Alert archive / Arizona / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 2, NWS Flagstaff, AZ

July 11, 2003Gila County, Navajo County, Arizona

NWS Flagstaff, AZ issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 11, 2003, 4:19 PM MST for Gila County, Navajo County, Arizona. It was in force for 41 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 11, 2003, 4:19 PM MST (23:19 UTC)
Expired
Jul 11, 2003, 5:00 PM MST
In force
41 min
Issued by
NWS Flagstaff, AZ
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Gila County, AZ, Navajo County, AZ

The radar

The Flagstaff radar (KFSX), 65 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:22 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 12:00Z, 11.3 hours before the alert went out and 131 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, Phoenix, AZ at 12:00Z on 2003-07-11Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 115 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Phoenix, AZ at 12:00Z on 2003-07-11The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -52 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
115 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-766 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2443 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
20 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-52 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
5 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 KFGZ 112319
SVRFGZ
AZC007-017-120000-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
415 PM MST FRI JUL 11 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FLAGSTAFF HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL GILA COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL ARIZONA
  SOUTHWESTERN NAVAJO COUNTY IN NORTHEAST ARIZONA

* UNTIL 500 PM MST

* AT 407 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES EAST OF YOUNG...OR ABOUT 18 MILES SOUTH
  OF FOREST LAKES...MOVING SOUTH AT 15 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
RURAL CENTRAL GILA COUNTY AT 430 PM MST

THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WIND GUSTS AROUND 60 MPH.  ALONG 
WITH THIS STORM EXPECT LARGE HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN. 

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 3422 11066 3422 11088 3395 11106 3386 11073

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 11, 2:30 PM MST, 1 hour 49 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 11, 2:30 PM MST, 1 hour 49 minutes before
NORTHERN ARIZONA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
230 PM MST FRI JUL 11 2003

.SYNOPSIS...HOT AND DRY WEATHER WILL LAST INTO SUNDAY AS HIGH
PRESSURE REMAINS OVER THE DESERT SOUTHWEST. AS A RESULT...RECORD
HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED IN A NUMBER OF LOCATIONS EACH
AFTERNOON. MOISTURE AND CLOUDS WILL BE ON THE INCREASE STARTING
MONDAY RESULTING IN AN INCREASING THREAT OF THUNDERSTORMS NEXT WEEK.

.DISCUSSION...A HOT AND MAINLY DRY AIR MASS REMAINS OVER MOST OF
NORTHERN ARIZONA THIS AFTERNOON. THE MAIN EXCEPTION IS OVER FAR EAST
CENTRAL ARIZONA WHERE MOISTURE OVER THE WHITE MOUNTAINS HAS RESULTED
IN AN INCREASE IN CLOUDS AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS FROM ABOUT ST.
JOHNS SOUTHWARD. ELSEWHERE...IT HAS BEEN GENERALLY DRY WITH AN
ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM OR TWO ACROSS THE ARE EXTENDING FROM SELIGMAN
TO SHOW LOW. THIS ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO END BY SUNSET.
OTHERWISE...THE MID TO UPPER RIDGE WILL REMAIN CENTERED OVER ARIZONA
AND ACTUALLY WOBBLE SOUTHWARD SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. THIS WILL RESULT
IN INCREASING NORTHWEST FLOW ACROSS NORTHERN ARIZONA AND WILL TEND
TO PUSH ANY MOISTURE SOUTHWARD. ALL THAT WILL REMAIN IS A SLIGHT
CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE EASTERN MOGOLLON RIM AND WHITE
MOUNTAINS. AS A RESULT...EXPECT NEAR RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES AND
MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES TO CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST SUNDAY. BY MONDAY
THE MID TO UPPER RIDGE BEGINS TO WEAKEN...ALTHOUGH IT STILL REMAINS
CENTERED OVER ARIZONA...WITH MOISTURE CONTINUING TO GRADUALLY
INCREASE. AS A RESULT...EXPECT AN INCREASING CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS STARTING MONDAY...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE MOGOLLON
RIM...WHITE MOUNTAINS AND LOCATIONS SOUTHWARD.

