Alert archive / Arizona / Special Weather Statements in 2012

Special Weather Statement, NWS Phoenix, AZ

May 9, 2012Pinal County, Arizona

NWS Phoenix, AZ issued this special weather statement at May 9, 2012, 4:07 PM MST for Pinal County, Arizona. It was in force for 53 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
May 9, 2012, 4:07 PM MST (23:07 UTC)
Expired
May 9, 2012, 5:00 PM MST
In force
53 min
Issued by
NWS Phoenix, AZ

County Pinal County, AZ

The radar

The Phoenix radar (KIWA), 38 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:10 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, 11.1 hours before the alert went out and 130 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 2012-05-09Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 156 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 2012-05-09The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 10 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
156 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-387 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2533 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
15 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
10 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
42 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.

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What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this special weather statement 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 special weather statement went out at May 9, 3:15 PM MST, 52 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 9, 3:15 PM MST, 52 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
315 PM MST WED MAY 9 2012

.SYNOPSIS...
LOW PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO SLIDE ALONG THE ARIZONA AND MEXICO
BORDER TONIGHT WITH HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING BACK INTO THE REGION BY
THE WEEKEND. SEASONALLY TYPICAL TEMPERATURES WILL INCREASE BY THE
END OF THE WEEK...WITH WIDESPREAD 100 DEGREE READINGS EXPECTED IN
THE LOW DESERTS BY THE WEEKEND. THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY MAY BE MORE
EXTENSIVE TODAY...MAINLY EAST OF PHOENIX...AS MORE LOW LEVEL
MOISTURE IS PULLED INTO THE REGION FROM THE EAST. DRY WEATHER IS
ANTICIPATED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
THE UPPER LEVEL LOW WHICH HAS RESULTED IN THE INCREASED MOISTURE
ALONG WITH SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT ACROSS SOUTHEAST AND
SOUTH CENTRAL ARIZONA WILL CONTINUE ITS TRACK OVER NORTHERN MEXICO
OVER THE NEXT 36 HOURS. THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT HAS BEEN MAINLY
OVER TUCSONS AREA AND THE HIGHER TERRAIN NORTH AND EAST OF PHOENIX.
SOME CONVECTION OVER SOUTHERN GILA COUNTY EARLY THIS AFTERNOON WILL
LIKELY BE SHORT LIVED AS IT HEADS INTO NORTHWEST PINAL AND NORTHEAST
MARICOPA COUNTIES...HOWEVER OUTFLOW WINDS AND BLOWING DUST ARE
LIKELY FROM THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE VALLEY THIS EVENING.

LOOKING AT TUCSONS MORNING AND SPECIAL 18Z SOUNDINGS...THERE IS
DEFINITELY AN INCREASE IN THE BOUNDARY LAYER MOISTURE WITH DEW
POINTS IN THE UPPER 30S AND LOW TO MID 40S OVER MOST OF THE REGION.
MODEL ANALYSIS CONTINUES TO SHOW DECENT MIXING RATIOS OVER SOUTHEAST
ARIZONA WITH VALUES OVER 7G/KG AND ACROSS SOUTHERN GILA COUNTY WITH
VALUES JUST OVER 5G/KG...WHICH HAS LED TO MLCAPES IN THE 500-1000
J/G RANGE. AS THE UPPER LOW EXITS TO THE SOUTHEAST AND DIURNAL
HEATING CEASES...THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY SHOULD SLOWLY WANE THROUGH
THE EVENING HOURS.

PROGRESSIVE TROUGH THROUGH THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND SOUTHERN CANADIAN
PROVINCES WILL HAVE PULLED THE CURRENT SOUTHWEST CONUS CUTOFF SYSTEM
INTO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS BY FRIDAY. RATHER FLAT SHORTWAVE RIDGING
WILL BUILD THROUGH THE REGION OVER THE WEEKEND WITH H5 HEIGHTS
GENERALLY EITHER SIDE OF 582DM. OPERATIONAL MODELS MAINTAIN SOME
SEMBLANCE OF A HEIGHT FIELD WEAKNESS AND TROUGHING OVER THE CNTRL
ROCKIES THROUGH THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK...HOWEVER EFFECTS ON
SENSIBLE WEATHER WITHIN THE FORECAST AREA APPEARS NEGLIGIBLE.
1000-850MB THICKNESSES INCREASE AND BECOME DIURNALLY STEADY AROUND
144DM (ALBEIT NOT QUITE AS HIGH VIA GFS FORECASTS) YIELDING
TEMPERATURES IN A MUCH ABOVE AVERAGE RANGE. HAVE TRENDED HIGHS
TOWARDS AND ABOVE THE WARMEST GUIDANCE MEMBERS BASED ON PAST
TRENDS...WITH SEVERAL CONSECUTIVE DAYS ABOVE THE 100F THRESHOLD
EXPECTED FOR LOW DESERT LOCATIONS.

