saturday, October 31, until 5 a.m. MST Monday, November 2. The watch list is long: Maricopa, Yavapai, Coconino, Navajo, Apache, Gila, Pinal, Pima, Santa Cruz, Graham, Greenlee, and western Cochise counties. Separate watches cover parts of New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado through early November 2, and the National Weather Service in Las Vegas has watches for northwest Arizona from Saturday evening through late Sunday night.
The numbers for the second round: another 1 to 1.5 inches in metro Phoenix, 2 to 3 inches in higher terrain, on top of ground that Friday already soaked. The Weather Prediction Center has placed the Four Corners under a Moderate Risk of excessive rainfall for Sunday, November 1 — its second-highest tier — and warns several instances of flash flooding are possible, especially in low-lying areas, slot canyons, and other sensitive terrain.
And the timing matters for tonight specifically. National Weather Service Phoenix meteorologist Gabriel Lojero told KTAR News that conditions should ease for Saturday afternoon and the early trick-or-treat hours, before the next wave arrives after 8 p.m. Saturday. The threats with that wave: 60 mph wind gusts, hail, and flash flooding.
Why it matters
This is a Halloween-weekend story with a safety edge that goes beyond one city. Friday proved the system's speed: an inch-plus of rain in under an hour, on desert ground that doesn't absorb water the way soaked eastern soil does. Desert washes that sit dry for months can run waist-deep within minutes — Phoenix firefighters' own video from Friday showed rescuers linking arms to guide people through rushing water near the Arizona Canal.
The saturated-ground factor is what turns a second round of rain from an inconvenience into a real hazard. The Weather Service's Flagstaff office put it plainly in its watch: flash flooding is possible in creeks, normally dry washes, swimming holes, and over recently burned areas, with low-water crossings at risk of going under. That's the whole map of where Arizonans hike, drive, and camp on a holiday weekend.
Impact on the USA and the world
For Americans outside Arizona, the most immediate ripple is air travel. Phoenix Sky Harbor is a major hub, and Friday's ground stop and near-800 delays showed how quickly a desert storm bends the national schedule — missed connections don't stay in Phoenix. Anyone flying through the Southwest this weekend should check their flight before leaving for the airport, not after.
The wider pattern is worth noting too. This is the second weekend in a row the Southwest has been hit by successive Pacific moisture surges, and the same system is pushing watches into Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico. The Four Corners region has already spent days dealing with swollen rivers and water rescues this week; Sunday's Moderate Risk day is the one forecasters are watching closest.
What happens next
Watch the clock tonight. If you're trick-or-treating in the Phoenix area, the afternoon and early evening look workable — but plan to be done and off the roads before the heavier rain moves back in after 8 p.m. If a road is flooded, don't test it: turn around, don't drown, as the Weather Service puts it. The same goes for washes, slot canyons, and low-water crossings all weekend — rain falling miles upstream can send a wall of water through a dry wash with almost no warning at your location.
The watch runs through 5 a.m. Monday, and forecasters say storms clear out after that. If any watch is upgraded to a Flash Flood Warning for your county, that's the signal to act immediately, not to wait and see.
Our take: Friday's rescues ended well, and that's exactly why this watch deserves attention rather than a shrug. Six people in four cars, in one wash, in one evening — on a weekend when thousands more will be out after dark. The forecast gives Arizona a dry window for Halloween itself. Use it, and be home before the second wave arrives.
Related reading: Flash Floods Are Hitting 6 States Right Now — and Arizona Just Got Its First Tornado Watch in 16 Years and Halloween Night 2026: Pittsburgh Trick-or-Treat 5:30–7:30, Akron 5–7, and How to Check Your City.
Sources: National Weather Service (Phoenix and Flagstaff offices); Weather Prediction Center; FOX Weather; FOX 10 Phoenix; The Watchers; KTAR News (via NWS Phoenix meteorologist Gabriel Lojero).