PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Big weather changes are ahead for Arizona over the next couple of days, including strong thunderstorms, the potential for heavy rain and much cooler temperatures. Friday and Saturday are First Alert Weather Days because of the rain threat.

Look for partly cloudy skies and an afternoon high of 106 in the Valley today. That’s well above the average high of 98 degrees for this time of year in Phoenix. A ridge of high pressure is to blame for Wednesday and Thursday’s heat, but an area of low pressure will soon bring a cool down and storm chances.

An area of low pressure currently off the coast of San Francisco is forecast to cut off from the jet stream and drift toward Arizona later today. Storm chances increase today mainly across southeastern and eastern Arizona as

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