Dust Storm Warning 1, NWS Tucson, AZ

591 
WWUS75 KTWC 092141
NPWTWC

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
241 PM MST WED MAY 9 2012


AZZ504-092300-
/O.CAN.KTWC.DS.W.0001.120510T2100Z-120510T2300Z/
/O.NEW.KTWC.DS.W.0002.120509T2141Z-120509T2300Z/
TUCSON METRO AREA-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...TUCSON...GREEN VALLEY...MARANA...VAIL
241 PM MST WED MAY 9 2012

...DUST STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON...
...DUST STORM WARNING IS CANCELLED...

CORRECTION TO PREVIOUS WARNING FOR CORRECT DATE.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TUCSON HAS ISSUED A DUST STORM
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON. 

* TIMING...AN AREA OF BLOWING DUST WITH LOW VISIBLITY IS MOVING 
  NORTHWARD THROUGH THE CITY OF TUCSON. THIS WILL CONTINUE 
  THROUGH ABOUT 4 PM. 

* WINDS...WINDS UP TO 35 TO 45 MPH ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH 4 PM.

* VISIBILITY...VISIBILITY WILL BE LOCALLY LESS THAN ONE QUARTER
  OF A MILE. 

* IMPACTS...MOTORISTS SHOULD EXERCISE EXTRA CAUTION AS WELL AS
  PEOPLE WHO ARE ESPECIALLY SENSITIVE TO DUST.


PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A DUST STORM WARNING MEANS SEVERELY LIMITED VISIBILITIES ARE
EXPECTED WITH BLOWING DUST. BLOWING DUST CAN QUICKLY REDUCE
VISIBILITY...CAUSING ACCIDENTS THAT MAY INVOLVE CHAIN COLLISIONS
AND MULTIPLE PILEUPS. IF DENSE DUST IS OBSERVED BLOWING ACROSS OR
APPROACHING A ROADWAY...PULL YOUR VEHICLE OFF THE PAVEMENT AS FAR
AS POSSIBLE TO STOP. TURN OFF THE LIGHTS...SET THE EMERGENCY
BRAKE...AND TAKE YOUR FOOT OFF OF THE BRAKE PEDAL TO ENSURE BRAKE
LIGHTS ARE NOT ILLUMINATED.

PERSONS WITH RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS SHOULD STAY INDOORS UNTIL THE
STORM PASSES.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO OR TELEVISION
STATIONS...OR YOUR CABLE TELEVISION PROVIDER FOR LATER STATEMENTS
CONCERNING THIS DUST STORM.

&&

$$

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
205 PM MST WED MAY 9 2012

.SYNOPSIS...A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM TRACKING THROUGH NORTHERN MEXICO
WILL BRING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON
AND EVENING. A FEW RESIDUAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE
POSSIBLE NEAR THE NEW MEXICO BORDER THURSDAY. OTHERWISE...DRY
CONDITIONS AND WARMING TEMPERATURES ARE THEN EXPECTED INTO THIS
WEEKEND.

&&

.DISCUSSION...CONVECTION HAS DEVELOPED AS EXPECTED ACROSS SOUTHEAST
ARIZONA OVER THE PAST SEVERAL HOURS. THE BULK OF THE ACTIVITY HAS
OCCURRED ACROSS COCHISE...SANTA CRUZ AND CENTRAL PIMA COUNTIES WITH
MORE ISOLATED CONVECTION ACROSS GRAHAM/GREENLEE COUNTIES AND LITTLE
TO NOTHING SO FAR FROM TUCSON NORTHWARD INTO SOUTHEAST PINAL
COUNTY. WE'VE HAD MANY REPORTS OF DIME SIZE HAIL FROM THESE STORMS
FOCUSED ON THE RIO RICO AND DOUGLAS AREAS OVER THE LAST HOUR OR SO.
THIS HAIL WAS EVEN COVERING THE GROUND IN SOME LOCATIONS. WINDS HAVE
BEEN LESS OF AN ISSUE SO FAR BUT WE'VE SEEN OUTFLOW WIND GUSTS TO
ABOUT 30 TO 40 MPH IN THE TUCSON METRO WHICH KICKED UP SOME DUST
NEAR THE I-10/I-19 INTERCHANGE THAT WAS VISIBLE FROM THE OFFICE.
LATEST RADAR TRENDS SHOW THE STRONGEST STORMS NEAR THE INTERNATIONAL
BORDER ACROSS SANTA CRUZ AND SOUTHERN COCHISE COUNTIES WITH A
GENERAL WEST TO NORTHWEST MOVEMENT OF ABOUT 10 TO 20 MPH. STILL A
TOUGH CALL WHETHER CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY MAKES IT INTO TUCSON BUT WILL
MAINTAIN CHANCE POPS INTO THIS EVENING.

