Alert archive / Arizona / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 77, NWS Flagstaff, AZ

October 26, 2002Yavapai County, Arizona

NWS Flagstaff, AZ issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Oct 26, 2002, 5:18 PM MST for Yavapai County, Arizona. It was in force for 27 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Oct 26, 2002, 5:18 PM MST (00:18 UTC)
Expired
Oct 26, 2002, 5:45 PM MST
In force
27 min
Issued by
NWS Flagstaff, AZ
Area
Whole counties

County Yavapai County, AZ

The radar

The Flagstaff radar (KFSX), 124 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:19 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

Flgstf/Belemont, AZ (KFGZ), launched 00:00Z, 0.3 hours before the alert went out and 98 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 00:00Z on 2002-10-27Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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 00:00Z on 2002-10-27The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -1 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
558 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
31 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-1 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
39 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.

062 
WUUS55 KFGZ 270018
SVRFGZ
AZC025-270045-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVIATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
513 PM MST SAT OCT 26 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FLAGSTAFF HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  SOUTH CENTRAL YAVAPAI COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ARIZONA
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF BLACK CANYON CITY

* UNTIL 545 PM MST

* AT 509 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER ROCK SPRINGS...OR ABOUT 7 MILES WEST OF
  BLACK CANYON CITY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  4 MILES NORTHWEST OF BLACK CANYON CITY AT 520 PM MST
  5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BUMBLE BEE AT 535 PM MST

HAIL UP TO ONE INCH IN DIAMETER IS POSSIBLE WITH THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM. 
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THE STORM...PUT YOUR CAR IN A GARAGE AND 
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 IN FLAGSTAFF.

LAT...LON 3409 11236 3395 11222 3417 11186 3435 11203

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 Oct 26, 2:30 PM MST, 2 hours 48 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 26, 2:30 PM MST, 2 hours 48 minutes before
NORTHERN ARIZONA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
230 PM MST SAT OCT 26 2002

.SYNOPSIS...A PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING RAIN AND HIGH
ELEVATION SNOW SHOWERS TO MUCH OF NORTHERN ARIZONA THROUGH SUNDAY.
THE PRECIPITATION WILL TAPER OFF SUNDAY NIGHT WITH THE STORM SYSTEM
EXITING THE STATE ON MONDAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL THEN MOVE OVER THE
WESTERN UNITED STATES...WITH DRY WEATHER AND NEAR NORMAL
TEMPERATURES FOR MUCH OF THE COMING WEEK.

.DISCUSSION...UPPER LOW-CENTERED NEAR THE ARIZONA/CALIFORNIA
BORDER THIS AFTERNOON AND MOVING INTO ARIZONA. THIS MOTION SHOULD
CONTINUE AS A STRONG JET MAX MOVES OUT TO THE EAST OF THE LOW CENTER
RESULTING IN A WIDE AREA OF UPWARD MOTION AND LOWERING HEIGHTS. A
PLUME OF PRECIPITATION IN RESPONSE TO THE UPWARD MOTION WILL RESULT
IN A CHANCE OF SHOWERS JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE ACROSS NORTHERN ARIZONA
OVERNIGHT. THE BEST UPWARD MOTION WILL BE OVER THE EASTERN MOGOLLON
RIM AND WHITE MOUNTAINS AND THAT IS WHERE THE HIGHEST POP VALUES
WILL BE INDICATED. IT WILL REMAIN UNSTABLE ENOUGH FOR ISOLATED
THUNDERSTORMS OVERNIGHT. THICKNESS VALUES SUPPORT A SNOW LEVEL OF
6500-7500 FEET TONIGHT AND 6500 FEET DURING THE DAY SUNDAY. LOCAL
AREAS OF 1 OR 2 INCHES OF SNOW ACCUMULATION WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER
THE MOGOLLON RIM AND WHITE MOUNTAINS. IN ADDITION...A SECONDARY JET
MAX WILL SLOW THE EASTWARD PROGRESS OF THE LOW CENTER TONIGHT AND
SUNDAY AS THE SYSTEM WOBBLES IN RESPONSE TO THE DYNAMICS INDUCED BY
THE SECOND JET MAX. THIS WILL RESULT IN A CHANCE OF SHOWERS ACROSS
THE AREA LASTING INTO SUNDAY NIGHT. BY MONDAY LOOKS LIKE A
SHORT-WAVE RIDGE WILL MOVE IN WITH STRONG SINKING MOTION PUTTING AN
END TO SHOWER ACTIVITY TO ALL LOCATIONS EXCEPT THE WHITE MOUNTAINS.
THE RIDGE WILL REMAIN OVER ARIZONA ON TUESDAY. LIGHT WINDS AND
WARMING TEMPERATURES BY MONDAY.

