Alert archive / Arizona / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 75, NWS Phoenix, AZ
NWS Phoenix, AZ issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Sep 4, 2003, 8:41 PM MST for Maricopa County, Arizona. It was in force for 64 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 4, 2003, 8:41 PM MST (03:41 UTC)
- Expired
- Sep 4, 2003, 9:45 PM MST
- In force
- 64 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), 105 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:43 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, 3.7 hours before the alert went out and 86 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 945 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -24 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 2381 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 13 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 18 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 21 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
WUUS55 KPSR 050341
SVRPSR
AZC013-050445-
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
839 PM MST THU SEP 4 2003
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PHOENIX HAS ISSUED A
* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
CENTRAL MARICOPA COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL ARIZONA
* UNTIL 945 PM MST
* AT 833 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER GILA BEND...OR ABOUT 3 MILES WEST OF GILA
BEND...MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 15 MPH.
* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT...
GILA BEND
INTERSTATE 8
HIGHWAY 85
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 3302 11315 3269 11279 3277 11222 3327 11227
3328 11291
$$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 4, 8:24 PM MST, 17 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Sep 4, 8:24 PM MST, 17 minutes before
AZZ020>028-CAZ030>033-051045- SOUTHWEST ARIZONA/SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX ARIZONA 824 PM MST THU SEP 4 2003 .SYNOPSIS... AN INCREASE IN MOISTURE FROM THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA WILL CONTINUE A A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA...SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL ARIZONA...THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING. HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT WILL MOVE FROM EASTERN ARIZONA TO NEAR SAN DIEGO BY SATURDAY MORNING...WITH SOME DRYING AND A LITTLE WARMER DAYTIME HIGHS OVER THE WEEKEND. STRONG UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST LATE IN THE WEEKEND FOR MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES AND NEAR NORMAL TEMPERATURES NEXT WEEK. .DISCUSSION... SEVERE WEATHER ACROSS SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA...SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA HAS KEPT THE MAIN FOCUS THIS EVENING ON THE CURRENT CONDITIONS...AND HAVENT HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THE MODEL DATA. STORMS THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING HAVE BEEN MOST INTENSE NEAR IMPERIAL IN SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA...OVER JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK...OVER THE EAST VALLEY IN CENTRAL MARICOPA COUNTY...AND NOW NEAR GILA BEND IN SOUTHWEST MARICOPA COUNTY. A SMALL STREAM FLOOD ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHEAST MARICOPA COUNTY...INCLUDING WICKENBURG...UNTIL 930PM...AND AN URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOOD ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE GREATER PHX METRO AREA UNTIL 9 PM. SOME OF THE MOST INTENSE STORMS HAVE PRODUCED QUARTER SIZE HAIL (NEAR BASELINE RD AND HARDY IN TEMPE)...AND RAINFALL AMOUNTS OVER 2 INCHES IN SOME PLACES WITH RUNNING WASHES AND CREEKS...AND EVEN STREET FLOODING... ACROSS MUCH OF MARICOPA COUNTY AND IMPERIAL COUNTY. AT THE CURRENT TIME...STORMS ARE MOST NUMEROUS NEAR PARKER AND OVER SOUTHWEST MARICOPA COUNTY... JUST NORTHEAST OF GILA BEND. AS DISCUSSED BY THE PREVIOUS FORECASTER...WILL HOLD ONTO A CHANCE FOR AFTN/EVENING STORMS FRIDAY ALSO...AS HIGH MOVES TO OUR WEST AND DEEP LAYERED LIGHT NORTH-NORTHWEST FLOW DEVELOPS. NOT SURE HOW UNSTABLE IT WILL BE FRIDAY AFTN/EVENING...AS EVOLUTION OF STORMS THIS EVENING IS NOT CLEAR CUT...BUT STILL A LOT OF CONVECTION TO OUR SOUTH THIS AFTN...SO WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE REMAIN PLENTIFUL OVER OUR CWA THRU AT LEAST FRIDAY EVENING...ALONG WITH AT LEAST LOW-END CAPE. DRYING STILL EXPECTED TO COMMENCE IN LOW LEVELS BY SATURDAY...FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE CWA...AND WE WILL HAVE TO WATCH FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS SAT AFTN/EVENING...ESPECIALLY OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN NORTH AND EAST OF PHOENIX. FURTHER DRYING IS EXPECTED NEXT WEEK AS DEEP WEST TO NORTHWEST FLOW DEVELOPS. UPPER HIGH PROGGED TO REMAIN FAIRLY STRONG AND BE CENTERED NEAR OR JUST SOUTH OF YUMA THIS WEEKEND...SO WENT WITH A BIT WARMER DAYTIME HIGHS COMPARED TO WHAT WILL OCCUR FRIDAY. EXPECT A TREND TOWARD NEAR NORMAL TEMPS TO BEGIN EARLY NEXT WEEK AS TROUGH DIGS INTO WESTERN UNITED STATES...WITH 500 MB HEIGHTS LOWERING TO NEAR NORMAL LEVELS BY TUESDAY. LATEST GFS INDICATES SOMEWHAT PROGRESSIVE UPPER FLOW EXPECTED TOWARD THE END OF NEXT WEEK...WITH A CHANCE FOR A BIT OF WARMING BY THURSDAY AS HEIGHTS/THICKNESSES EDGE UPWARD. .PSR...NONE.
Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 4, 1:00 PM MST, 7 hours 41 minutes before
AZZ020>028-CAZ030>033-050100- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ 100 PM MST THU SEP 4 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA...AND SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. HOWEVER...ISOLATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP MAINLY OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN THIS AFTERNOON...WITH A FEW STRONG STORMS POSSIBLE OVER THE LOWER DESERT. STORMS WILL MOVE VERY SLOWLY...SO LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE. IN ADDITION...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...HAIL...AND INTENSE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING WILL ACCOMPANY THE STRONGEST STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. HOWEVER...ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO AFFECT MAINLY SOUTH CENTRAL ARIZONA FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WITH A CHANCE FOR STORMS MAINLY OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF SOUTH CENTRAL ARIZONA SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Phoenix, AZ issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 4, 5:52 PM MST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PSR | Maricopa | 53 min |
| Sep 4, 6:09 PM MST | Flash Flood Warning | PSR | Maricopa | 36 min |
| Sep 4, 6:10 PM MST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PSR | Maricopa | 50 min |
| Sep 4, 6:41 PM MST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PSR | Maricopa | 64 min |
| Sep 4, 7:57 PM MST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PSR | La Paz | 63 min |
| Sep 4, 9:03 PM MST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PSR | La Paz | 57 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.