Alert archive / Arizona / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 39, NWS Phoenix, AZ

August 5, 1997La Paz County, Arizona

NWS Phoenix, AZ issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 5, 1997, 5:27 PM MST for La Paz County, Arizona. It was in force for 63 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
Aug 5, 1997, 5:27 PM MST (00:27 UTC)
Expired
Aug 5, 1997, 6:30 PM MST
In force
63 min
Issued by
NWS Phoenix, AZ
Area
Whole counties

County La Paz County, AZ

The radar

The Yuma radar (KYUX), 151 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:28 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.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Aug 5, 5:30 PM MSTThunderstorm Wind 50Bouse, AZRoofs were blown off garages, and tin sheds were blown around.

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.

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

799 
WUUS1 KPHX 060028 RRA
SVRPHX
AZC012-060130-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
527 PM MST TUE AUG 5 1997

*  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR
   NORTHERN AND CENTRAL LA PAZ COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ARIZONA

*  UNTIL 630 PM MST

*  SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED
   BOUSE
   VICKSBURG
   HOPE

*  AT 525 PM MST RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
   NEAR BOUSE.  MOVEMENT WAS TO THE SOUTH AT 10 MPH.

STRONG DAMAGING WINDS ARE LIKELY WITH THIS STORM.

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, Aug 5, 12:39 PM MST, 4 hours 48 minutes before
AZZ025-052045-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
1239 PM MST TUE AUG 5 1997

...TEST TEST TEST...BIG WEATHER IN STORE....

FORTY FIVE TORNADOS ARE EXPECTED TO FORM OVER THE PHOENIX METRO AREA
TOMORROW...COURTESY OF A MAJOR WINTER STORM THAT WILL MOVE OUT OF THE
GREAT BASIN AND PARK ITSELF OVER ARIZONA.

TEST TEST TEST TEST
Special weather statement, Aug 5, 12:40 PM MST, 4 hours 47 minutes before
AZZ025-052045-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
1239 PM MST TUE AUG 5 1997

...TEST TEST TEST...BIG WEATHER IN STORE....

FORTY FIVE TORNADOS ARE EXPECTED TO FORM OVER THE PHOENIX METRO AREA
TOMORROW...COURTESY OF A MAJOR WINTER STORM THAT WILL MOVE OUT OF THE
GREAT BASIN AND PARK ITSELF OVER ARIZONA.

TEST TEST TEST TEST

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 5, 6:03 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningPSRMaricopa57 min
Aug 5, 6:03 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPSRMaricopa57 min
Aug 5, 8:09 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningPSRYuma81 min
Aug 5, 8:09 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPSRYuma81 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Arizona, 1997Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1997

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.