Alert archive / Arizona / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 5, NWS Flagstaff, AZ

October 12, 2012Navajo County, Arizona

NWS Flagstaff, AZ issued this tornado warning at Oct 12, 2012, 3:08 AM MDT for Navajo County, Arizona. It was in force for 36 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
Oct 12, 2012, 3:08 AM MDT (09:08 UTC)
Expired
Oct 12, 2012, 3:44 AM MDT
In force
36 min
Issued by
NWS Flagstaff, AZ
Area
Storm-based polygon

County Navajo County, AZ

The radar

The Flagstaff radar (KFSX), 77 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 09:12 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 00:00Z, 9.1 hours before the alert went out and 150 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 00:00Z on 2012-10-12Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 29 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 00:00Z on 2012-10-12The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 141 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
29 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-9 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1607 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
51 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
141 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
371 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

034 
WFUS55 KFGZ 120908
TORFGZ
AZC017-121000-
/O.NEW.KFGZ.TO.W.0005.121012T0908Z-121012T1000Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
208 AM MST FRI OCT 12 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FLAGSTAFF HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTH CENTRAL NAVAJO COUNTY IN NORTHEAST ARIZONA...

* UNTIL 300 AM MST

* AT 207 AM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR ARIPINE...
  OR 21 MILES WEST OF SHOW LOW...MOVING NORTH AT 65 MPH.

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO CLAY
  SPRINGS

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THIS TORNADO WARNING REPLACES THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
PREVIOUSLY IN EFFECT FOR THIS STORM.

WHEN A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED BASED ON DOPPLER RADAR...IT MEANS
THAT STRONG ROTATION HAS BEEN DETECTED IN THE STORM. A TORNADO MAY
ALREADY BE ON THE GROUND...OR IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP SHORTLY. IF YOU
ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS DANGEROUS STORM...MOVE INDOORS AND TO THE
LOWEST LEVEL OF THE BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF DRIVING...DO
NOT SEEK SHELTER UNDER A HIGHWAY OVERPASS.

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 3483 11042 3475 11011 3423 11032 3428 11053
TIME...MOT...LOC 0908Z 196DEG 55KT 3436 11039

$$
TC
2 follow-up statements
041 
WWUS55 KFGZ 120928
SVSFGZ

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
228 AM MST FRI OCT 12 2012

AZC017-121000-
/O.CON.KFGZ.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-121012T1000Z/
NAVAJO AZ-
228 AM MST FRI OCT 12 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 300 AM MST FOR SOUTH
CENTRAL NAVAJO COUNTY...

AT 221 AM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED OVER SOUTH CENTRAL
NAVAJO COUNTY...OR 28 MILES NORTHWEST OF SHOW LOW...MOVING NORTH AT 
65 MPH. THIS STORM WILL CROSS OVER SR 377 NEAR MILE MARKER 13 TO 16. 

THE TORNADO WILL OTHERWISE REMAIN OVER MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF THE 
NAVAHO COUNTY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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 3450 11026 3452 11048 3459 11047 3483 11042
      3477 11020
TIME...MOT...LOC 0925Z 188DEG 58KT 3462 11035

$$
TC
309 
WWUS55 KFGZ 120944
SVSFGZ

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
244 AM MST FRI OCT 12 2012

AZC017-120951-
/O.CAN.KFGZ.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-121012T1000Z/
NAVAJO AZ-
244 AM MST FRI OCT 12 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NAVAJO COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WHICH PROMPTED THE TORNADO WARNING HAS 
WEAKENED. THEREFORE THE TORNADO WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

THIS STORM WILL PASS BETWEEN JOSEPH CITY AND HOLBROOK BETWEEN 245 AM 
MST AND 255 AM MST. THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL 
AND WIND GUST FROM 35 TO 45 MPH.

LAT...LON 3450 11026 3452 11048 3459 11047 3483 11042
      3477 11020
TIME...MOT...LOC 0941Z 191DEG 53KT 3484 11028

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Oct 11, 10:03 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZGila27 min
Oct 11, 10:24 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZCoconino, Gila, Navajo36 min
Oct 12, 2:43 AM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZGila, Navajo32 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Arizona, 2012Every tornado warning in 2012Tornadoes in 2012

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.