Alert archive / Arizona / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 48, NWS Phoenix, AZ

September 6, 2002Maricopa County, Arizona

NWS Phoenix, AZ issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Sep 6, 2002, 7:08 PM MST for Maricopa County, Arizona. It was in force for 37 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: Sep 6, 2002, 7:08 PM MST (02:08 UTC)
Expired: Sep 6, 2002, 7:45 PM MST
In force: 37 min
Issued by: NWS Phoenix, AZ
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Maricopa County, AZ

The radar

The Phoenix radar (KIWA), 30 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:12 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

Phoenix, AZ (KPSR), launched 00:00Z, 2.1 hours before the alert went out and 4 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 129 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -74 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 2528 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 34 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -7 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 34 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 
WUUS55 KPSR 070208
SVRPSR
AZC013-070245-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
707 PM MST FRI SEP 6 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PHOENIX HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  EAST CENTRAL MARICOPA COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL ARIZONA

* UNTIL 745 PM MST

* AT 532 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED 
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER GUADALUPE AND SUN LAKES...MOVING
  NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING TOWARD CHANDLER...
  TEMPE...AND MESA AREAS.

IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER FROM THE WEATHER IN A STRONG
BUILDING. DAMAGING WIND...LARGE HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN...AND DEADLY
LIGHTNING ARE ALL POSSIBLE IN SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. STAY INSIDE AWAY
FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.

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

LAT...LON 3336 11226 3322 11206 3324 11161 3353 11162
          3367 11201

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 Phoenix, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Sep 6, 3:25 PM MST, 3 hours 43 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 6, 3:25 PM MST, 3 hours 43 minutes before

AZZ020>028-CAZ030>033-070545-

SOUTHWEST ARIZONA/SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
325 PM MST FRI SEP 6 2002

.SYNOPSIS...
A MOIST AIRMASS WILL STAY IN PLACE ACROSS ALL OF ARIZONA AND
SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND INTO EARLY NEXT AS LOW
PRESSURE ALOFT REMAINS JUST OFF THE WEST COAST. WEAK IMPULSES WILL
MOVE ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA FROM TIME TO TIME AND WILL SERVE TO
TRIGGER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS INTO MONDAY. DRIER AIR WILL MOVE
INTO SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA EARLY NEXT WEEK...WITH A MOIST SOUTHERLY
FLOW EXPECTED TO CONTINUE OVER SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA THROUGH ABOUT
MIDWEEK. TEMPERATURES WILL FALL OFF TO NEAR SEASONAL NORMALS THE
NEXT FEW DAYS.

.DISCUSSION...
CONVECTION FIRING NICELY TODAY...MAINLY OVER ERN THIRD OF CWFA. LOTS
OF BOUNDARY INTERACTIONS COMMENCING...AND THESE SHOULD KEEP STORMS
FIRING WELL INTO THE NIGHT. SW AZ AND SE CA RATHER QUIET AT THIS
TIME...BUT EXPECT STORMS TO BEGIN GINNING UP THESE AREAS AS WELL
WITH VERY MOIST/UNSTABLE AIR IN PLACE CWFA-WIDE. SYNOPTICALLY...
UPPER LOW OFF W COAST WILL LIFT OUT IN PIECES OVER THE WEEKEND WITH
A SIGNIFICANT HANG-BACK LOW EXPECTED TO BE LEFT BEHIND OFF SRN CA
COAST. POSITION OF TROUGH WILL PRODUCE A PROLONGED NE/SW ORIENTED
JET TO OUR NW LEAVING MOST OF FORECAST AREA IN FAVORABLE RIGHT
ENTRANCE REGION FROM LATE SAT NIGHT INTO EARLY MONDAY. SECONDARY LOW
FORMING OFF THE SRN CA COST WILL HELP TO KEEP MOISTURE IN PLACE OVER
AZ PORTION OF CWFA WELL INTO NEXT WEEK...SO WILL KEEP STORM CHANCES
GOING MAINLY CENTRAL/ERN PORTIONS THRU MIDWEEK...AND HIGHER TERRAIN
ZONE 24 RIGHT ON THRU FRIDAY. TEMPS EXPECTED TO SETTLE DOWN NEAR OR
SLIGHTLY BELOW SEASONAL NORMALS.   ESTLE

.PSR...NONE.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Sep 6, 1:09 PM MST, 5 hours 59 minutes before

AZZ020>028-CAZ030>033-070700-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
109 PM MST FRI SEP 6 2002

...A RISK OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AND HAZARDOUS WEATHER OVER ALL
OF SOUTH-CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ARIZONA...AS WELL AS SOUTHEAST
CALIFORNIA DESERTS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...

