Alert archive / Arizona / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 3, NWS Tucson, AZ

July 18, 1990Pima County, Arizona

NWS Tucson, AZ issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 18, 1990, 5:09 PM MST for Pima County, Arizona. It was in force for 56 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 18, 1990, 5:09 PM MST (00:09 UTC)
Expired
Jul 18, 1990, 6:05 PM MST
In force
56 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 18, 5:45 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, 0.2 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 1990-07-19Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 8 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 1990-07-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 0 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
8 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-101 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
3248 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
7 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
0 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
25 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 190009
SVRTUS
AZC019-190115-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
509 PM MST WED JUL 18 1990

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 615 PM MST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTY

   IN THE SOUTH CENTRAL PART OF ARIZONA
      SOUTHEAST PIMA

AT 510 PM THE TUCSON WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
IN THE GREEN VALLEY AREA MOVING SLOWLY TO THE SOUTH. THIS
THUNDERSTORM WILL LIKELY PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60
MILES AN HOUR...HAIL 3/4 INCH IN DIAMETER AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL
THAT CAN CAUSE FLOODING OF DIPS AND WASHES. ALSO THE TUCSON
SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTS SOME POWER LINES DOWN IN THE AREA.

THIS SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORM MAY CAUSE FLOODING OF WASHES...SMALL
STREAMS...UNDERPASSES AND HIGHWAY DIPS.

INTENSE LIGHTNING IS REPORTED WITH THIS STORM.  IF OUTDOORS...
STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS.  MOVE INDOORS I(F POSSIBLE.  WHEN
INDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DOORS AND AVOID USING
TELEPHONES AND ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT.

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 18, 3:41 PM MST, 1 hour 28 minutes before
AZZ009-010-190000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
340 PM MST WED JUL 18 1990

AT 335 PM TUCSON RADAR SHOWED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER SIERRA VISTA
AND FT. HUACHUCA.  THE FT. HUACHUCA WEATHER STATION REPORTED 1/2 INCH
HAIL...HEAVY RAIN...AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH.  OTHER STORMS WERE
ALSO LOCATED JUST WEST OF NOGALES AND NORTH OF BISBEE. THE THUNDER-
STORMS ARE MOVING TO THE SOUTH AT 5-10 MPH.

THESE STORMS ARE DEVELOPING QUITE RAPIDLY...AND COULD EXTEND OVER MORE
OF SOUTHEAST ARIZONA IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS.  PERSONS IN THE AREA OF
THE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD USE EXTREME CAUTION.  STAY OUT OF NORMALLY DRY
DRY WASHES...CREEKS...AND ROADWAY DIPS.

.REMEMBER...THUNDERSTORMS MAY CAUSE DAMAGING WINDS...HEAVY RAIN
WITH POSSIBLE FLOODING...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

ROBINSON
Special weather statement, Jul 18, 4:51 PM MST, 18 minutes before
AZZ009-010-190130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
450 PM MST WED JUL 18 1990

AT 445 PM TUCSON RADAR SHOWED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER GREEN VALLEY
AND MT. LEMMON AS WELL AS OVER MUCH OF COCHISE COUNTY.  THESE STORMS
CONTINUE TO DEVELOP RAPIDLY AND COULD EFFECT THE TUCSON METROPOLITAN
AREA IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS.  OTHER STRONG STORMS ARE LOCATD JUST NORTH
OF BISBEE.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING TO THE SOUTH AT 5-10 MPH.

PERSONS IN THE AREA OF THE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD USE EXTREME CAUTION.
STAY OUT OF NORMALLY DRY WASHES...CREEKS...AND ROADWAY DIPS.

.REMEMBER...THUNDERSTORMS MAY CAUSE DAMAGING WINDS...HEAVY RAIN
WITH POSSIBLE FLOODING...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.