Alert archive / Arizona / Tornado Warnings in 1992

Tornado Warning 1, NWS Flagstaff, AZ

October 24, 1992Coconino County, Arizona

NWS Flagstaff, AZ issued this tornado warning at Oct 24, 1992, 3:10 PM MST for Coconino 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
Oct 24, 1992, 3:10 PM MST (22:10 UTC)
Expired
Oct 24, 1992, 4:15 PM MST
In force
65 min
Issued by
NWS Flagstaff, AZ
Area
Whole counties

County Coconino County, AZ

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Oct 24, 3:55 PM MSTTornado F2Coconino, 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

Winslow (Autob), AZ (KINW), launched 12:00Z, 10.2 hours before the alert went out and 133 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, Winslow (Autob), AZ at 12:00Z on 1992-10-24Temperature 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 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Winslow (Autob), AZ at 12:00Z on 1992-10-24The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 45 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
1286 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
27 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
45 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
53 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 KFLG 242212 COR
TORFLG
AZC005-242315-

BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF ARIZONA
310 PM MST SAT OCT 24 1992

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FLAGSTAFF ARIZONA HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  400 PM MST
FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS......

IN NORTH CENTRAL ARIZONA

   ...SOUTHEAST COCONINO COUNTY INCLUDING THE FLAGSTAFF AREA...

A TORNADO WAS REPORTED NEAR SUNSET CRATER NATIONAL MONUMENT AT 255 PM
THIS AFTERNOON.  IT KNOCKED DOWN AND SPLIT LARGE PINE TREES BLOCKING
THE ROAD.  IT WAS MOVING TO THE WEST.

IT IS POSSIBLE THAT A TORNADO COULD REFORM SO PERSONS SHOULD BE ALERT
FOR SUCH AN EVENT.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THE TORNADO...TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY.

TORNADOES DESTROY MOBILE HOMES. IF YOU ARE IN A TRAILER PARK...GO TO
THE PLACE DESIGNATED AS THE STORM SHELTER...OR ANY STRONG BUILDING.
IF YOU CANT FIND A REINFORCED BUILDING...GET IN A DITCH OR CULVERT.

PETERSON

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado 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, Oct 24, 2:00 PM MST, 1 hour 10 minutes before
AZC001-017-250400-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WINSLOW ARIZONA
201 PM MST SAT OCT 24 1992

...MONSOON LIKE THUNDERSTORMS ON THE INCREASE THIS AFTERNOON
IN NORTHEAST AZ...

RADAR SHOWS RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE  CENTRAL
MOUNTAINS WHICH ARE MOVING NORTH ABOUT 30 MPH AND PRESENT A REAL
THREAT TO ALL SECTIONS OF NORTHEAST AZ THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

HEAVY LOCALIZED RAIN IS POSSIBLE FROM THESE THUNDERSTORMS. FOLKS
TRAVELING ARE CAUTIONED TO AVOID AREAS OF WATER ON ROADWAYS AND
DO NOT CROSS UNBRIDGED RIVER CROSSINGS WHEN FLOWING WATER IS
OBSERVED.

IF LIGHTNING IS PRESENT, SEEK SAFETY IN A BUILDING OR CAR.  GET OFF
HIGH GROUND AND DO NOT TAKE SHELTlER UNDER A LONE TREE.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE BEFORE BEGINNING TO TAPER OFF
LATER THIS EVENING. PERSONS IN NORTHEAST AZ  SHOULD REMAIN CAUTIOUS
AND TAKE NECESSARY ACTION IF SEVERE WEATHER APPROACHES.
MCMULLEN
Special weather statement, Oct 24, 2:21 PM MST, 49 minutes before
AZC005-250000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF ARIZONA
220 PM MST SAT OCT 24 1992

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FLAGSTAFF AREA UNTIL 3 PM MST...
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH WESTERN COCONINO COUNTY UNTIL 8 PM MST...

THUNDERSTORMS ARE RUMBLING ACROSS MUCH OF COCONINO COUNTY THIS
AFTERNOON AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE STILL PLAYING HAVOC.  AT 215
PM GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED BY A WEATHER SPOTTER IN THE
DONEY PARK AREA JUST TO THE NORTHEAST OF FLAGSTAFF.

EVERYONE IN NORTHERN ARIZONA TODAY SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE WEATHER
EXTREMES AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE COVER IF THREATENING CONDITIONS
OCCUR.

PETERSON

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Arizona, 1992Every tornado warning in 1992Tornadoes in 1992

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.