THE UPPER LOW NOW ACROSS NORTHERN MEXICO WHICH RESULTED IN THE
INCREASED MOISTURE ALONG WITH THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL
CONTINUE TO PUSH EAST THURSDAY. THERE WILL STILL BE ENOUGH RESIDUAL
MOISTURE FOR SLIGHT CHANCE TO LOW END CHANCE POPS MAINLY ACROSS
COCHISE/GRAHAM/GREENLEE COUNTIES. THEREAFTER...GENERALLY DRY
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THIS WEEKEND WITH MUCH WARMER TEMPERATURES
AS RIDGING ALOFT WILL BE IN CONTROL. MOSTLY DRY CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED INTO NEXT WEEK AS WELL...ALTHOUGH A WEAK AREA OF LOW
PRESSURE COMBINED WITH JUST ENOUGH MOISTURE WILL RESULT IN SLIGHT
CHANCE POPS FOR THE WHITE MOUNTAINS TUESDAY.

&&

.AVIATION...EASTERLY FLOW ASSOCIATED WITH LOW PRESSURE MOVING
THROUGH SONORA MEXICO WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE MOISTURE ACROSS THE
AREA. THIS WILL CONTINUE THE CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
TODAY AND INTO THIS EVENING.

THRU 10/04Z SCT080-100 BKN150 SCT SHRA/TSRA. LCL CIGS BKN040 WITH
MTNS OBSCD. WIND GUSTS UP TO 45 KTS NEAR TSTMS. AFT 10/04Z SCT100
BKN150 ISOLD SHRA. SURFACE WIND EASTERLY 10-20 KTS WITH LOCAL GUSTS
UP TO 30 KTS. AVIATION DISCUSSION NOT UPDATED FOR TAF AMENDMENTS.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM PUSHING THROUGH SONORA MEXICO
TODAY WILL BRING A SUSTAINED EASTERLY FLOW IMPORTING MOISTURE INTO
THE AREA. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS MOST OF THE
AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WITH STRONG GUSTY OUTFLOWS
ASSOCIATED WITH SOME STORMS.

SHOWER ACTIVITY WILL RETREAT AS LOW EXITS...TAKING MOISTURE WITH IT.
HOWEVER...MAY STILL SEE ISOLATED ACTIVITY NEAR THE NEW MEXICO BORDER
THURSDAY. DRY CONDITIONS AND ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES WILL RETURN
FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.

&&

.TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE.

WEATHER.GOV/TUCSON

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
210 PM MST WED MAY 9 2012

AZZ501>515-101300-
WESTERN PIMA COUNTY-TOHONO O'ODHAM NATION-
UPPER SANTA CRUZ RIVER VALLEY/ALTAR VALLEY-TUCSON METRO AREA-
SOUTH CENTRAL PINAL COUNTY-SOUTHEAST PINAL COUNTY-
UPPER SAN PEDRO RIVER VALLEY-
EASTERN COCHISE COUNTY BELOW 5000 FEET-UPPER GILA RIVER VALLEY-
WHITE MOUNTAINS OF GRAHAM AND GREENLEE COUNTIES-
GALIURO AND PINALENO MOUNTAINS-CHIRICAHUA MOUNTAINS-
DRAGOON AND MULE AND HUACHUCA AND SANTA RITA MOUNTAINS-
CATALINA AND RINCON MOUNTAINS-BABOQUIVARI MOUNTAINS-
210 PM MST WED MAY 9 2012

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST
ARIZONA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS SOUTHEAST
ARIZONA INTO THIS EVENING. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE SMALL
HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS LOCALLY UP TO 50 MPH. SOME OF THESE STRONG WINDS
WILL PRODUCE LOCALIZED AREAS OF BLOWING DUST...WHERE VISIBILITIES
MAY BRIEFLY DROP BELOW ONE HALF OF A MILE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

A FEW SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS GRAHAM...GREENLEE AND
COCHISE COUNTIES THURSDAY. OTHERWISE...DRY WEATHER IS EXPECTED
THIS WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

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

WEATHER.GOV/TUCSON