Alert archive / Arizona / Tornado Warnings in 1993

Tornado Warning 4, NWS Phoenix, AZ

May 16, 1993Yavapai County, Arizona

NWS Phoenix, AZ issued this tornado warning at May 16, 1993, 1:22 PM MST for Yavapai County, Arizona. It was in force for 68 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 16, 1993, 1:22 PM MST (20:22 UTC)
Expired
May 16, 1993, 2:30 PM MST
In force
68 min
Issued by
NWS Phoenix, AZ
Area
Whole counties

County Yavapai County, AZ

The nearest sounding before it

Winslow (Autob), AZ (KINW), launched 12:00Z, 8.4 hours before the alert went out and 176 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 1993-05-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 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 1993-05-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -8 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 km3 km6 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
1380 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
11 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-8 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 KPHX 162031
TORPHX
AZC025-162130-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
122 PM MST SUN MAY 16 1993
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PHOENIX HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  230 PM MST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS......
 
IN WEST CENTRAL ARIZONA
 
   ...NORTH CENTRAL YAVAPAI COUNTY
 
LARGE THUNDERSTORMS GROWING IN AN AREA BETWEEN PRESCOTT AND ASK
FORK IN CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL YAVAPAI COUNTY CONTINUED TO
SPAWN MULTIPLE FUNNEL CLOUDS AT 120 PM.  ONE FUNNEL CLOUD TOUCHED
DOWN IN CHINO VALLEY AT 1 PM WHERE IT DAMAGED A HOME.
 
THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING IN THE AREA WILL LIKELY CREATE CONDITIONS
FOR ADDITIONAL FUNNEL CLOUDS WHICH COULD DESCEND TO THE SURFACE AND
CREATE TORNADIC CONDITIONS.  THE TORNADO WARNING FOR YAVAPAI COUNTY IS
POSTED UNTIL 230 PM.
 
 
 
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THE TORNADO...TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY.
 
GET AWAY FROM WINDOWS. GO TO AN INTERIOR ROOM...HALLWAY OR CLOSET ON
THE LOWEST FLOOR. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH...BED OR OTHER STRONG PIECE
OF FURNITURE. USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS OR CUSHIONS TO PROTECT AGAINST
FLYING GLASS
 
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.
 
 
VASQUEZ
&

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, May 16, 10:45 AM MST, 2 hours 37 minutes before
AZZALL-162300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
1045 AM MST SUN MAY 16 1993

...ANOTHER ACTIVE THUNDERSTORM DAY IN ARIZONA...

SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST TO DEVELOP
STATEWIDE AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.  AN UNSEASONABLY WARM AND
HUMID AIRMASS SHOULD PROMOTE STRONG THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY THAT COULD
TRIGGER AREAS OF INTENSE RAINFALL...STRONG WINDS...SMALL HAIL IN THE
MOUNTAINS...AND BLOWING DUST ON THE DESERTS.

THE MORE FAVORED AREAS FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY TODAY AND
EARLY TONIGHT ARE THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND BASINS...THE NORTHERN
PLATEAUS...AND SOUTHEAST ARIZONA.

THOSE OUT AND ABOUT TODAY...INCLUDING BOATERS AND HIKERS...AND URGED
TO MONITOR WEATHER CONDITIONS IN THE AREA.  BE PREPARED TO TAKE
SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER DEVELOPS.  DAMAGING WINDS AND DEADLY
LIGHTNING COULD STRIKE SUDDENLY... WITH LITTLE OR NO WARNING.

STAY TUNED FOR THE LATEST FOREASTS AND UPDATES WHICH MAY INCLUDE
WEATHER WATCHES...WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES.

VASQUEZ
Special weather statement, May 16, 10:52 AM MST, 2 hours 30 minutes before
AZZALL-162300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
1045 AM MST SUN MAY 16 1993

...ANOTHER ACTIVE THUNDERSTORM DAY IN ARIZONA...

SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST TO DEVELOP
STATEWIDE AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.  AN UNSEASONABLY WARM AND
HUMID AIRMASS SHOULD PROMOTE STRONG THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY THAT COULD
TRIGGER AREAS OF INTENSE RAINFALL...STRONG WINDS...SMALL HAIL IN THE
MOUNTAINS...AND BLOWING DUST ON THE DESERTS.

THE MORE FAVORED AREAS FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY TODAY AND
EARLY TONIGHT ARE THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND BASINS...THE NORTHERN
PLATEAUS...AND SOUTHEAST ARIZONA.

THOSE OUT AND ABOUT TODAY...INCLUDING BOATERS AND HIKERS...AND URGED
TO MONITOR WEATHER CONDITIONS IN THE AREA.  BE PREPARED TO TAKE
SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER DEVELOPS.  DAMAGING WINDS AND DEADLY
LIGHTNING COULD STRIKE SUDDENLY... WITH LITTLE OR NO WARNING.

STAY TUNED FOR THE LATEST FORE@ASTS AND UPDATES WHICH MAY INCLUDE
WEATHER WATCHES...WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES.

VASQUEZ

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 15, 5:50 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPSRPinal55 min
May 16, 3:42 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPSRYavapai48 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Arizona, 1993Every tornado warning in 1993Tornadoes in 1993

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.