Alert archive / Arizona / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 7, NWS Flagstaff, AZ

July 12, 2002Coconino County, Yavapai County, Arizona

NWS Flagstaff, AZ issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 12, 2002, 2:34 PM MST for Coconino County, Yavapai County, Arizona. It was in force for 26 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Jul 12, 2002, 2:34 PM MST (21:34 UTC)
Expired
Jul 12, 2002, 3:00 PM MST
In force
26 min
Issued by
NWS Flagstaff, AZ
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Coconino County, AZ, Yavapai County, AZ

The radar

The Las Vegas radar (KESX), 166 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:48 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.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this severe thunderstorm warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The nearest sounding before it

Flgstf/Belemont, AZ (KFGZ), launched 12:00Z, 9.6 hours before the alert went out and 122 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, Flgstf/Belemont, AZ at 12:00Z on 2002-07-12Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 83 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Flgstf/Belemont, AZ at 12:00Z on 2002-07-12The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 3 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
83 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-204 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2295 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
22 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
3 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
143 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.

043 
WUUS55 KFGZ 122134
SVRFGZ
AZC005-025-122200-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
233 PM MST FRI JUL 12 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  WEST CENTRAL COCONINO COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL ARIZONA
  NORTHWESTERN YAVAPAI COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ARIZONA
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF SELIGMAN

* UNTIL 300 PM MST

* AT 232 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED 
  LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM SELIGMAM WESTWARD TO THE MOHAVE 
  COUNTY LINE. THIS LINE OF STORMS WILL AFFEECT INTERSTATE 40 FROM 
  SELIGMAN TO THE MOHAVE COUNTY LINE. THIS LINE OF STORMS WAS 
  MOVING TO THE SOUTHWEST AT 9 MPH.

VERY LARGE HAIL IS POSSIBLE WITH THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM. IF YOU ARE
IN THE PATH OF THE STORM... MOVE TO A SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER.

REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. THEY
WILL RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST
OFFICE.

LAT...LON 3533 11334 3508 11330 3521 11285 3538 11286

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 Flagstaff, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jul 12, 9:55 AM MST, 4 hours 39 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 12, 9:55 AM MST, 4 hours 39 minutes before
NORTHERN ARIZONA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
955 AM MST FRI JUL 12 2002

.SYNOPSIS...HIGH PRESSURE WILL MAINTAIN WARM CONDITIONS OVER THE
REGION THROUGH SATURDAY. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL
DEVELOP TODAY AND SATURDAY...MAINLY SOUTH AND WEST OF THE MOGOLLON
RIM. EXPECT MUCH MORE ISOLATED ACTIVITY NORTH OF THE RIM. MOISTURE
IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE BY SUNDAY...WITH A CORRESPONDING INCREASE
IN SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY AND COOLER TEMPERATURES INTO
NEXT WEEK.

.DISCUSSION...TEMPERATURES A VERY TOUGH CALL LATELY BOTH AT NIGHT
AND DAY DUE TO VARYING CLOUD COVER. FLG TEMPERATURE AT 9 AM MST
ALREADY 83...WELL ABOVE THE PACE SET OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS. WITH NO
SIGNIFICANT CLOUD COVER ANTICIPATED TODAY AND SATURDAY...90 DEGREES
EACH DAY NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION. ASIDE FROM THIS...SYNOPTIC PATTERN
HAS BROUGHT DRIER AIR TO THE NORTHERN AND NORTHEASTERN ZONES WITH
QUITE MOIST AIR STILL TO THE SOUTH AND WEST. MID LEVEL WAVE WHICH
BROUGHT NOCTURNAL CONVECTION TO THE AREA HAS MOVED WEST...WITH
DRYING AND SUBSIDENT AIR BEHIND IT. 12Z SOUNDING AT FLG ALREADY NOT
VALID AS THE MID LEVELS HAVE BECOME CAPPED AND DRIER. CONVECTION IN
YAVAPAI COUNTY AND OTHER AREAS SOUTH OF THE RIM SHOULD BE MUCH MORE
PROLIFIC TODAY. ZONES NEED SOME TOUCH UP WORK WITH POPS...HIGH
TEMPERATURES LOOK GOOD. PETERSON.

.FGZ...NONE.

