Every significant Phoenix storm, with what it means for a foam roof and what to check in the 48 hours after. Updated from NWS Phoenix event summaries, not from the news ticker. Current: the Halloween-weekend rain is still being measured; the October 20–22 hail outbreak is the one to inspect for.
Cut-off low. NWS forecast ½–¾ in Friday and 1–2 in Sunday across the metro, flood watch in effect. First measurable Halloween rain at Sky Harbor since 1987. Check for ponding at 48 hours — Tuesday.
Hail 1–2 in across Chandler, Mesa, Central Phoenix and Glendale; winds over 60 mph; 158 severe-thunderstorm warnings statewide (NWS). Chalked coatings bruise and old blisters split under hail that size.
Before the weekend: 45% below the 5.87 in normal. A dry year means a dusty, chalked roof — which is exactly the surface hail and standing water hurt most.
| Event | What it does | Check within 48 hours | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail ≥ 1 in | Bruises and cracks a chalked or thin top coat; splits existing blisters; dents the foam under a failed coat | Walk the roof after it dries; look for white crush marks, split pockets, loose coating flakes in the scuppers | Spot-coat the hits; if hits are everywhere, a recoat; insurer may cover hail |
| Wind > 50 mph | Lifts coating at parapet edges and around penetrations; drops debris that punctures | Edges, AC curbs, satellite mounts, anything that was on the roof and isn't now | Repair the lifted seams before the next rain |
| Heavy rain (≥ 1 in) | Finds every pinhole; fills low spots; backs up blocked scuppers | Standing water at 48 h = ponding; drips at ceiling, stains at parapets | Clear scuppers; tapered foam for chronic low spots |
| Haboob / dust | Plugs scuppers and overflow drains; dust holds moisture on the coat | Scuppers before the next rain | Rinse; nothing else unless ponding follows |
Updated after each significant event (NWS Phoenix). The monsoon season runs June 15 – September 30; the off-season cut-off lows below are why a foam roof is checked after October rain too. Sky Harbor's wettest monsoon on record was 9.56 in (1984); the driest was 0.15 in (2023). Full write-ups on the storm watch page.
Sources: NWS Phoenix event summaries (weather.gov/psr), NWS daily climate report for Phoenix Sky Harbor. This page is not a forecast; for warnings use weather.gov or the Maricopa County Flood Control District.
Yes, when the top coat is chalked or thin. One-inch hail bruises the coating; two-inch hail — the size that fell on October 21, 2026 in Central Phoenix and Glendale — can crack it and split old blisters. A fresh, thick coating shrugs it off. Walk the roof after it dries and photograph the marks.
At 48 hours: standing water (ponding), split blisters, white hail marks, lifted coating at the parapet edges, debris, and blocked scuppers. Inside: new ceiling stains or paint bubbles. Photograph before any repair.
Sudden damage — hail, wind, a fallen limb — is usually covered; a worn-out coating is not. The roofer's written cause-of-damage note and your dated photos are what the adjuster works from.
After each NWS Phoenix event summary and after any Sky Harbor rain of about an inch or more, usually within two days. The log on this page is the record; the storm review pages carry the detail.
LAST REVIEWED 2026-11-01 · Prices on this site are published Valley rates and estimates, not a quote.