Alert archive / Arizona / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1992

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 13, NWS Phoenix, AZ

May 23, 1992Maricopa County, Pinal County, Arizona

NWS Phoenix, AZ issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 23, 1992, 2:10 PM MST for Maricopa County, Pinal County, Arizona. It was in force for 110 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 23, 1992, 2:10 PM MST (21:10 UTC)
Expired
May 23, 1992, 4:00 PM MST
In force
110 min
Issued by
NWS Phoenix, AZ
Area
Whole counties

Counties Maricopa County, AZ, Pinal County, AZ

The nearest sounding before it

Tuscon, AZ (KTUS), launched 12:00Z, 9.2 hours before the alert went out and 143 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 12:00Z on 1992-05-23Temperature 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 12:00Z on 1992-05-23The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 52 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
1893 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
32 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
52 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
98 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 232110
SVRPHX
AZC013-021-232300-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX ARIZONA
210 PM MST SAT MAY 23 1992
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PHOENIX ARIZONA HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  400 PM MST
FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL ARIZONA
 
   ...EASTERN MARICOPA COUNTY...NORTH CENTRAL PINAL COUNTY
 
AT 200 PM MST A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING THROUGH
NORTHERN PINAL COUNTY AND APPROACHING THE TOWNS OF SUPERIOR AND
FLORENCE JUNCTION.  MARBLE SIZE HAIL AND WINDS ESTIMATED TO 45
MPH WERE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS STORM AS IT PASSED THROUGH KEARNEY
AT AROUND 130 PM.
 
ANOTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORM WITH HAIL INDICATED ON RADAR WAS
IN THE VICINITY OF APACHE JUNCTION. BOATERS AND SWIMMERS OUT ON
THE SALT RIVER LAKES SHOULD COME ASHORE IMMEDIATELY AND TAKE
SHELTER UNTIL THE STORMS PASS.
 
ALL OF THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WAS MOVING NORTHWEST AT ABOUT
15 TO 20 MPH. THIS MOTION SHOULD TAKE THE STORMS THROUGH MOST
OF THE GREATER PHOENIX AREA BETWEEN NOW AND 4 PM MST.
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAUSE DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND DEADLY
LIGHTNING. MOVE INSIDE A REINFORCED BUILDING OR STORM SHELTER. GO TO
AN INTERIOR ROOM OR HALLWAY ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. STAY AWAY FROM
WINDOWS.
 
IF YOU ARE BOATING OR SWIMMING...HEAD FOR SHORE IMMEDIATELY. STAY
AWAY FROM THE WATER. TAKE SHELTER IN A STRONG BUILDING IF POSSIBLE.
YOUR CAR MAY GIVE YOU SOME PROTECTION...IF ITS NOT PARKED UNDER A
TREE OR IN A WASH.

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, May 23, 11:54 AM MST, 2 hours 16 minutes before
AZZALL-232300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX ARIZONA
1150 AM MST SAT MAY 23 1992

AT 1130 AM MST THIS MORNING...THUNDERSTORMS WERE ON THE INCREASE IN THE
NORTH AND EAST HALVES OF ARIZONA. WEATHER RADAR AND SATELLITE SHOWED
THE STRONGEST STORMS TO BE IN SOUTHEASTERN ARIZONA AND IN THE WHITE
MOUNTAINS...AND MAINLY ALONG AND JUST SOUTH OF THE MOGOLLON RIM.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE IN THE NORTH AND EAST HALVES
OF THE STATE DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS...AND ALSO
DEVELOP IN THE SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST DESERTS.

SOME OF THE STORMS WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY STRONG WINDS...HAIL...
LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...AND DEADLY LIGHTNING. THERE COULD ALSO BE
LOCAL AREAS OF WIND DRIVEN DUST OR SAND IN THE DESERT AREAS.

PERSONS PLANNING ON BEING OUT AND ABOUT IN ARIZONA THE REST OF TODAY
AND INTO EARLY TONIGHT...CAMPING...HIKING...BOATING OR JUST MOTORING
AROUND...ARE STRONGLY URGED TO EXERCISE CAUTION.

BE WEATHERWISE...AND WATCH THE WEATHER IN YOUR LOCALITY. IF SKIES BEGIN
TO BLACKEN ABRUPTLY IN YOUR AREA...AND RAIN AND WIND STARTS TO INCREASE
STRONGLY...SEEK A SAFE PLACE IMMEDIATELY...DO NOT WAIT UNTIL ITS TOO
LATE. ALSO...LIGHTNING WILL POSE A VERY DANGEROUS HAZARD TO THOSE
OUTDOORS.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL DECREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY LATE TONIGHT...
BUT WILL DEVELOP AGAIN AROUND ARIZONA ON SUNDAY AND MEMORIAL DAY...AND
CAUTION IS ADVISED.

FRANJEVIC
05/23/1853Z
Special weather statement, May 23, 1:41 PM MST, 29 minutes before
AZZALL-232300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX ARIZONA
140 PM MST SAT MAY 23 1992

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING ACROSS MUCH OF ARIZONA...

PHOENIX WEATHER RADAR AT 130 PM MST WAS SHOWING SEVERAL STRONG THUNDER
STORMS OVER CENTRAL ARIZONA. THE STRONGEST STORM WAS IN CENTRAL PINAL
COUNTY...SOUTHEAST OF FLORENCE AND COOLIDGE...WHILE ANOTHER STORM
WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WAS DEVELOPING NEAR APACHE JUNCTION FURTHER TO
THE NORTH. THIS STORM IS OF PARTICULAR CONCERN TO BOATING AND OTHER
RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES TAKING PLACE ON THE SALT RIVER LAKES. IF
THREATENING WEATHER APPEARS TO BE GETTING CLOSER AND YOU ARE OUT ON
ONE OF THE LAKES...BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER AT ONCE.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TOWARDS THE NORTHWEST AT ABOUT 15 TO 20
MPH. THIS MOVEMENT COULD BRING THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY INTO THE GREATER
PHOENIX AREA...ESPECIALLY THE EAST VALLEY...BY LATER THIS AFTERNOON.
BE ADVISED THAT LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN...STRONG WINDS AND SOME HAIL COULD
OCCUR WITH JUST ABOUT ANY THUNDERSTORM TODAY...NOT TO MENTION THE
PRESENCE OF DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES.

IF YOU ARE OUT OF DOORS THIS AFTERNOON TAKING ADVANTAGE OF MEMORIAL DAY
WEEKEND ACTIVITIES...KEEP ABREAST OF THE WEATHER DEVELOPMENTS AND BE
PREPARED TO MOVE INDOORS IF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS APPROACH YOUR AREA.
IT WOULD BE GOOD TO KEEP A LISTENING EAR TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR
COMMERCIAL RADIO OR T.V. BROADCASTS FOR UP TO THE MINUT(E INFORMATION
ON THESE DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORMS.

ESTLE

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 23, 3:59 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPSRMaricopa61 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Arizona, 1992Every severe thunderstorm warning 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.