IN THE EXTENDED...THE SAME GENERAL PATTERN WILL REMAIN IN PLACE WITH
A FEW UNPREDICTABLE WOBBLES OF THE HIGH PRESSURE CENTER. WILL
CONTINUE THE GENERAL INCREASE IN CLOUDS AND POPS THROUGH THE
EXTENDED AS THE RIDGE WEAKENS FURTHER AND MORE MOISTURE MOVES IN
FROM THE SOUTH.

MCCOLLUM

.FGZ...NONE.

.CODED TEMPERATURES/POPS FOR SELECTED CITIES IN NORTHERN ARIZONA

CITY             TEMPERATURES LO/HI           PROBABILITY OF PRECIP
                 TON SAT   SUN     MON        TON SAT   SUN     MON
FLAGSTAFF        048/092 048/092 051/090      000 000 000 010 010 020
WINSLOW          058/103 058/103 061/101      000 000 000 000 000 000
PRESCOTT         063/102 063/101 063/098      000 000 000 000 000 000
PAGE             075/106 075/104 074/102      000 000 000 000 000 000
WINDOW ROCK      042/096 044/096 046/094      000 000 000 000 000 000
CANYON DE CHELLY 052/102 054/102 056/100      000 000 000 000 000 000
COTTONWOOD       072/113 071/112 071/109      000 000 000 000 000 000
GRAND CANYON     047/094 047/094 050/092      000 000 000 000 000 000
GREER            044/088 044/088 047/086      020 020 020 020 020 020
HEBER            049/097 049/097 052/095      000 000 000 020 020 020
JACOB LAKE       048/090 048/090 051/088      000 000 000 000 000 000
NAVAJO N.M.      046/096 048/096 050/094      000 000 000 000 000 000
PAYSON           064/107 064/106 064/103      000 000 000 000 000 000
SEDONA           069/111 069/110 069/107      000 000 000 000 000 000
SELIGMAN         062/105 062/104 062/101      000 000 000 000 000 000
SHOW LOW         056/098 056/098 059/096      000 010 010 010 010 010
ST. JOHNS        059/101 060/102 059/099      010 000 000 000 000 000
WUPATKI N.M.     061/105 061/105 064/103      000 000 000 000 000 000
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 11, 9:20 AM MST, 6 hours 59 minutes before
AZZ004>018-037>040-120200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
700 AM MST FRI JUL 11 2003

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 11, 3:30 PM MST, 49 minutes before
AZZ004>018-037>040-121100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
330 PM MST FRI JUL 11 2003

...NEAR RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES AND HEAT WAVE CONTINUES...

A STRONG HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO DOMINATE THE WEATHER
OVER ARIZONA THIS WEEKEND. THIS SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO BRING HOT
TEMPERATURES AND DRY WEATHER TO THE NORTHLAND THROUGH THE WEEKEND.

AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO BE NEAR OR ABOVE RECORD
LEVELS FOR MOST LOCATIONS IN NORTHERN ARIZONA INTO SUNDAY.

IF YOU PLAN TO BE OUTSIDE...AVOID PROLONGED EXPOSURE OR STRENUOUS
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS TO AVOID DEHYDRATION.
WEAR LIGHTWEIGHT...LIGHT-COLORED...LOOSE-FITTING CLOTHING. WEAR A
HAT TO SHIELD YOURSELF FROM THE SUN. IF POSSIBLE...SPEND TIME IN AIR
CONDITIONED FACILITIES.

FOR THE LATEST UPDATES ON THIS HEAT WAVE...CHECK THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE HOME PAGE AT WWW.WRH.NOAA.GOV/FLAGSTAFF...OR TUNE TO
NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO OR TELEVISION.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 11, 3:38 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZCoconino, Gila, Navajo37 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.