Alert archive / Arizona / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2008

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 59, NWS Phoenix, AZ

August 14, 2008Gila County, Arizona

NWS Phoenix, AZ issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 14, 2008, 3:49 PM MST for Gila County, Arizona. It was in force for 56 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 14, 2008, 3:49 PM MST (22:49 UTC)
Expired
Aug 14, 2008, 4:45 PM MST
In force
56 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 22:48 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

Tuscon, AZ (KTUS), launched 12:00Z, 10.8 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 2008-08-14Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 24 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 2008-08-14The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 19 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
24 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-151 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1212 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
16 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
19 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-16 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 14, 2:55 PM MST, 54 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 14, 2:55 PM MST, 54 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 14, 5:59 AM MST, 9 hours 50 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
559 AM MST THU AUG 14 2008

AZZ022-023-027-028-151300-
NORTHWEST MARICOPA COUNTY-GREATER PHOENIX AREA-
SOUTHWEST MARICOPA COUNTY-NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL PINAL COUNTY-
559 AM MST THU AUG 14 2008

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND TONIGHT. HAZARDS
INCLUDE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY WINDS WITH REDUCED
VISIBILITY IN BLOWING DUST...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WITH RUNNING
WASHES AND PONDING OF WATER IN LOW SPOTS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. HAZARDS INCLUDE CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY WINDS WITH REDUCED VISIBILITY IN BLOWING
DUST...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WITH RUNNING WASHES AND PONDING OF
WATER IN LOW SPOTS.

.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

AZZ024-151300-
SOUTHERN GILA COUNTY/TONTO NATIONAL FOREST FOOTHILLS-
559 AM MST THU AUG 14 2008

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND
TONIGHT. HAZARDS INCLUDE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY
WINDS...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WITH RUNNING WASHES AND PONDING OF
WATER IN LOW SPOTS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

THERE IS A CHANCE OF AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY...AND A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS EACH AFTERNOON AND EVENING AT LEAST THROUGH EARLY NEXT
WEEK. HAZARDS INCLUDE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY
WINDS...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WITH RUNNING WASHES AND PONDING OF
WATER IN LOW SPOTS.

.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-CAZ031>033-151300-
LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY AZ-WEST CENTRAL DESERTS-
YUMA/MARTINEZ LAKE AND VICINITY-SOUTHWEST DESERTS-
LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY CA-RIVERSIDE COUNTY/EASTERN DESERTS-
IMPERIAL COUNTY-
559 AM MST THU AUG 14 2008 /559 AM PDT THU AUG 14 2008/

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND TONIGHT.
HAZARDS INCLUDE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY WINDS WITH
REDUCED VISIBILITY IN BLOWING DUST...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WITH
RUNNING WASHES AND PONDING OF WATER IN LOW SPOTS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS IN LA PAZ COUNTY AND THE NORTH PORTION OF YUMA COUNTY
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. HAZARDS INCLUDE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...
STRONG GUSTY WINDS WITH REDUCED VISIBILITY IN BLOWING DUST...AND
LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WITH RUNNING WASHES AND PONDING OF WATER IN LOW
SPOTS.

.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

CAZ030-151300-
JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK-
559 AM PDT THU AUG 14 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST
CALIFORNIA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND
TONIGHT. HAZARDS INCLUDE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY
WINDS...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WITH RUNNING WASHES AND PONDING OF
WATER IN LOW SPOTS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY. HAZARDS INCLUDE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...
STRONG GUSTY WINDS...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WITH RUNNING WASHES AND
PONDING OF WATER IN LOW SPOTS.

.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

ELLIS

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Aug 14, 3:43 PM MST, 6 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
343 PM MST THU AUG 14 2008

AZZ022>024-028-150015-
GREATER PHOENIX AREA-NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL PINAL
COUNTY-NORTHWEST MARICOPA COUNTY-SOUTHERN GILA/TONTO NF FOOTHILLS-
343 PM MST THU AUG 14 2008

...THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN GILA COUNTY...NORTHERN
MARICOPA COUNTY...NORTH CENTRAL PINAL COUNTY BY...

AT 330 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS STRETCHING FROM PRESCOTT TO SHOW LOW. THE LINE
OF STORMS IS MOVING TO THE SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST...AND WILL BEGIN TO
MOVE OFF THE HIGHER TERRAIN AND ACROSS SOUTHERN GILA COUNTY AND
NORTHERN MARICOPA COUNTY BY 430 PM. THESE STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO
PROPAGATE INTO THE LOWER DESERT ELEVATIONS INTO THE EVENING HOURS.

THESE STORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL THAT
COULD LEAD TO FLOW IN NORMALLY DRY WASHES AND LOW WATER CROSSINGS...
INCLUDING PONDING OF WATER IN LOW-LYING AREAS. GUSTY WINDS OF UP TO
45 TO 50 MPH COULD PRODUCE AREAS OF BLOWING DUST AND TEMPORARILY
REDUCE VISIBILITY FOR MOTORISTS. SMALL HAIL IS POSSIBLE WITH THE
STRONGEST STORMS.

MEYERS

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX IS ON THE INTERNET AT

WEATHER.GOV/PHOENIX

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 13, 7:04 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPSRGila41 min
Aug 13, 7:28 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryPSRGila107 min
Aug 13, 7:31 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryPSRGila104 min
Aug 14, 4:45 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryPSRGila2 hr

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.