.CODED TEMPERATURES/POPS FOR SELECTED CITIES IN NORTHERN ARIZONA

CITY             TEMPERATURES HI/LO           PROBABILITY OF PRECIP
                 TDY TON   SAT     SUN        TDY TON   SAT   SUN
FLAGSTAFF        087/054 087/053 083/052      030 020 030 020 050 030
WINSLOW          098/067 098/067 096/066      020 020 030 020 050 030
PRESCOTT         094/062 094/064 090/063      040 020 030 020 040 020
PAGE             103/077 102/076 099/075      000 010 020 010 030 020
WINDOW ROCK      089/049 087/050 086/049      020 020 020 010 050 030
CANYON DE CHELLY 095/055 093/056 092/055      000 020 020 010 040 020
COTTONWOOD       105/070 105/072 101/071      030 020 020 020 030 020
GRAND CANYON     089/053 089/052 085/051      020 020 020 020 040 020
GREER            083/050 083/049 079/048      040 030 040 030 060 040
HEBER            092/055 092/054 088/053      040 030 040 030 050 040
JACOB LAKE       085/054 085/053 081/052      000 020 020 020 040 020
NAVAJO N.M.      089/053 087/054 086/053      020 020 020 010 040 020
PAYSON           099/063 099/065 095/064      040 020 030 020 040 020
SEDONA           103/068 103/070 099/069      030 020 020 020 030 020
SELIGMAN         097/055 097/057 093/056      030 010 020 010 030 010
SHOW LOW         093/062 093/061 089/060      030 020 030 020 050 030
ST. JOHNS        092/062 092/062 090/061      030 030 040 030 060 040
WUPATKI N.M.     100/070 100/070 098/069      000 020 030 020 060 030

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 12, 9:35 AM MST, 4 hours 59 minutes before
AZZ004>018-037>040-121930-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
935 AM MST FRI JUL 12 2002

...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TODAY MAINLY SOUTH
AND WEST OF THE MOGOLLON RIM...

DRIER AIR FROM THE COLORADO PLATEAU HAS MOVED WESTWARD INTO PORTIONS
OF NORTHERN ARIZONA THIS MORNING. THIS WILL LIMIT CONVECTION ROUGHLY
FROM FLAGSTAFF NORTHWARD TODAY...WHERE ONLY ISOLATED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED. SOUTH OF THE RIM...THE AIRMASS IS MUCH
MORE MOIST. EXPECTED MORE WIDESPREAD ACTIVITY TODAY OVER YAVAPAI
COUNTY...NORTHERN GILA COUNTY...AND PORTIONS OF FAR SOUTHERN
COCONINO COUNTY. THESE AREAS WILL SEE ISOLATED STRONGER STORMS
CAPABLE OF PRODUCING RAIN RATES NEAR AN INCH PER HOUR...SMALL
HAIL...AND GUSTY WINDS. STORMS WILL INITIALLY DEVELOP TODAY OVER THE
WHITE MOUNTAINS AND EASTERN RIM. THESE STORMS WILL MOVE WESTWARD AND
INCREASE IN STRENGTH AND COVERAGE OVER YAVAPAI AND NORTHERN GILA
COUNTIES.

BURNED AREA RAIN OUTLOOK...
SMALL AMOUNTS OF RAIN CAN CAUSE FLASH FLOODING IN BURNED OUT AREAS.
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP NEAR THE
CHEDISKI-RODEO BURN AREA BY THIS AFTERNOON. THE ACTIVITY NEAR THIS
FIRE IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE HEAVY. AS THE SHOWERS MOVE EAST DURING
THE AFTERNOON...THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAINS OVER THE INDIAN FIRE
BURN AREA NEAR PRESCOTT WILL BE MORE LIKELY.
Special weather statement, Jul 12, 10:00 AM MST, 4 hours 34 minutes before
AZZ004>018-037>040-121930-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
1000 AM MST FRI JUL 12 2002

...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TODAY MAINLY SOUTH
AND WEST OF THE MOGOLLON RIM...

DRIER AIR FROM THE COLORADO PLATEAU HAS MOVED WESTWARD INTO PORTIONS
OF NORTHERN ARIZONA THIS MORNING. THIS WILL LIMIT CONVECTION ROUGHLY
FROM FLAGSTAFF NORTHWARD TODAY...WHERE ONLY ISOLATED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED. SOUTH OF THE RIM...THE AIRMASS IS MUCH
MORE MOIST. EXPECTED MORE WIDESPREAD ACTIVITY TODAY OVER YAVAPAI
COUNTY...NORTHERN GILA COUNTY...AND PORTIONS OF FAR SOUTHERN
COCONINO COUNTY. THESE AREAS WILL SEE ISOLATED STRONGER STORMS
CAPABLE OF PRODUCING RAIN RATES NEAR AN INCH PER HOUR...SMALL
HAIL...AND GUSTY WINDS. STORMS WILL INITIALLY DEVELOP TODAY OVER THE
WHITE MOUNTAINS AND EASTERN RIM. THESE STORMS WILL MOVE WESTWARD AND
INCREASE IN STRENGTH AND COVERAGE OVER YAVAPAI AND NORTHERN GILA
COUNTIES.

BURNED AREA RAIN OUTLOOK...
SMALL AMOUNTS OF RAIN CAN CAUSE FLASH FLOODING IN BURNED OUT AREAS.
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP NEAR THE
CHEDISKI-RODEO BURN AREA BY THIS AFTERNOON. THE ACTIVITY NEAR THIS
FIRE IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE HEAVY. AS THE SHOWERS MOVE WEST DURING
THE AFTERNOON...THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAINS OVER THE INDIAN FIRE
BURN AREA NEAR PRESCOTT WILL BE MORE LIKELY.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 12, 1:51 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZYavapai24 min
Jul 12, 2:24 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZCoconino, Yavapai21 min
Jul 12, 3:14 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZGila31 min
Jul 12, 3:57 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZYavapai33 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Arizona, 2002Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2002

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.