Alert archive / Arizona / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 14, NWS Flagstaff, AZ

July 22, 2003Apache County, Navajo County, Arizona

NWS Flagstaff, AZ issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 22, 2003, 12:55 PM MST for Apache County, Navajo County, Arizona. It was in force for 35 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 22, 2003, 12:55 PM MST (19:55 UTC)
Expired
Jul 22, 2003, 1:30 PM MST
In force
35 min
Issued by
NWS Flagstaff, AZ
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Apache County, AZ, Navajo County, AZ

The radar

The Flagstaff radar (KFSX), 133 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:55 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, 7.9 hours before the alert went out and 211 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 2003-07-22Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 58 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 2003-07-22The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 22 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
58 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-187 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2155 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
15 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
22 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
123 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.

424 
WUUS55 KFGZ 221955
SVRFGZ
AZC001-017-222030-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
1254 PM MST TUE JUL 22 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FLAGSTAFF HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHWESTERN APACHE COUNTY IN NORTHEAST ARIZONA
  EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN NAVAJO COUNTY IN NORTHEAST ARIZONA

* UNTIL 130 PM MST

* AT 1245 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER VERNON...OR ABOUT 20 MILES EAST OF SHOW
  LOW...MOVING NORTHWEST AT 15 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
RURAL SOUTHWESTERN APACHE COUNTY AT 110 PM MST
RURAL SOUTHEASTERN NAVAJO COUNTY AT 120 PM MST

THE MAIN THREAT WITH THIS STORM WILL BE HAIL WITH A DIAMETER OF UP 
TO AN INCH NEAR THE CORE OF THE STORM.

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 3430 10993 3417 10970 3422 10963 3446 10976

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 22, 9:15 AM MST, 3 hours 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 22, 9:15 AM MST, 3 hours 40 minutes before
NORTHERN ARIZONA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
915 AM MST TUE JUL 22 2003

.SYNOPSIS...A CHANCE OF AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE REGION EACH DAY THIS WEEK.
AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE TO BE SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL AS
STRONG HIGH PRESSURE REMAINS IN PLACE TO THE NORTH.

.DISCUSSION...DEEP MOISTURE IS CONTINUING IN THE ATMOSPHERE THIS
MORNING AS BOTH THE MORNING UPPER AIR SOUNDING AND GPS-BASED
PRECIPITABLE WATER LINGER IN THE 0.85 TO 1.00 INCH RANGE OVER
FLAGSTAFF. STEERING FLOW SHOULD SHIFT TO A MORE EAST-SOUTHEAST
DIRECTION TODAY IN THE WAKE OF A WAVE THAT PASSED WESTWARD ACROSS
ARIZONA LAST NIGHT. SKIES ARE STARTING OUT MOSTLY CLEAR OVER THE
EASTERN RIM AND WHITE MOUNTAINS...AND EXPECT HEATING TO TRIGGER
FIRST STORMS OF THE DAY IN THAT AREA THIS MORNING. CURRENT FORECAST
PACKAGE HAS GOOD HOLD ON EXPECTED DISTRIBUTION OF PRECIPITATION AND
NO UPDATES ARE PLANNED AT THIS TIME. KD

.FGZ...NONE.

.CODED TEMPERATURES/POPS FOR SELECTED CITIES IN NORTHERN ARIZONA

CITY             TEMPERATURES HI/LO           PROBABILITY OF PRECIP
                 TDY TON   WED     THU        TDY TON   WED   THU
FLAGSTAFF        086/057 085/056 085/056      050 030 050 030 050
WINSLOW          098/068 096/067 095/067      020 020 030 020 030
PRESCOTT         094/072 093/070 092/070      030 040 040 030 040
PAGE             102/078 100/077 098/077      020 020 020 030 030
WINDOW ROCK      089/056 088/056 087/056      030 030 030 020 030
CANYON DE CHELLY 095/066 094/066 093/066      020 030 020 030 030
COTTONWOOD       105/080 104/078 103/078      020 030 030 020 030
GRAND CANYON     088/056 087/055 087/055      030 020 030 030 040
GREER            082/053 081/052 081/052      050 030 050 030 050
HEBER            091/058 090/057 090/057      050 030 050 030 050
JACOB LAKE       084/057 083/056 083/056      030 020 030 030 040
NAVAJO N.M.      089/060 088/060 087/060      030 030 030 030 040
PAYSON           099/073 098/071 097/071      030 040 030 040 040
SEDONA           103/078 102/076 101/076      030 030 030 020 030
SELIGMAN         097/065 096/063 095/063      040 030 030 030 040
SHOW LOW         092/065 091/064 091/064      040 030 040 030 040
ST. JOHNS        092/063 090/062 089/062      040 030 040 030 040
WUPATKI N.M.     100/071 098/070 097/070      020 020 030 020 030
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 22, 10:00 AM MST, 2 hours 55 minutes before
AZZ004>018-037>040-230200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
1000 AM MST TUE JUL 22 2003

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY

DEEP MOISTURE REMAINS OVER THE REGION TODAY. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS
ARE AGAIN EXPECTED ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA FROM LATE MORNING THROUGH
THE EVENING HOURS. THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN OVER
THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE MOGOLLON RIM AND WHITE MOUNTAINS AFTER 11
AM MST AND THEN OVER OTHER HIGHER TERRAIN LOCATIONS OF NORTHERN
ARIZONA BY LATE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON. BY THE MID-AFTERNOON
HOURS...STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DRIFT INTO LOWER ELEVATION PORTIONS
OF NORTHERN ARIZONA. ACTIVITY WILL LINGER INTO THE EVENING.

THE GREATEST THREAT FOR STRONGER STORMS TODAY WILL BE ALONG THE THE
MOGOLLON RIM AND WHITE MOUNTAINS AS WELL AS NORTHERN GILA COUNTY AND
EASTERN YAVAPAI COUNTY. THE MAIN THREAT FROM THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY
TODAY WILL BE BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS...GUSTY WINDS...AND SMALL HAIL.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

MOISTURE WILL REMAIN OVER ARIZONA THROUGH THE PERIOD FOR A CONTINUED
THREAT OF MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

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

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

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 22, 9:32 AM MST, 3 hours 23 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
0932 AM MST TUE JUL 22 2003

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

0500 PM    12 WNW WHITERIVER         AZ   1.25 IN HAIL
07/21/03   GILA

JJ

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 21, 5:03 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZGila27 min
Jul 22, 3:46 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZGila44 min
Jul 22, 4:32 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZGila28 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Arizona, 2003Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2003

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.