Alert archive / Arizona / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2008

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 46, NWS Phoenix, AZ

August 7, 2008Gila County, Arizona

NWS Phoenix, AZ issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 7, 2008, 1:21 PM MST for Gila County, Arizona. It was in force for 19 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Aug 7, 2008, 1:21 PM MST (20:21 UTC)
Expired
Aug 7, 2008, 1:40 PM MST
In force
19 min
Issued by
NWS Phoenix, AZ
Area
Storm-based polygon

County Gila County, AZ

The radar

The Flagstaff radar (KFSX), 93 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:22 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Tuscon, AZ (KTUS), launched 12:00Z, 8.4 hours before the alert went out and 181 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 12:00Z on 2008-08-07Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 847 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 12:00Z on 2008-08-07The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -11 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
847 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-50 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1884 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
5 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-11 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-14 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

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 7, 10:20 AM MST, 3 hours 1 minute earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 7, 10:20 AM MST, 3 hours 1 minute before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 7, 5:30 AM MST, 7 hours 51 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
530 AM MST THU AUG 7 2008

AZZ022-023-027-028-081300-
NORTHWEST MARICOPA COUNTY-GREATER PHOENIX AREA-
SOUTHWEST MARICOPA COUNTY-NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL PINAL COUNTY-
530 AM MST THU AUG 7 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH-CENTRAL
ARIZONA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A CHANCE OF EVENING THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH MIDNIGHT. THE
GREATEST THREAT WITH THUNDERSTORMS ARE STRONG POSSIBLY DAMAGING
MICRO-BURST WINDS...AND HEAVY RAIN LEADING TO POTENTIAL FLOODING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

A THREAT FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON
AND EVENING HOURS EACH DAY. STRONG WINDS AND VERY HEAVY RAIN ARE
ALWAYS POSSIBILITIES.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

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

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX IS ON THE INTERNET AT

WEATHER.GOV/PHOENIX

AZZ020-021-025-026-CAZ030>033-081300-
LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY AZ-WEST CENTRAL DESERTS-
YUMA/MARTINEZ LAKE AND VICINITY-SOUTHWEST DESERTS-
JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK-LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY CA-
RIVERSIDE COUNTY/EASTERN DESERTS-IMPERIAL COUNTY-
530 AM MST THU AUG 7 2008 /530 AM PDT THU AUG 7 2008/

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EXTREME SOUTHWEST
ARIZONA...EXTREME WEST-CENTRAL ARIZONA...SOUTHWEST ARIZONA...WEST-
CENTRAL ARIZONA...EXTREME SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA AND SOUTHEAST
CALIFORNIA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING. THE MAIN HAZARDS ARE STRONG WINDS...AND HEAVY RAIN LEADING
TO POTENTIAL FLOODING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

A CHANCE OF AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE EACH DAY.
STRONG WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN ARE ALWAYS POSSIBILITIES.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

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

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX IS ON THE INTERNET AT

WEATHER.GOV/PHOENIX

AZZ024-081300-
SOUTHERN GILA COUNTY/TONTO NATIONAL FOREST FOOTHILLS-
530 AM MST THU AUG 7 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST-CENTRAL
ARIZONA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS. STRONG POSSIBLY DAMAGING WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN ARE
POSSIBILITIES.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

A SLIGHT CHANCE OF AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST
FOR FRIDAY. STRONG POSSIBLY DAMAGING WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN ARE
POSSIBILITIES. THE THREAT FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL END THIS WEEKEND.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

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

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX IS ON THE INTERNET AT

WEATHER.GOV/PHOENIX

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Aug 7, 12:56 PM MST, 25 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
1256 PM MST THU AUG 7 2008

AZZ020-021-025-026-CAZ030>033-080400-
LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY AZ-WEST CENTRAL DESERTS-
YUMA/MARTINEZ LAKE AND VICINITY-SOUTHWEST DESERTS-
JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK-LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY CA-
RIVERSIDE COUNTY/EASTERN DESERTS-IMPERIAL COUNTY-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...EHRENBERG...PARKER...BOUSE...QUARTZSITE...
SALOME...FORTUNA FOOTHILLS...SAN LUIS...SOMERTON...YUMA...DATELAND...
TACNA...WELLTON...COTTONWOOD VISITOR CENTER...KEYS VIEW...
LOST HORSE...BLYTHE...CHIRIACO SUMMIT...DESERT CENTER...
EAGLE MOUNTAIN...BRAWLEY...CALEXICO...EL CENTRO...GLAMIS...
IMPERIAL...AND THE SALTON SEA
1256 PM MST THU AUG 7 2008 /1256 PM PDT THU AUG 7 2008/

