Alert archive / Arizona / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 1, NWS Tucson, AZ

July 11, 1990Pima County, Arizona

NWS Tucson, AZ issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 11, 1990, 9:10 PM MST for Pima County, Arizona. It was in force for 65 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
Jul 11, 1990, 9:10 PM MST (04:10 UTC)
Expired
Jul 11, 1990, 10:15 PM MST
In force
65 min
Issued by
NWS Tucson, AZ
Area
Whole counties

County Pima 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
Jul 11, 9:10 PM MSTThunderstorm Wind 0Pima, 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, 4.2 hours before the alert went out and 84 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 1990-07-12Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 882 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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 1990-07-12The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -17 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
882 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-37 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2508 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
22 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-17 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
50 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 KTUS 120410
SVRTUS
AZC019-120515-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON ARIZONA
910 PM MST WED JUL 11 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TUCSON ARIZONHAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1015 PM MST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL ARIZONA
 
   ...EASTERN PIMA COUNTY
 
AT 905 PM TUCSON WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM 20 MILES EAST OF THE METROPOLITAN TUCSON AREA.
THIS STORM IS MOVING TO THE WEST AT ABOUT 15 MPH AND SHOULD
BEGIN TO EFFECT THE METRO AREA WITHIN THE HOUR.
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55
MPH...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHT1NING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.
FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS.  HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO
DON'T DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.
 
NORDQUIST/HANSEN

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 11, 4:08 PM MST, 5 hours 2 minutes before
AZZ009>010-120030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
410 PM MST WED JUL 11 1990

AT 400 PM WEATHER RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY.  THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS ARE LOCATED JUST EAST
OF NOGALES AND THE GREEN VALLEY AREA.  THESE STORMS ARE MOVING SLOWLY
TO THE NORTHWEST AT 5-10 MPH.

PEOPLE ENGAGED IN OUTDOOR ACTIVETY IN THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY AREA SHOULD
EXERCISE CAUTION IN AREAS OF THUNDE_RSTORMS.  AVOID NORMALLY DRY WASHES
AND CREEKS THAT COULD BECOME FLOODED DUE TO HEAVY RAIN.  THESE STORMS
COULD ALSO CONTAIN STRONG GUSTY WINDS...HAIL...AND FREQUENT AND
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

ROBINSON
Special weather statement, Jul 11, 5:26 PM MST, 3 hours 44 minutes before
AZZ009>010-120200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
520 PM MST WED JUL 11 1990

AT 515 PM WEATHER RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS OVER PIMA...COCHISE...
AND SANTA CRUZ COUNTIES.  THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS ARE LOCATED JUST
WEST OF NOGALES AND NORTH OF SONOITA ALONG STATE HIGHWAY 83.  THESE
STORMS ARE MOVING WEST NORTHWEST AT 5 TO 10 MPH AND COULD EFFECT THE
TUCSON METROPOLITAN AREA IN THE NEXT 1 TO 2 HOURS.

PEOPLE ENGAGED IN OUTDOOR ACTIVETY IN AREAS NEARBY THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD
EXERCISE CAUTION.  AVOID NORMALLY DRY WASHES AND CREEKS THAT COULD
BECOME FLOODED DUE TO HEAVY RAIN.  THESE STORMS MAY ALSO CONTAIN STRONG
GUSTY WINDS...HAIL...AND FREQUENT AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

ROBINSON
Special weather statement, Jul 11, 8:14 PM MST, 56 minutes before
AZZ009>010-120500-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
810 PM MST WED JUL 11 1990

AT 800 PM WEATHER RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS OVER PIMA...COCHISE...
AND SANTA CRUZ COUNTIES.  A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS HAS DEVELOPED JUST TO
THE SOUTH OF TUCSON...EXTENDING FROM REDDINGTON PASS SOUTHWESTWARD TO
GREEN VALLEY.  THESE STORMS ARE DUMPING MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN AND ARE
ACCOMPANIED BY ALMOST CONTINUOUS IN-CLOUD AND CLOUD-TO-GROUND
LIGHTNING.  THESE STORMS ARE MOVING WEST AT 5 TO 10 MPH.

IF YOU ARE DRIVING IN AREAS EXPERIENCING THUNDERSHOWERS...BE CAUTIOUS
OF DIPS AND NORMALLY DRY WASHES THAT MAY BECOME FLOODED.
THESE STORMS WILL HAVE HEAVY RAIN...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...AND
FREQUENT AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

ROBINSON

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Arizona, 1990Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1990

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.