Alert archive / Arizona / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 52, NWS Phoenix, AZ

August 23, 2003La Paz County, Arizona

NWS Phoenix, AZ issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 23, 2003, 6:35 PM MST for La Paz County, Arizona. It was in force for 40 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
Aug 23, 2003, 6:35 PM MST (01:35 UTC)
Expired
Aug 23, 2003, 7:15 PM MST
In force
40 min
Issued by
NWS Phoenix, AZ
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County La Paz County, AZ

The radar

The Yuma radar (KYUX), 138 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:39 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, 1.6 hours before the alert went out and 203 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 00:00Z on 2003-08-24Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 542 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 00:00Z on 2003-08-24The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 24 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
542 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-34 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2870 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
12 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
24 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
47 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 240135
SVRPSR
AZC012-240215-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
631 PM MST SAT AUG 23 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PHOENIX HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR QUARTZSITE AND VICINITY...
  CENTRAL LA PAZ COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ARIZONA

* UNTIL 715 PM MST

* AT 625 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED 
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS 9 MILES SOUTHEAST OF QUARTZSITE...MOVING
  NORTH NORTHWEST AT 10 MPH.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE SPREADING NORTHWEST AND NORTH TOWARD
THE COMMUNITIES OF QUARTZSITE...BRENDA...AND NEARBY PORTIONS OF
INTERSTATE 10. 

DAMAGING MICROBURST WINDS ARE LIKELY WITH THIS STORM. VERY HEAVY RAIN
IS ALSO POSSIBLE. TAKE COVER IN A SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER UNTIL THE STORM
PASSES.

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH YOU SHOULD PREPARE
FOR DAMAGING WIND...LARGE HAIL...AND DEADLY LIGHTNING. PEOPLE OUTSIDE
SHOULD TAKE SHELTER...PREFERABLY IN A STRONG BUILDING AWAY FROM
WINDOWS.

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 3375 11430 3356 11431 3349 11412 3366 11380
          3376 11405

$$

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 Aug 23, 3:30 PM MST, 3 hours 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 23, 3:30 PM MST, 3 hours 5 minutes before
AZZ020>028-CAZ030>033-240545-

SOUTHWEST ARIZONA/SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
330 PM MST SAT AUG 23 2003

.SYNOPSIS...
A FLOW ALOFT FROM THE EAST THEN SOUTH IS EXPECTED AT LEAST THROUGH
THE FIRST HALF OF THE COMING WEEK AS HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT REMAINS
CENTERED NORTH AND EAST OF ARIZONA. THIS MEANS AN INCREASING CHANCE
OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AND GUSTY WINDS
THROUGH TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. THE REMAINS OF HURRICANE IGNACIO
ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE NORTH INTO THE SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES BY
TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT WITH AN INCREASING CHANCE OF HEAVY RAIN.

.DISCUSSION...
THE ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THAT WERE MAINLY IN THE EAST
AND NORTH PORTIONS OF THE GREATER PHOENIX AREA EARLY THIS MORNING
MOVED NORTH AND DISSIPATED BY LATE THIS MORNING. ISOLATED SHOWERS
THAT WERE IN IMPERIAL COUNTY AND THE WEST PORTION OF EASTERN
RIVERSIDE COUNTY THIS MORNING SHIFTED WEST MOSTLY OUT OF OUR AREA
THIS AFTERNOON. A LINE OF ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED
SOUTHWEST OVER LA PAZ COUNTY FROM A COMPLEX OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS OVER YAVAPAI COUNTY THIS AFTERNOON. THUNDERSTORMS WERE
DEVELOPING JUST OUTSIDE MARICOPA COUNTY OVER YAVAPAI AND SOUTHERN
GILA COUNTIES AND TO THE SOUTHEAST OVER SOUTHEAST PINAL COUNTY AND
SOUTH OVER PIMA COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST ARIZONA. THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE
ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DEVELOPING WEST AND INTO THE DESERT AREAS
INCLUDING THE GREATER PHOENIX AREA TONIGHT WITH STRONG GUSTY POSSIBLY
DAMAGING WINDS AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN. THE AIRMASS IS PLENTY MOIST
AND UNSTABLE AND WEAK LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS FROM THE EAST ARE
EXPECTED TO ENHANCE THE CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT
THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT. THE FLOW ALOFT FROM THE EAST IS EXPECTED TO
SPREAD ENOUGH MOISTURE WEST INTO SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA...THAT THE
POSSIBILITY OF FLASH FLOODING THERE WILL INCREASE AGAIN MONDAY AND
MONDAY EVENING. THE REMAINS OF HURRICANE IGNACIO ARE EXPECTED TO
BRING EVEN MORE MOISTURE AND DYNAMICS WITH A FURTHER INCREASE IN THE
CHANCE OF SHOWERS...THUNDERSTORMS AND HEAVY RAIN IN ARIZONA TUESDAY
AND TUESDAY EVENING. THIS MEANS AN INCREASING PROBABILITY OF URBAN
AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING AS WELL AS THE POSSIBILITY OF FLASH
FLOODING...PARTIULARLY TUESDAY AND TUESDAY EVENING IN THE ARIZONA
PORTION OF OUR AREA. WILL HOLD OFF ANOTHER DAY BEFORE ISSUING A
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...BUT UPDATE THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK.
COOLER WEATHER EXPECTED WITH ALL THE MOISTURE EARLY THIS COMING WEEK.
THE WEATHER DURING THE LATTER PART OF THE COMING WEEK REMAINS
UNCERTAIN. THUS...HAVE NOT MADE ANY CHANCES TO THE EXTENDED FORECAST
BEYOND WEDNESDAY.