THE OUTLOOK AREA CONSISTS OF THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
MARICOPA...NORTHERN PINAL...SOUTHERN GILA...LA PAZ AND YUMA IN
ARIZONA...AND IMPERIAL AND EASTERN RIVERSIDE COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST
CALIFORNIA. CITIES AND TOWNS IN THE OUTLOOK AREA INCLUDE...THE
GREATER PHOENIX METROPOLITAN AREA...CASA GRANDE...FLORENCE...
COOLIDGE...GLOBE...MIAMI...SUPERIOR...GILA BEND...WENDEN...PARKER
...QUARTZSITE AND YUMA...AS WELL AS BLYTHE AND THE IMPERIAL VALLEY
TOWNS IN SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA.

THE PRIMARY HAZARDOUS WEATHER RISKS OVER THIS OUTLOOK AREA INCLUDE
STRONG AND DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 45 MPH...AREAS OF BLOWING
DUST AND BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...ALONG WITH LIGHTNING.

STORM SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NECESSARY LATER THIS AFTERNOON.

ESTLE

Local storm report, Sep 6, 6:53 PM MST, 15 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX, AZ
653 PM MST FRI SEP 6 2002

TIME(MST)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0305 PM    GLENDALE                  AZ   WIND DAMAGE
09/06/02   MARICOPA                       MICROBURST. SIGNIFCANT
                                          DAMAGE TO 15 TO 25 MOBILE
                                          HOMES. ROOF RIPPED OFF CAR
                                          DEALERSHIP. UP TO 100
                                          VEHICLES DAMAGED. NUMEROUS
                                          TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN.
                                          NO KNOWN INJURIES. REPORTED
                                          BY SPOTTERS AND MEDIA.

0232 PM    CHANDLER                  AZ   DUST STORM
09/06/02   MARICOPA                       VISIBILITY 1/4 MILE
                                          REPORTED AT CHANDLER
                                          REGIONAL AIRPORT.

0323 PM    FLORENCE                  AZ   DUST STORM
09/06/02   PINAL                          VISIBILITY REDUCED TO 50
                                          YARDS. REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT.

0340 PM    10 E APACHE JUNCTION      AZ   WIND DAMAGE
09/06/02   PINAL                          MICROBURST. GOLD CANYON
                                          RANCH AREA. AT LEAST 30
                                          POWER POLES DOWN. CHILDREN
                                          TRAPPED IN A SCHOOL FOR A
                                          TIME. ROOF DAMAGE. NO KNOWN
                                          INJURIES. REPORTED BY
                                          SPOTTERS AND MEDIA.

0346 PM    APACHE JUNCTION           AZ   60 MPH TSTM WIND GUST
09/06/02   PINAL                          REPORTED BY SPOTTERS

0430 PM    BUCKEYE                   AZ   WIND DAMAGE
09/06/02   MARICOPA                       POWER POLES DOWN. REPORTED
                                          BY ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Sep 6, 5:15 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PSR	Maricopa	45 min
Sep 6, 7:13 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PSR	Maricopa	32 min
Sep 6, 11:19 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PSR	Maricopa	56 min
Sep 7, 10:13 AM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PSR	Maricopa	47 min
Sep 7, 2:38 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PSR	La Paz	37 min
Sep 7, 2:45 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PSR	Pinal	45 min
Sep 7, 3:14 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PSR	La Paz	46 min
Sep 7, 3:27 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PSR	Maricopa, Pinal	48 min
Sep 7, 3:57 PM MST	Tornado Warning	PSR	Maricopa	48 min
Sep 7, 3:57 PM MST	Tornado Warning	PSR	Maricopa	48 min
Sep 7, 4:08 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PSR	Pinal	37 min
Sep 7, 4:43 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PSR	Maricopa	47 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Arizona, 2002 Every 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.