Alert archive / Arizona / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1995

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 33, NWS Tucson, AZ

August 19, 1995Pima County, Arizona

NWS Tucson, AZ issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 19, 1995, 5:20 PM MST for Pima County, Arizona. It was in force for 55 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Aug 19, 1995, 5:20 PM MST (00:20 UTC)
Expired
Aug 19, 1995, 6:15 PM MST
In force
55 min
Issued by
NWS Tucson, AZ
Area
Whole counties

County Pima County, AZ

The nearest sounding before it

Tuscon, AZ (KTUS), launched 00:00Z, 0.3 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-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Tuscon, AZ at 00:00Z on 1995-08-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 777 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 1995-08-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 91 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
777 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-111 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1815 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
21 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
91 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
110 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 200020 RRA
SVRTUS
AZC019-200115-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON ARIZONA
520 PM MST SAT AUG 19 1995
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TUCSON ARIZONA HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  615 PM MST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL ARIZONA
 
   ...CENTRAL PIMA COUNTY
 
AT 520 PM TUCSON DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
LOCATED BETWEEN THREE POINTS AND SELLS...JUST NORTH OF HIGHWAY
86...MOVING TO THE NORTHWEST AT 20 MPH.  CITIES IN PATH OF THIS
STORM ARE SIL NAKAYA...COMOBABI...TOPAWA AND FRESNO CANYON.
 
WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH...AND A PERIOD OF VERY HEABY RAIN
ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
 
WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING...PEOPLE SHOULD MOVE INSIDE A
STRONG BUILDING.  DO NOT STAND BY WINDOWS.  DON'T USE TELEPHONES
OR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES UNLESS IN AN EMERGENCY UNTIL THE STORM
HAS PASSED.  MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT DRIVE INTO LOW WATER CROSSINGS.
 
SALTER/BRIGHT

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.

NWS Tucson, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Aug 19, 1:07 PM MST, 4 hours 13 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 19, 1:07 PM MST, 4 hours 13 minutes before
SOUTHEAST ARIZONA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
110 PM MST SAT AUG 19 1995

88D SHOWING TSTM ACTIVITY OVER CNTRL AND ERN COCHISE COUNTY ATTM
MOVG NWD. NOT MUCH DEVELOPMENT ELSEWHERE IN OUR CWA BUT EXPECT
TSTM ACTIVITY TO EXPLODE A LITTLE LATER THIS AFTN WHEN CAP IS
BROKEN AS TUS SOUNDING MODIFIED FOR CURRENT TEMP AND DEW POINT HAS
A CAPE OF 2500 AND LI OF -5. THIS MOIST AND UNSTBL REGIME WILL
CONT FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE" AS MOIST SELY FLOW TO CONTINUE.
MAIN PROBLEM WITH THESE STORMS WILL BE HEAVY RAINS AS PW WAS
NEARLY 2 INCHES THIS MRNG.
TUS 5454. COLLINS

.TWC...NONE.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Aug 19, 1:43 PM MST, 3 hours 37 minutes before
AZZ010-192130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON ARIZONA
142 PM MST SAT AUG 19 1995

...STRONG THUNDERSTORM APPROACHING COCHISE...

AT 145 PM TUCSON DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM
APPROACHING COCHISE FROM THE SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH.  THIS STORM
SHOULD MOVE THROUGH THE TOWN OF COCHISE BY 200 PM...WITH WINDS
TO 50 MILES PER HOUR...VERY HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL...AND
FREQUENT LIGHTNING.

THIS STORM INS ALSO AFFECTING ARIZONA HIGHWAY 191.

BRIGHT/SALTER
Special weather statement, Aug 19, 2:11 PM MST, 3 hours 9 minutes before
AZZ007-192200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON ARIZONA
211 PM MST SAT AUG 19 1995

...STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN WESTERN PIMA COUNTY...

AT 210 PM TUCSON DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM
LOCATED OVER THE AJO AREA IN WESTERN PIMA COUNTY.  THIS STORM
WAS MOVING TO THE NORTHWEST AT 15 MILES PER HOUR AND IS EXPECTED
TO AFFECT THE CITY OF AJO UNTIL UNTIL 230 PM...WITH LOCALLY HEAVY
RAIN AND SMALL HAIL...AND GUSTY WINDS.  THIS STORM ALSO AFFECTS
TRAVELERS ALONG ARIZONA HIGHWAY 85.