&&

.AVIATION...
SOUTH CENTRAL AZ INCLUDING...KPHX...KIWA...AND KSDL...

...GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS AND AREAS OF BLOWING DUST NEAR KIWA EARLY
THIS AFTERNOON AND NEAR KPHX AND KSDL BY MID TO LATE AFTERNOON...

THROUGH 20Z WED...SCT CLDS AOA 20 THSD FT...EAST TO SOUTHEAST WIND 8
TO 14 KTS...FRM 20Z WED TO 03Z THU...SOUTHEAST WIND 8 TO 15
KTS...BKN CLDS NEAR 7-8 THSD AGL...THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER THE
MOUNTAINS EAST TO SOUTHEAST OF KSDL AND KIWA WITH A HIGH PROBABILITY
OF STRONG THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS OR OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES SPREADING TO
NEAR KIWA BY 20-21Z...KPHX BY 21-22Z...AND KSDL BY 22-23Z. THE BEST
CHANCE FOR VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS IN BLOWING DUST WILL BE AT KIWA
AND KPHX. THUNDERSTORMS TO RAPIDLY DIMINISH AFTER 03Z AS SOLAR
HEATING IS LOST...BEST DYNAMICS MOVE TO THE EAST...AND AIRMASS
STABILIZES.

SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA...AND SOUTHWEST AZ...INCLUDING KIPL...KBLH...

CIGS AOA 20 THSD FT AND TYPICAL DIURNAL WIND TRENDS THRU THE TAF
FORECAST PERIOD.

AVIATION DISCUSSION NOT UPDATED FOR AMENDED TAFS.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...
STRONG HIGH PRESSURE AT THE SURFACE AND ALOFT WILL KEEP SKIES CLEAR
AND TEMPERATURES ABOVE NORMAL THROUGH THE PERIOD. WIDESPREAD 100 TO
105 DEGREE READINGS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE LOWER DESERTS EACH
AFTERNOON. GENERALLY LIGHT DIURNAL WINDS ARE EXPECTED. MINIMUM
RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL FALL TO BETWEEN 5 AND 10 PERCENT EACH DAY.

&&

.PSR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...

AZ...NONE.

CA...NONE.

&&

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX IS ON THE INTERNET AT

WEATHER.GOV/PHOENIX

DISCUSSION...CDEWEY/MO
AVIATION...PERCHA
FIRE WEATHER...PERCHA
Hazardous weather outlook, May 9, 4:09 AM MST, 11 hours 58 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
409 AM MST WED MAY 9 2012

AZZ024-101200-
SOUTHERN GILA COUNTY/TONTO NATIONAL FOREST FOOTHILLS-
409 AM MST WED MAY 9 2012

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST-CENTRAL ARIZONA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

THERE IS A CHANCE OF AFTERNOON AND EVENING HIGH BASED AND DRY
THUNDERSTORMS. THE STORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE STRONG AND
GUSTY WINDS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH AS WELL AS SOME BLOWING DUST IN THE
LOWER ELEVATIONS. ALSO...THE STORMS CAN PRODUCE DEADLY CLOUD TO
GROUND LIGHTNING. STRONG WINDS ALONG WITH RELATIVELY LOW HUMIDITIES
CAN PROMOTE HIGH FIRE DANGER AS WELL.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED.

AZZ022-023-027-028-101200-
NORTHWEST MARICOPA COUNTY-GREATER PHOENIX AREA-
SOUTHWEST MARICOPA COUNTY-NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL PINAL COUNTY-
409 AM MST WED MAY 9 2012

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

THERE IS A CHANCE OF AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE
HIGHER TERRAIN EAST OF PHOENIX...AND A FEW STORMS MAY MOVE INTO THE
EASTERN DESERT FRINGES DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON OR EVENING HOURS.
ALTHOUGH THE CHANCE OF STORMS MOVING INTO THE LOWER DESERTS IS RATHER
SLIM THERE IS A MUCH BETTER CHANCE THAT STRONG GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS
SPREAD WESTWARD AND INTO THE SOUTH CENTRAL DESERTS...INCLUDING THE
GREATER PHOENIX METROPOLITAN AREA. SOME OF THE STRONGER WIND GUSTS
COULD EXCEED 45 MPH...AND PRODUCE DENSE BLOWING DUST WHICH WOULD
MAKE FOR HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP
HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO GENERATE DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED.

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX IS ON THE INTERNET AT

WEATHER.GOV/PHOENIX

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 9, 3:46 PM MST, 21 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 9, 4:07 PM MST, 0 minutes before
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The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 9, 3:46 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementPSR44 min
May 9, 4:08 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementPSRMaricopa37 min
May 9, 4:20 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPSRMaricopa, Pinal40 min
May 9, 4:24 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPSRMaricopa, Pinal51 min
May 9, 4:36 PM MSTDust Storm WarningPSR2 hr
May 9, 4:56 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementPSRMaricopa49 min

Nearby

Special Weather Statements in Arizona, 2012Every special weather statement 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.