...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE OVER MUCH OF FAR SOUTHEAST
CALIFORNIA AND WESTERN ARIZONA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...AS A
WEAK WEATHER DISTURBANCE INTERACTS WITH A MODERATELY UNSTABLE
ATMOSPHERE. STRONGER STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LOCALLY
HEAVY RAIN...ENOUGH TO CAUSE WASHES TO RUN...AND FLOW ACROSS LOW-
WATER CROSSINGS ON ROADWAYS. STRONG GUSTY WINDS...WITH ISOLATED
DAMAGING WINDS...AND AREAS OF DENSE BLOWING DUST OR SAND WITH REDUCED
VISIBILITY CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED WITH AND NEAR THE STRONGEST STORMS. STORM
MOVEMENT WILL BE SLOW...MAINLY FROM SOUTH TO NORTH AT 5 TO 10 MPH.

STAY UP-TO-DATE ON THE LATEST FORECASTS BY LISTENING TO WEATHER RADIO
ON THE PUBLIC SERVICE BAND. MORE DETAILED INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE
FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PHOENIX ON THE INTERNET AT

WEATHER.GOV/PHOENIX

AZZ022>024-027-028-080400-
NORTHWEST MARICOPA COUNTY-GREATER PHOENIX AREA-
SOUTHERN GILA COUNTY/TONTO NATIONAL FOREST FOOTHILLS-
SOUTHWEST MARICOPA COUNTY-NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL PINAL COUNTY-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BUCKEYE...LAKE PLEASANT...MORRISTOWN...
NEW RIVER...TONOPAH...WICKENBURG...CAREFREE...CAVE CREEK...
CHANDLER...FOUNTAIN HILLS...GILBERT...GLENDALE...MESA...PEORIA...
PHOENIX...SCOTTSDALE...SUN CITY...TEMPE...GLOBE...MIAMI...
SAN CARLOS...AND SUPERIOR...ALSO INCLUDING APACHE...BARTLETT...
CANYON...HORSESHOE...ROOSEVELT...AND SAGUARO LAKES...GILA BEND...
APACHE JUNCTION...CASA GRANDE...COOLIDGE...AND FLORENCE
1256 PM MST THU AUG 7 2008

...THUNDERSTORMS ON THE INCREASE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...

THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF SOUTH-
CENTRAL ARIZONA THROUGH LATE AFTERNOON...WITH A GOOD CHANCE FOR
SCATTERED STORMS TO DEVELOP OVER THE LOWER DESERT OF SOUTH-CENTRAL
ARIZONA THIS EVENING...AS A WEATHER DISTURBANCE APPROACHING FROM THE
SOUTHEAST INTERACTS WITH A MODERATELY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE. STEERING
FLOW IS WEAK...SO INDIVIDUAL STORMS WILL MOVE VERY SLOWLY...WHICH
INCREASES THE POSSIBILITY OF LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN...RUNNING
WASHES...AND FLOW ACROSS LOW-WATER CROSSINGS. STRONG GUSTY
WINDS...WITH ISOLATED DAMAGING WINDS...WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE WITH
STRONGEST STORMS. THE POTENTIAL FOR DENSE BLOWING DUST...WITH AREAS
OF REDUCED VISIBILITY...WILL INCREASE OVER THE LOWER DESERT OF
SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING
AS STORMS BECOME MORE NUMEROUS OVER SOUTHERN ARIZONA.

STAY UP-TO-DATE ON THE LATEST FORECASTS BY LISTENING TO WEATHER
RADIO ON THE PUBLIC SERVICE BAND. MORE DETAILED INFORMATION IS
AVAILABLE FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PHOENIX ON THE
INTERNET AT

WEATHER.GOV/PHOENIX

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 6, 7:04 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPSRMaricopa56 min
Aug 7, 4:20 PM MSTDust Storm WarningPSR100 min
Aug 7, 2:09 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryPSRRiverside111 min
Aug 7, 3:32 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryPSRImperial118 min
Aug 7, 3:58 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPSRImperial62 min
Aug 7, 4:16 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPSRImperial, Riverside59 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Arizona, 2008Every severe thunderstorm warning 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.