Alert archive / Arizona / Tornado Warnings in 2008

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Flagstaff, AZ

August 16, 2008Coconino County, Arizona

NWS Flagstaff, AZ issued this tornado warning at Aug 16, 2008, 1:46 PM MST for Coconino County, Arizona. It was in force for 29 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 16, 2008, 1:46 PM MST (20:46 UTC)
Expired
Aug 16, 2008, 2:15 PM MST
In force
29 min
Issued by
NWS Flagstaff, AZ
Area
Storm-based polygon

County Coconino County, AZ

The radar

The Flagstaff radar (KFSX), 164 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:48 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Flgstf/Belemont, AZ (KFGZ), launched 12:00Z, 8.8 hours before the alert went out and 73 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 2008-08-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 205 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Flgstf/Belemont, AZ at 12:00Z on 2008-08-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 3 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
205 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-81 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1390 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
12 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
3 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-18 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 
WFUS55 KFGZ 162048
TORFGZ
AZC005-162115-
/O.NEW.KFGZ.TO.W.0002.080816T2046Z-080816T2115Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
146 PM MST SAT AUG 16 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FLAGSTAFF HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL COCONINO COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL ARIZONA...

* UNTIL 215 PM MST

* AT 143 PM MST...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A TORNADO 17
  MILES WEST OF MILEPOST 220 ON SR 64...OR 15 MILES NORTHWEST OF
  VALLE...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 21 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  7 MILES WEST OF MILEPOST 220 ON SR 64 AND 8 MILES NORTHWEST OF
  MILEPOST 215 ON SR 64 BY 215 PM MST...

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING 1 
INCH SIZE HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

LAT...LON 3576 11206 3557 11222 3579 11256 3594 11244
TIME...MOT...LOC 2046Z 305DEG 18KT 3581 11240

$$

DJO
1 follow-up statement
000 
WWUS55 KFGZ 162103
SVSFGZ

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
202 PM MST SAT AUG 16 2008

AZC005-162115-
/O.CON.KFGZ.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-080816T2115Z/
COCONINO AZ-
202 PM MST SAT AUG 16 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 215 PM MST FOR CENTRAL
COCONINO COUNTY...

AT 158 PM MST...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH STRONG ROTATION.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED
12 MILES WEST OF MILEPOST 220 ON SR 64...OR ABOUT 10 MILES NORTHWEST
OF VALLE...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 21 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  5 MILES WEST OF VALLE BY 215 PM MST...

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING 1 
INCH SIZE HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

LAT...LON 3576 11206 3557 11222 3579 11256 3594 11244
TIME...MOT...LOC 2102Z 305DEG 18KT 3576 11232

$$

DJO

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 15, 5:23 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningFGZCoconino, Yavapai2 hr
Aug 15, 5:30 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZCoconino, Yavapai29 min
Aug 15, 5:55 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZYavapai35 min
Aug 15, 6:55 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningFGZCoconino, Yavapai2 hr
Aug 16, 7:26 AM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryFGZCoconino6 hr
Aug 16, 1:11 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZCoconino34 min
Aug 16, 1:26 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryFGZCoconino92 min
Aug 16, 2:16 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZCoconino29 min
Aug 16, 2:42 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZCoconino33 min
Aug 16, 2:47 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningFGZCoconino108 min
Aug 16, 3:22 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZCoconino38 min
Aug 16, 3:27 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningFGZCoconino3 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Arizona, 2008Every tornado warning in 2008Tornadoes in 2008

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.