IN THE EXTENDED...A BLOCKING RIDGE WILL DEVELOP OVER THE WEST AND
REMAIN FROM TUESDAY INTO FRIDAY. AS A RESULT...EXPECT PARTLY CLOUDY
SKIES WITH NEAR NORMAL TEMPERATURES. BY NEXT WEEKEND IT APPEARS THAT
ANOTHER SERIES OF WEAK PACIFIC SYSTEMS WILL MOVE ALONG THE SOUTHERN
BRANCH FLOW AND INTO ARIZONA.

MCCOLLUM

FGZ...NONE.

.CODED TEMPERATURES/POPS FOR SELECTED CITIES IN NORTHERN ARIZONA

CITY             TEMPERATURES LO/HI           PROBABILITY OF PRECIP
                 TON SUN   MON     TUE        TON SUN   MON     TUE
FLAGSTAFF        029/047 025/054 024/058      060 040 030 020 000 000
WINSLOW          037/056 032/061 032/062      040 030 020 020 000 000
PRESCOTT         036/057 035/063 034/067      050 040 020 020 000 000
PAGE             045/056 043/062 040/063      040 030 020 020 000 000
WINDOW ROCK      032/045 028/051 025/055      060 050 030 020 000 000
CANYON DE CHELLY 039/049 035/055 032/059      050 050 030 020 000 000
COTTONWOOD       043/067 042/073 041/077      050 040 020 020 000 000
GRAND CANYON     030/050 026/057 025/061      050 030 020 020 000 000
GREER            029/045 025/052 024/056      070 060 040 030 000 000
HEBER            031/053 027/060 026/064      070 050 040 030 000 000
JACOB LAKE       030/042 026/049 025/053      050 040 030 020 000 000
NAVAJO N.M.      039/041 035/047 032/051      050 040 030 020 000 000
PAYSON           037/060 036/066 035/070      060 050 030 020 000 000
SEDONA           044/063 043/069 042/073      050 040 020 020 000 000
SELIGMAN         029/059 028/065 027/069      040 030 020 020 000 000
SHOW LOW         037/055 033/062 032/066      060 050 030 020 000 000
ST. JOHNS        034/054 029/059 029/060      060 050 030 030 000 000
WUPATKI N.M.     042/057 037/062 037/063      040 040 030 020 000 000
Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 26, 7:00 AM MST, 10 hours 18 minutes before
AZZ004>018-037>040-270200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
700 AM MST SAT OCT 26 2002

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR APACHE...COCONINO...NORTHERN
GILA...NAVAJO...AND YAVAPAI COUNTIES IN NORTHERN ARIZONA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY

THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. A PACIFIC
WEATHER SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION TODAY. THIS WILL BRING RAIN
...ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS AND SNOW TO THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. SNOW
LEVELS WILL FALL TO NEAR 7000 FEET BY THIS EVENING. ONLY LIGHT
ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED.

.INSTRUCTIONS TO SPOTTERS...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. THE STORM
WILL LINGER OVER THE AREA ON SUNDAY. RAIN SHOWERS AND ISOLATED
THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED WITH SNOW OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN. AGAIN
SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE LIGHT. THE STORM WILL MOVE INTO NEW
MEXICO ON MONDAY. A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BRING FAIR WEATHER
FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK.

DEFINITION OF HAZARDOUS WEATHER...A WEATHER EVENT POSING A THREAT
TO LIFE AND PROPERTY.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Oct 26, 5:18 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZYavapai27 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.