SALTER
Special weather statement, Aug 19, 2:28 PM MST, 2 hours 52 minutes before
AZZ009-010-007-192230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON ARIZONA
228 PM MST SAT AUG 19 1995

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE ACROSS SOUTHEAST ARIZONA...

AT 225 PM TUCSON DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED SCATTERED STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS SOUTHEAST ARIZONA.  THE STRONGEST STORMS
EXTENDED IN A LINE FROM BOWIE TO BENSON ALONG INTERSTATE 10...
AND IN WESTERN PIMA COUNTY NORTHWEST OF AJO.

RADAR ESTIMATES OF RAINFALL WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS ALONG INTERSTATE
10 ARE NEAR 1 INCH TO 1.5 INCHES SINCE 130 PM.  THESE STORMS ARE
MOVING TO THE NORTHWEST AT 15 TO 20 MPH.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL...
STRONG WINDS AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING.  IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTDOORS
DURING THREATENING WEATHER SEEK SHELTER IN A STRONG BUILDING.
MOTORISTS SHOULD AVOID DRIVING INTO FLOODED ROADWAYS AND WASHES.

SALTER
Special weather statement, Aug 19, 3:00 PM MST, 2 hours 20 minutes before
AZZ009-010-007-192245-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON ARIZONA
300 PM MST SAT AUG 19 1995

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE ACROSS SOUTHEAST ARIZONA...

AT 255 PM TUCSON DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED SCATTERED STRONG THUNDER-
STORMS ACROSS SOUTHEST ARIZONA.  THE STRONGEST STORMS EXTENDED
IN A LINE FROM EAST OF REDINGTON TO SAINT DAVID IN WESTERN
COCHISE COUNTY...NEAR SAN SIMON IN NORTHEAST COCHISE COUNTY...
AND 15 MILES NORTHEAST OF VAIL IN EASTERN PIMA COUNTY.  THESE
STORMS ARE MOVING TO THE NORTHWEST AT 15 TO 20 MPH.

RADAR ESTIMATES OF RAINFALL FROM THESE STORMS ARE NEAR 1.5
INCHES.  LIGHTNING DETECTION SHOWED FREQUENT LIGHTNING FROM
ALL OF THESE STORMS.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL...
FREQUENT LIGHTINING AND GUSTY WINDS. IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTDOORS IN
THREATENING WEATHER...SEEK SHELTER IN A STRONG BUILDING.
MOTORISTS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR FLOODED ROADWAYS...DO NOT DRIVE
INTO FLOODED AREAS.

SALTER
Special weather statement, Aug 19, 3:29 PM MST, 1 hour 51 minutes before
AZZ009-192330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON ARIZONA
329 PM MST SAT AUG 19 1995

...THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING IN THE GREATER TUCSON AREA...

AT 325 PM TUCSON DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS
DEVELOPING IN THE GREATER TUCSON AREA...INCLUDING THE CATALINA
AND RINCON MOUNTAINS.  THESE STORMS ARE MOVING TO THE NORTHWEST
AT 20 MILES AN HOUR.

RESIDENTS OF THE TUCSON AREA SHOULD EXPECT SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS...WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN...THROUGHOUT THE
REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EVENING.

THESE STORMS ARE PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING.
BE AWARE OF CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS IN YOUR AREA.

SALTER
Local storm report, Aug 19, 4:42 PM MST, 38 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON ARIZONA
445 PM MST SAT AUG 19 1995

TIME(MST) ....CITY LOCATION.....   STATE ...EVENT...
DATE      ...COUNTY LOCATION.....        ...REMARKS.b..

8/19/95    ORO VALLEY...15 N TUS         WINDS BLEW BRICK WALL
           PIMA COUNTY                   AND TREES DOWN

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 19, 5:00 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPima60 min
Aug 19, 6:05 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPima55 min

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.