Alert archive / Arizona / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1995

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 7, NWS Phoenix, AZ

March 11, 1995Maricopa County, Arizona

NWS Phoenix, AZ issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 11, 1995, 5:40 PM MST for Maricopa County, Arizona. It was in force for 40 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Mar 11, 1995, 5:40 PM MST (00:40 UTC)
Expired
Mar 11, 1995, 6:20 PM MST
In force
40 min
Issued by
NWS Phoenix, AZ
Area
Whole counties

County Maricopa County, AZ

The radar

The Phoenix radar (KIWA), 77 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:44 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Tuscon, AZ (KTUS), launched 00:00Z, 0.7 hours before the alert went out and 198 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 1995-03-12Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 21 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 1995-03-12The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 78 square meters per square second.1939587897117136156Sfc1 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
21 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-36 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1157 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
78 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
78 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
138 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 120041 RRA
SVRPHX
AZC013-120120-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
540 PM MST SAT MAR 11 1995

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PHOENIX AZ HAS ISSUED A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 620 PM MST FOR PEOPLE IN THE
FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...

IN SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA

  ...NORTHERN MARICOPA COUNTY
     INCLUDING CAVE CREEK AND CAREFREE...

AT 535 PM PHOENIX DOPPLER RADAR DETECTED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES
WEST-SOUTHWEST OF CAVE CREEK. THE STORM IS MOVING TO THE EAST-NORTHEAST
AT 25 TO 30 MILES PER HOUR.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 57 MPH...HAIL
...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.  SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND
SOMETIMES DO PRODUCE TORNADOES...BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER AND MOVE TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM IF THREATENING WEATHER
DEVELOPS OR APPROACHES YOUR LOCATION.

GREEN

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, Mar 11, 1:58 PM MST, 3 hours 42 minutes before
AZZ007-008-004-112230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...UPDATE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
155 PM MST SAT MAR 11 1995

...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED ACROSS PORTIONS
OF ARIZONA THIS AFTERNOON...

AT 145 PM MST...DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED SCATTERED SHOWERS AND A FEW
THUNDERSTORMS STRETCHING FROM THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE STATE
SOUTHEAST INTO THE CENTRAL BASINS AND SOUTHEAST DESERTS. A FEW SHOWERS
WERE ALSO LOCATED ALONG THE COLORADO RIVER FROM NEAR LAKE HAVASU CITY TO
AROUND BLYTHE CALIFORNIA.

MOST OF THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 TO 25
MILES AN HOUR.

STRONG GUSTY WINDS OF 40 MPH FROM A FEW SHOWERS AROUND QUARTZSITE WERE
REPORTED BY A WEATHER SPOTTER AROUND 130 PM THIS AFTERNOON. RAINFALL
AMOUNTS SO FAR HAVE BEEN IN THE LIGHT TO MODERATE RANGE...BUT ADDITIONAL
RAINFALL IS EXPECTED THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

REMEMBER...A FLASH FLOOD AND FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS
OF CENTRAL ARIZONA TODAY AND TONIGHT. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS ALSO IN
EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF EAST-CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST ARIZONA FOR TONIGHT
AND SUNDAY.
Special weather statement, Mar 11, 3:38 PM MST, 2 hours 2 minutes before
AZZ008-004-120030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
338 PM MST SAT MAR 11 1995

...SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH NORTHEAST PINAL
COUNTY...

AT 330 PM...PHOENIX DOPPLER RADAR DETECTED A LINE OF SHOWERS AND A FEW
THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM 10 MILES NORTH OF SUPERIOR TO JUST NORTH OF
CASA GRANDE.  THE STRONGEST STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR FLORENCE JUNCTION.
THIS LINE IS MOVING TO THE EAST-NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES PER HOUR.

MOTORISTS TRAVELING ALONG U.S. 60 BETWEEN FLORENCE JUNCTION AND
SUPERIOR...AND ALONG U.S. 89 BETWEEN FLORENCE JUNCTION AND
FLORENCE...MAY EXPERIENCE BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND GUSTY WINDS BETWEEN 340
AND 430 PM.  RESIDENTS OF SUPERIOR AND FLORENCE...AND VISITORS TO BOYCE
THOMPSON ARBORETUM...ARE IN THE PATH OF THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.

GREEN
Special weather statement, Mar 11, 3:41 PM MST, 1 hour 59 minutes before
AZZ008-004-120030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
338 PM MST SAT MAR 11 1995

...SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH NORTHEAST PINAL
COUNTY...

AT 330 PM...PHOENIX DOPPLER RADAR DETECTED A LINE OF SHOWERS AND A FEW
THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM 10 MILES NORTH OF SUPERIOR TO JUST NORTH OF
CASA GRANDE.  THE STRONGEST STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR FLORENCE JUNCTION.
THIS LINE IS MOVING TO THE EAST-NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES PER HOUR.

MOTORISTS TRAVELING ALONG U.S. 60 BETWEEN FLORENCE JUNCTION AND
SUPERIOR...AND ALONG U.S. 89 BETWEEN FLORENCE JUNCTION AND
FLORENCE...MAY EXPERIENCE BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND GUSTY WINDS BETWEEN 340
AND 430 PM.  RESIDENTS OF SUPERIOR ANdD FLORENCE...AND VISITORS TO BOYCE
THOMPSON ARBORETUM...ARE IN THE PATH OF THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.

