• After a week of persistent warm weather, a storm system is expected to bring rain, not snow, to Arizona for Christmas.
• Flagstaff and other high-country areas are also too warm for Christmas snow, with precipitation expected to be mostly rain.
• The same weather pattern is bringing heavy rain and potential flooding to Southern California and parts of the Northwest.

Arizonans dreaming of a white Christmas will likely have to settle for rain this year as warm temperatures persist.

A storm system off the West Coast is expected to funnel moisture into the state later this week, giving much of Arizona chances for rain around Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

The unsettled pattern could bring measurable rainfall, but temperatures are expected to stay too warm for snow, even in the high country. Arizona won’t get the soaking Southern California is expecting from incoming atmospheric rivers slamming the coast, but that same system will push moisture into the Southwest.

“Unfortunately, no white Christmas. I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news,” said Ted Whittock, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Phoenix.

In Phoenix, rain chances as temperatures cool from record highs

In Phoenix and the lower deserts, Christmas week will start off unusually warm before gradually cooling as rain chances increase.

Phoenix could break a daily temperature record for the second day in a row on Monday, Dec. 22. The current record is 79 degrees, with a forecast high of 82. A high of 81 degrees on Sunday, Dec. 21, broke the daily record for the third time this month.

But the weather should shift as a low-pressure system moves in from the Pacific.

“We’ll see a strong low-pressure system move in just off the West Coast and bring plenty of moisture into the region starting tomorrow,” Whittock said. “As a result, we’re going to see periodic rain chances this week.”

Forecasters say there will be two main windows for rain: late Tuesday into early Wednesday and again from Christmas Eve into Christmas Day.

Temperatures will start to trend downward midweek, with highs potentially dropping into the 60s and low 70s by the weekend.

Rainfall totals in the Valley could add up to around a half-inch or more in spots.

High country: Flagstaff is Arizona’s snow capital. Here’s why

In Flagstaff, mostly rain early with uncertain snow chances later

Up north, Flagstaff will also see an unsettled and warmer-than-normal Christmas week. But snow lovers may be disappointed.

“It’s very warm for this time of year compared to what it usually is in December, so we’re expecting this week’s events to mainly be rain instead of snow,” said Jacob Lewandowski, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff.

The first chance of rain in the forecast is Tuesday, Dec. 23 in the evening. Snow levels are expected to stay high through midweek, generally between 9,000 and 10,000 feet. That puts Flagstaff below the snow line during the initial rounds of precipitation.

The Arizona Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025 results for each game:

Winning Pick 3 numbers

9-1-0

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Fantasy 5 numbers

09-18-19-32-35

Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Triple Twist numbers

10-25-28-31-34-41

Check Triple Twist payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news and results

What time is the Powerball drawing?

Powerball drawings are at 7:59 p.m. Arizona time on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

How much is a Powerball lottery ticket today?

In Arizona, Powerball tickets cost $2 per game, according to the Arizona Lottery.

How to play the Powerball

To play, select five numbers from 1 to 69 for the white balls, then select one number from 1 to 26 for the red Powerball.

You can choose your lucky numbers on a play slip or let the lottery terminal randomly pick your numbers.

To win, match one of the 9 Ways to Win:

• 5 white balls + 1 red Powerball = Grand prize.
• 5 white balls = $1 million.
• 4 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $50,000.
• 4 white balls = $100.
• 3 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $100.
• 3 white balls = $7.
• 2 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $7.
• 1 white ball + 1 red Powerball = $4.
• 1 red Powerball = $4.

San Diego State has put itself into an unenviable and unusual position. The Aztecs are going to have to win the Mountain West Conference to get a spot in the NCAA Tournament because their non-conference resume is nowhere near as impressive as it usually is.

SDSU lost 68-45 to the top-ranked Arizona Wildcats on Saturday night on a “neutral” floor in Phoenix, AZ. It was the lowest point total for the Cats this season. But, as has been their Achilles heel for years now, SDSU’s usual stellar defense doesn’t matter much when they can’t score the basketball.

They looked great for the first 18 minutes. Tae Simmons made a layup to give the Aztecs a 27-20 lead and the Aztecs were in control of the #1 team in the country. The Aztecs made just three of their next 21 field goal attempts, allowing the Wildcats to methodically take control.

Arizona finished the half on an 8-0 run and made things infinitely worse after the break, outscoring the Aztecs 40-18 over the final 20 minutes. For the game SDSU shot just 7% (1-for-14) from 3-point range but it wasn’t so much the errant shots that led to the blowout. The Aztecs held AZ to 38% from the field and 24% from 3-point land.

The problem was on the backboards. The Wildcats outrebounded the Aztecs 52-28, collecting a whopping 20 offensive rebounds and keeping San Diego State from getting any runout buckets that might get their offense going.

Add to this setback a 40-point loss to 2nd-ranked Michigan (which in reality doesn’t look all that bad since the Wolverines also beat Gonzaga by 40 and Auburn by 50) and an ugly home loss to Troy and SDSU is just 6-4 on the young season. They have one more non-conference game at home against Whittier on Monday afternoon before diving fully into Mountain West play with a trip to San Jose State on December 30.