Highlights
- The FAA issued a ground stop for arriving traffic at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport Wednesday evening.
- Heavy rainfall was reported across the East Valley, triggering flash flood warnings in parts of Maricopa County.
- The National Weather Service issued a Flood Watch covering the Aguila Valley, Northwest Valley, Tonopah Desert, Gila Bend, and Buckeye/Avondale areas.
- Between 0.5 and 1 inch of rain had fallen in warned areas, with an additional 0.25 to 0.75 inches possible, according to weather alerts.
The FAA issued a ground stop for arriving traffic at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport on Wednesday evening as heavy rainfall swept through the East Valley, with flash flood warnings in effect for parts of Maricopa County, KPNX reported.
A ground stop was confirmed for some flights at Sky Harbor, according to Yahoo News, corroborating the KPNX report.
The National Weather Service issued a Flood Watch covering the Aguila Valley, Northwest Valley, Tonopah Desert, Gila Bend, and Buckeye/Avondale areas. A separate NWS alert noted that between 0.5 and 1 inch of rain had already fallen in warned areas, with an additional 0.25 to 0.75 inches possible, and that flash flooding was ongoing or expected to begin shortly.
The Weather Prediction Center had expanded a Moderate Risk of excessive rainfall further west to include the majority of the Phoenix metro region, according to the NWS Phoenix Forecast Office.
Monitor the NWS Phoenix Forecast Office for updated warnings and the FAA's traffic management site for ground stop status as conditions evolve Wednesday night.
Sources
Every factual claim in this article traces to one of the sources below. See how we work for the editorial process.
- 12News retrieved 16/09/2026 19:53
- yahoo.com retrieved 16/09/2026 19:53
- api.weather.gov retrieved 16/09/2026 19:53
- AZ Family (3TV/CBS5) retrieved 16/09/2026 19:53
- weather.gov retrieved 16/09/2026 19:53
Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 16/09/2026 19:53. Every claim traces to a source.
