Alert archive / Arizona / Tornado Warnings in 1987

Tornado Warning 3, NWS Phoenix, AZ

November 1, 1987Maricopa County, Arizona

NWS Phoenix, AZ issued this tornado warning at Nov 1, 1987, 2:16 AM MST for Maricopa County, Arizona. It was in force for 59 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Nov 1, 1987, 2:16 AM MST (09:16 UTC)
Expired
Nov 1, 1987, 3:15 AM MST
In force
59 min
Issued by
NWS Phoenix, AZ
Area
Whole counties

County Maricopa County, AZ

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Nov 1, 3:10 AM MSTHail 1Maricopa, AZ

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.

The nearest sounding before it

Tuscon, AZ (KTUS), launched 00:00Z, 9.3 hours before the alert went out and 198 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Tuscon, AZ at 00:00Z on 1987-11-01Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Tuscon, AZ at 00:00Z on 1987-11-01The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 265 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
NaN m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
42 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
265 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
501 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KPHX 010916
TORPHX
AZC013-011015-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX ARIZONA
216 AM MST SUN NOV 1 1987
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL  315 AM MST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL ARIZONA
          ...NORTH CENTRAL MARICOPA...WHICH INCLUDES THE NORTHEWEST
AND NORTHCENTERAL AREAS OF THE GREATER PHOENIX AREA.
 
A TORNADO WAS SIGHTED ON THE GROUND IN THE VICINITY OF 71ST AVE AND
CACTUS IN THE GREATER PHOENIX AREA BETWEEN SUNCITY AND GLENDALE.
IN ADDITION A FUNNEL CLOUD ANOTHER FUNNEL CLOUD WAS SIGHTED IN THE
SAME AREA.  THE TORNADO WAS TRACKING NORTHNORTHEAST MOVING TOWARDS
WEST PEORIA AND EVENTUALLY DEER VALLEY.
 
INTENSE AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MARICOPA AND
PINAL COUNTIES AND DAMAGING WINDS AND POSSIBLY A FEW MORE TORNADOES
COULD DEVELOP THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS.
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM SITUATION.  ACT QUICKLY.  IF YOU ARE
IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO MOVE TO A SHELTER BELOW GROUND IF
AVAILABLE.  OTHERWISE...GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR POSSIBLE.  AVOID WINDOWS.  ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES
FOR A REINFORCED BUILDING OR GET }INTO A DITCH OR CULVERT.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Phoenix, AZ issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Nov 1, 12:21 AM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPSRMaricopa39 min
Nov 1, 4:56 AM MSTFlash Flood WarningPSRMohave2 hr
Nov 1, 9:30 AM MSTFlash Flood WarningPSRMohave4 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Arizona, 1987Every tornado warning in 1987Tornadoes in 1987

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.