.PSR...NONE.

ELLIS
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 23, 4:30 PM MST, 2 hours 5 minutes before
AZZ020>028-CAZ030>033-240200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
430 PM MST SAT AUG 23 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHWEST AND
SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA...AND SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY

THE AIRMASS OVER ARIZONA AND SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA IS QUITE MOIST AND
UNSTABLE. THUS...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST TO
DEVELOP FROM THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA WEST OVER
THE SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA DESERT AREAS INCLUDING THE GREATER PHOENIX
AREA THROUGH THIS EVENING. ISOLATED STORMS ARE POSSIBLE ELSEWHERE.
WHERE STORMS DO FORM...THERE IS A POTENTIAL...ESPECIALLY IN
SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA INCLUDING THE GREATER PHOENIX AREA...FOR
STRONG GUSTY DAMAGING WINDS AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WHICH COULD LEAD
TO FLOODING OF WASHES AND LOW SPOTS INCLUDING DIPS IN THE ROADS.
STAY AWAY FROM FLOODED ROADS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

THERE IS AN INCREASING POTENTIAL FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH
HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING THROUGH TUESDAY AND TUESDAY EVENING...AS THE
REMAINS OF HURRICANE IGNACIO MOVE NORTH INTO THE SOUTHWESTERN UNITED
STATES. STAY AWAY FROM FLOODED AREAS INCLUDING FLOODED ROADWAYS AND
BE READY TO MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IF A WARNING IS ISSUED DURING THE
UPCOMING WEEK.

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

ELLIS

In the hours before

Local storm report, Aug 23, 3:48 PM MST, 2 hours 47 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX, AZ
348 PM MST SAT AUG 23 2003

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

0940 PM    QUEEN CREEK AND VICINITY  AZ   WIND DAMAGE
08/22/03   MARICOPA AND PINAL             200 POWER POLES BLOWN
                                          DOWN...THOUSANDS OF TILE
                                          ROOF SHINGLES BLOWN OFF
                                          HOMES...HUGE BUSINESS SIGN
                                          IN CITY OF QUEEN CREEK
                                          BLOWN DOWN...TIN SHEDS
                                          TWISTED BEYOND
                                          RECOGNITION...HUNDREDS OF
                                          LARGE MATURE TREES DOWN IN
                                          STREETS AND ONTO
                                          HOMES...NUMBER OF VEHICLES
                                          WITH WINDSHIEDS BLOWN
                                          OUT...FARM IRRIGATION
                                          SPRINKLERS TWISTED INTO
                                          HEAPS...BLOCK WALL IN
                                          NEIGHBORHOOD BLOWN
                                          DOWN...HORSE KILLED EITHER
                                          BY BEING BLOWN INTO
                                          BUILDING OR BUILDING
                                          COLLAPSING ON IT. REPORTED
                                          BY LOCAL MEDIA.

FOWLE

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 23, 5:21 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPSRPinal39 min
Aug 23, 7:14 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPSRMaricopa61 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.