Alert archive / Arizona / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 5, NWS Tucson, AZ

August 3, 1990Pima County, Arizona

NWS Tucson, AZ issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 3, 1990, 7:56 PM MST for Pima County, Arizona. It was in force for 94 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: Aug 3, 1990, 7:56 PM MST (02:56 UTC)
Expired: Aug 3, 1990, 9:30 PM MST
In force: 94 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

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Aug 3, 8:05 PM MST	Thunderstorm Wind 0	Pima, 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, 2.9 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 674 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -17 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 2215 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 3 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -40 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: -9 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 040256
SVRTUS
AZC019-040430-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND FLASH FLOOD WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
756 PM MST FRI AUG 3 1990

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
AND FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 930 PM MST FOR PEOPLE 
IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY

   IN THE SOUTH CENTRAL PART OF ARIZONA
      EASTERN PIMA

AT 745 PM MST REPORTS FROM EAST TUCSON INDICATED STRONG WINDS
ASSOCIATED WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH THE VALLEY.
ONE SPOTTER STATED SHE COULD HEAR DEBRIS BOUNCING DOWN THE ROAD.
ANOTHER SPOTTER INDICATED FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING.

IF YOU ARE IN AN AREA THREATENED BY THE STORM..GO TO A REINFORCED
SHELTER AND PREPARE FOR DAMAGING WIND...LARGE HAIL...VERY HEAVY
RAIN AND LIGHTNING.

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

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY.

 NORDQUIST

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, Aug 3, 5:16 PM MST, 2 hours 40 minutes before

AZZ007-009-010-040200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
515 PM MST FRI AUG 3 1990

TUCSON WEATHER RADAR INDICATES STRONG THUNDERSTORMS BUILDING AND
OCCURING THROUGHOUT MOST OF PIMA AND SANTA CRUZ COUNTIES AND CENTRAL
AND WESTERN COCHISE COUNTY.  THE LARGEST STORMS ARE LOCATED OVER BENSON
AND WEST OF TUCSON...ALSO THERE IS A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS BUILDING TO
THE NORTHWEST OF TUCSON...EXTENDING FROM TOMBSTONE TO CENTRAL PINAL
COUNTY.  THESE STORMS ARE MOVING SLOWLY TO THE SOUTHWEST AND COULD
EFFECT THE TUCSON METROPOLITAN AREA IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS.

PERSONS IN THE AFFECTED AREA SHOULD USE CAUTION WHILE IN THE VICINITY OF
THESE STORMS...AND BE ALERT TO DANGEROUS CLZOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...
RAPID WATER RISES IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS...AND STRONG WINDS.

ROBINSON NWS TUS

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Aug 3, 7:25 PM MST	Flash Flood Warning	TWC	Pima	2 hr

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Arizona, 1990 Every 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.