Alert archive / Arizona / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 63, NWS Tucson, AZ

July 31, 2003Pima County, Arizona

NWS Tucson, AZ issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 31, 2003, 6:30 PM MST for Pima County, Arizona. It was in force for 30 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 31, 2003, 6:30 PM MST (01:30 UTC)
Expired
Jul 31, 2003, 7:00 PM MST
In force
30 min
Issued by
NWS Tucson, AZ
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Pima County, AZ

The radar

The Tucson radar (KEMX), 91 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:32 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

Tuscon, AZ (KTUS), launched 00:00Z, 1.5 hours before the alert went out and 90 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, Tuscon, AZ at 00:00Z on 2003-08-01Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 472 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, Tuscon, AZ at 00:00Z on 2003-08-01The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -23 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
472 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-38 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2099 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
36 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-23 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
119 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

829 
WUUS55 KTWC 010130
SVRTWC
AZC019-010200-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
629 PM MST THU JUL 31 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TUCSON HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  EXTREME SOUTH CENTRAL PIMA COUNTY IN ARIZONA

* UNTIL 700 PM MST

* AT 617 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED 
  A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH HEAVY RAIN OVER SASABE...MOVING NORTH 
  AT 5 TO 10 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  JUNCTION OF HIGHWAY 286 AND ARIVACA ROAD...ARIVACA AT 700 PM MST

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. PREPARE FOR DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 58
MPH...LARGE HAIL...AND DEADLY LIGHTNING. MOVE TO A SHELTER...
PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

LAT...LON 3151 11164 3139 11149 3157 11126 3172 11145

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 Tucson, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jul 31, 2:23 PM MST, 4 hours 7 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 31, 2:23 PM MST, 4 hours 7 minutes before
SOUTHEAST ARIZONA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
223 PM MST THU JUL 31 2003

.SYNOPSIS...SOUTHEAST ARIZONA WAS CENTERED BETWEEN TWO SYSTEMS...AN
UPPER RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE TO OUR NORTH AND AN UPPER LOW PRESSURE
SYSTEM OFF THE NORTHERN BAJA PENINSULA. A WEAK DISTURBANCE NEAR THE
TIP OF THE BAJA PENINSULA WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH NORTH TOWARD
SOUTHERN ARIZONA TONIGHT...RESULTING IN SCATTERED MAINLY EVENING
THUNDERSTORMS. IN FACT...THE AIRMASS WILL REMAIN QUITE MOIST THE
NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS...RESULTING IN SCATTERED AFTERNOON AND EVENING
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. HIGH PRESSURE WILL THEN SHIFT EASTWARD
OVER NEW MEXICO AND INTO TEXAS BY SUNDAY ALLOWING A DRIER AIRMASS TO
FILTER INTO THE REGION EARLY NEXT WEEK. THIS WILL LEAD TO A GRADUAL
DECREASE IN THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE ACROSS ALL OF SOUTHEAST ARIZONA
NEXT WEEK.

.DISCUSSION...SYSTEM NEAR THE SOUTHERN TIP OF BAJA CONTINUES TO MAKE
SLOW PROGRESS NORTH. WATER VAPOR IMAGERY AND LIGHTNING DATA SHOW
SCATTERED CONVECTION WITHIN THE CONVERGENCE ZONE BETWEEN THE UPPER
LOW WEST OF BAJA AND THE HIGH OVER NEW MEXICO. KEMX RADAR CURRENTLY
DETECTING SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER A GOOD PORTION OF
MY COUNTY WARNING AREA WITH SOME OF THE STORMS POTENTIALLY POSING
PROBLEMS WITH REGARD TO FLOODING. MANY ARE BACK BUILDING AND HOURLY
RADAR ESTIMATES ARE INDICATING THAT A COUPLE OF THE STORMS ARE
SHOWING ISOLATED AMOUNTS BETWEEN 2 TO 3 INCHES.

ONE LARGE CELL OVER THE TOHONO OODHAM NATION IS DROPPING HEAVY RAIN
WITH RADAR ESTIMATES INDICATING AROUND 2 INCHES PER HOUR. WITH THIS
ADDITIONAL RAINFALL IT WILL ONLY EXACERBATE THE FLOODING PROBLEMS
FROM PREVIOUS RAINS. THEREFORE EVEN THOUGH THE WASHES AFFECTED
EARLIER IN THE WEEK WERE SHOWING SIGNS OF FALLING...THIS RAIN WILL
LIKELY CAUSE RISES IN THE STREAMS ONCE AGAIN. FLOOD WARNING FOR THIS
AREA WILL CONTINUE THROUGH 9 PM...BUT WILL LIKELY BE EXTENDED
THROUGH FRIDAY.

