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Thanksgiving serves up more welcome rain
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Wednesday's soaking was just the beginning of a weather system that is supposed to keep us wet all Thanksgiving Day.
Keith Kincaid, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said rain gauges throughout the Valley on Wednesday got anywhere from a few hundredths of an inch to as much as a quarter-inch.
The showers mostly flooded gutters and soaked anyone who was unprepared.
Wednesday's weather caused delays of 15 to 45 minutes for arrivals at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, but departing flights were still on time, according to Deborah Ostreicher, deputy aviation director for Phoenix. The rain didn't stop fourth- and sixth-graders at Frye Elementary School in Chandler from running their Turkey Trot, an event where they run laps to promote physical fitness.
One student got drenched before he even started when he tried to jump a puddle and ended up slipping when he landed.
Today's forecast is calling for 70 percent chance of rain decreasing to 20 percent by nightfall.
"It should be cleared out by Friday," Kincaid said.
The ski resorts are welcoming the snow that the system is bringing.
Dave Smith, a spokesman for Arizona Snowbowl in Flagstaff, said the storm won't bring enough snow to spur an early opening, but the resort is on target to open by Christmas.
Danny Walton, ski patrol director for Sunrise Park Resort, said the storm should dump a good amount of snow, but the resort's opening depends on what happens in the next few weeks.
"We'll take any amount of snow," Walton said.
Black Friday shoppers can expect partly sunny skies and a high temperature of 68 degrees, which is about 3 degrees lower than average.
No near-term storms are expected, so weekend highs should be in the 70s and lows in the 50s.
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