GREEN
Special weather statement, Mar 11, 4:05 PM MST, 1 hour 35 minutes before
AZZ008-120100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
405 PM MST SAT MAR 11 1995

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS SCATTERED OVER NORTHWEST MARICOPA COUNTY AND
EXTREME SOUTHERN YAVAPAI COUNTIES...

AT 4 PM PHOENIX DOPPLER RADAR DETECTED RAPIDLY DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORMS
SCATTERED OVER NORTHWEST MARICOPA AND EXTREME SOUTHERN YAVAPAI COUNTIES.
THE STRONGEST STORM WAS LOCATED 8 MILES NORTHWEST OF TONOPAH AND WAS
MOVING TO THE EAST-NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES PER HOUR.  THIS STORM SHOULD
TRACK MAINLY OVER OPEN COUNTRY UNTIL AROUND 430 PM...AND IS CAPABLE OF
PRODUCING BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS...AND SMALL HAIL.

OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED NEAR WICKENBURG AND JUST EAST OF
WITTMAN.

GREEN
Special weather statement, Mar 11, 4:55 PM MST, 45 minutes before
AZZ008-120030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...UPDATE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
455 PM MST SAT MAR 11 1995

...THUNDERSTORMS SCATTERED OVER NORTH-CENTRAL MARICOPA AND EXTREME
SOUTHERN YAVAPAI COUNTIES...

AT 450 PM PHOENIX DOPPLER RADAR DETECTED SEVERAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
OVER NORTHERN MARICOPA COUNTY.  STRONGEST STORM WERE NEAR WITTMAN AND IN
THE LAKE PLEASANT-NEW RIVER AREA.  OTHER SHOWERS WERE DEVELOPING RAPIDLY
OVER NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE GREATER PHOENIX METROPOLITAN AREA.  STORMS
WERE MOVING TO THE EAST-NORTHEAST AT 25 TO 30 MILES PER HOUR.

THESE STORMS HAVE PRODUCED BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL...AND GUSTY
WINDS.  LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...WITH ONE-HOUR AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF ONE-
HALF INCH...HAVE BEEN DETECTED BY RADAR IN A NARROW WEST-EAST BAND
EXTENDING FROM JUST NORTH OF WITTMAN TO NEAR LAKE PLEASANT AS SEVERAL
SHOWERS TRACKED OVER THE SAME AREA.  A RAINGAUGE JUST SOUTHWEST OF
WITTMAN MEASURED ABOUT ONE-QUARTER OF AN INCH BETWEEN 410 AND 440 PM.  A
SPOTTER IN THE NEW RIVER AREA REPORTED OVER FOUR-TENTHS OF AN INCH OF
RAIN SINCE 4 PM.  OVER TWO-THIRDS OF AN INCH OF RAIN AND SMALL HAIL FELL
AT CORDES JUNCTION AS A STORM PASSED THROUGH THE AREA SINCE 330 PM.

PERSONS TRAVELING ON STATE ROUTE 74 AND INTERSTATE 17 IN FAR NORTH
MARICOPA AND EXTREME SOUTHERN YAVAPAI COUNTIES MAY ENCOUNTER WATER
PONDING ON OR FLOWING ACROSS THE ROAD BETWEEN 445 AND 6 PM...AS WELL AS
BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS...POSSIBLE SMALL HAIL...AND LIGHTNING.

GREEN
Special weather statement, Mar 11, 5:00 PM MST, 40 minutes before
AZZ008-120030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...UPDATE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
455 PM MST SAT MAR 11 1995

...THUNDERSTORMS SCATTERED OVER NORTH-CENTRAL MARICOPA AND EXTREME
SOUTHERN YAVAPAI COUNTIES...

AT 450 PM PHOENIX DOPPLER RADAR DETECTED SEVERAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
OVER NORTHERN MARICOPA COUNTY.  STRONGEST STORM WERE NEAR WITTMAN AND IN
THE LAKE PLEASANT-NEW RIVER AREA.  OTHER SHOWERS WERE DEVELOPING RAPIDLY
OVER NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE GREATER PHOENIX METROPOLITAN AREA.  STORMS
WERE MOVING TO THE EAST-NORTHEAST AT 25 TO 30 MILES PER HOUR.

THESE STORMS HAVE PRODUCED BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL...AND GUSTY
WINDS.  LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...WITH ONE-HOUR AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF ONE-
HALF INCH...HAVE BEEN DETECTED BY RADAR IN A NARROW WEST-EAST BAND
EXTENDING FROM JUST NORTH OF WITTMAN TO NEAR LAKE PLEASANT AS SEVERAL
SHOWERS TRACKED OVER THE SAME AREA.  A RAINGAUGE JUST SOUTHWEST OF
WITTMAN MEASURED ABOUT ONE-QUARTER OF AN INCH BETWEEN 410 AND 440 PM.  A
SPOTTER IN THE NEW RIVER AREA REPORTED OVER FOUR-TENTHS OF AN INCH OF
RAIN SINCE 4 PM.  OVER TWO-THIRDS OF AN INCH OF RAIN AND SMALL HAIL FELL
AT CORDES JUNCTION AS A STORM PASSED THROUGH THE AREA SINCE 330 PM.

PERSONS TRAVELING ON STATE ROUTE 74 AND INTERSTATE 17 IN FAR NORTH
MARICOPA AND EXTREME SOUTHERN YAVAPAI COUNTIES MAY ENCOUNTER WATER
PONDING ON OR FLOWING ACROSS THE ROAD BETWEEN 445 AND 6 PM...AS WELL AS
BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS...POSSIBBLE SMALL HAIL...AND LIGHTNING.

GREEN

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Arizona, 1995Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1995

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.