MODELS CONTINUE TO LIFT THE AFOREMENTIONED SYSTEM OVER SRN BAJA TO
THE YUMA AREA OVERNIGHT AND INTO CALIFORNIA ON FRIDAY AS THE UPPER
LOW WEST OF BAJA CONTINUES TO MOVE NORTHWEST. MEANWHILE THE HIGH
OVER NEW MEXICO AND EXTENDING BACK TO THE GREAT BASIN WILL BUILD TO
THE EAST AND SOUTH DURING THE WEEKEND...REACHING A POSITION
GENERALLY CENTERED NEAR EL PASO BY SATURDAY. AS THIS OCCURS A WEAK
TROUGH OUT AHEAD OF THE MAIN LOW IN THE PACIFIC WILL BE APPROACHING
THE WEST COAST WITH SOME HINT OF DRYING. BY EARLY NEXT WEEK MEDIUM
RANGE MODELS ARE ALL ADVERTISING SOUTHWEST FLOW AHEAD OF THE MAIN
TROUGH WITH SIGNIFICANT DRYING ANTICIPATED...BUT THE GFS IS THE MOST
ROBUST WITH THIS SOLUTION. HOWEVER...THE 00Z WAS NOT QUITE AS
AGGRESSIVE WITH THE DRYING AS WAS THE PREVIOUS RUN. THEREFORE WILL
KEEP THE TREND OF SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS IN THE ZONES/GRIDS
THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH STORMS DEVELOPING MORE ALONG THE
ARIZONA/NEW MEXICO BORDER BY THE WEEKEND. BY EARLY TO MID WEEK AS
SOME AMOUNT OF DRYING IS EXPECTED I HAVE DECREASED POPS TO GENERALLY
THE SLIGHT CHANCE CATEGORY.

MOLLERE

.TWC...FLOOD WARNING FOR CENTRAL PIMA COUNTY/ZONE 32 UNTIL 9 PM MST
THIS EVENING.
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 31, 11:30 AM MST, 7 hours before
AZZ019-029>035-011400-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
1130 AM MST THU JUL 31 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST ARIZONA

.DAY ONE...TODAY

SYNOPSIS...A HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE CONTINUES OVERHEAD CENTERED NEAR
THE FOUR CORNERS AREA. THIS HAS ALLOWED A MOIST SOUTHEAST FLOW TO
REMAIN ACROSS THE REGION. THE RESULT WILL BE SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH THE BEST CHANCE
RESIDING OVER GREENLEE...GRAHAM...PINAL AND COCHISE COUNTIES.

DISCUSSION...SOUTHEAST FLOW ALOFT HAS ALLOWED THE PRECIPITABLE WATER
TO REMAIN OVER 1 INCH ACROSS SOUTHERN ARIZONA TODAY AND WILL PRODUCE
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. AT 11 AM TODAY CLOUDS COVERED
MOST OF PIMA AND SANTA CRUZ COUNTIES WHICH WILL LIMIT THE
CONVECTION...HOWEVER A MAINLY CLEAR SKY FOR COCHISE...GRAHAM...
GREENLEE AND PINAL COUNTIES HAVE ALREADY ALLOWED TOWERING CU TO
DEVELOP OVER THE MOUNTAINS. HELPING THE CHANCES OF WIDESPREAD
THUNDERSTORMS TODAY WILL BE UPWARD MOTION AT THE LOWER LEVELS
COMBINED  WITH DIVERGENCE AT 250 MB. ELSEWHERE...CLOUD COVER WILL
DELAY THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT UNTIL LATE THIS AFTERNOON OR INTO THE
EVENING. ONE OTHER CONSIDERATION IS A DISTURBANCE MOVING ALONG THE
EASTERN SIDE OF THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA. POSITIVE VORTICITY ADVECTION
ALONG WITH ADDITIONAL MOISTURE MAY BE ENOUGH TO START SIGNIFICANT
CONVECTION IN FAR WESTERN PIMA COUNTY DURING THE EARLY EVENING. SO
EXPECT A SLIGHTLY BETTER CHANCE THAN CLIMATOLOGY FOR SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS AND HEAVY RAIN OVER GRAHAM...GREENLEE...EASTERN
PINAL...COCHISE AND FAR WESTERN PIMA COUNTIES. OTHERWISE...AT OR
BELOW CLIMATOLOGY IS EXPECTED.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW.

SEASONAL SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WITH THE NORMAL IMPLIED THREAT OF
HEAVY RAIN AND STRONG WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEK.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

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

EVANS

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 31, 5:11 PM MST, 1 hour 19 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
0511 PM MST THU JUL 31 2003

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

0511 PM    ELGIN                     AZ   WIND DAMAGE
07/31/03   SANTA CRUZ                     TILES RIPPED OFF ROOF

PYTLAK

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 31, 6:50 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCPima
Aug 1, 4:35 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCPima3 hr

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.