Alert archive / Arizona / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2013

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 53, NWS Tucson, AZ

July 25, 2013Pima County, Arizona

NWS Tucson, AZ issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 25, 2013, 5:17 PM MST for Pima County, Arizona. It was in force for 28 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: Jul 25, 2013, 5:17 PM MST (00:17 UTC)
Expired: Jul 25, 2013, 5:45 PM MST
In force: 28 min
Issued by: NWS Tucson, AZ
Area: Storm-based polygon

County Pima County, AZ

The radar

The Phoenix radar (KIWA), 156 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:16 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.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this severe thunderstorm warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The nearest sounding before it

Phoenix, AZ (KPSR), launched 00:00Z, 0.3 hours before the alert went out and 148 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 538 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -104 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 2040 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 11 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 7 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 60 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.

190 
WUUS55 KTWC 260017
SVRTWC
AZC019-260045-
/O.NEW.KTWC.SV.W.0053.130726T0017Z-130726T0045Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
517 PM MST THU JUL 25 2013

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TUCSON HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN PIMA COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL ARIZONA...

* UNTIL 545 PM MST

* AT 515 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR DETECTED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL...AND
  DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR
  AJO...OR 40 MILES SOUTH OF GILA BEND...AND MOVING WEST AT 25 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL OTHERWISE REMAIN OVER MAINLY RURAL
  AREAS OF THE INDICATED COUNTY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

SEEK SHELTER INDOORS. EXPECT DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH...
LARGE HAIL...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY RAIN WITH THIS STORM.

&&

LAT...LON 3233 11312 3250 11310 3249 11266 3224 11272
TIME...MOT...LOC 0017Z 105DEG 21KT 3238 11280

$$

FRANCIS

2 follow-up statements

480 
WWUS55 KTWC 260030
SVSTWC

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
530 PM MST THU JUL 25 2013

AZC019-260045-
/O.CON.KTWC.SV.W.0053.000000T0000Z-130726T0045Z/
PIMA AZ-
530 PM MST THU JUL 25 2013

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 545 PM MST
FOR NORTHWESTERN PIMA COUNTY...

AT 524 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
DETECT A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE 
HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. THIS STORM WAS 
LOCATED NEAR AJO...OR 40 MILES SOUTH OF GILA BEND...MOVING WEST AT 25
MPH.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

SEEK SHELTER INDOORS. EXPECT DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH...
LARGE HAIL...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY RAIN WITH THIS STORM.

&&

LAT...LON 3233 11312 3250 11310 3249 11266 3224 11272
TIME...MOT...LOC 0030Z 105DEG 21KT 3240 11289

$$

FRANCIS

118 
WWUS55 KTWC 260050
SVSTWC

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
550 PM MST THU JUL 25 2013

AZC019-260058-
/O.EXP.KTWC.SV.W.0053.000000T0000Z-130726T0045Z/
PIMA AZ-
550 PM MST THU JUL 25 2013

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR NORTHWESTERN PIMA COUNTY HAS
EXPIRED...

AT 548 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR DETECTED 
WEAKENING THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTHWESTERN PIMA COUNTY. THUS...
THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE AT 545 PM 
MST.

LAT...LON 3233 11312 3250 11310 3249 11266 3224 11272
TIME...MOT...LOC 0030Z 105DEG 21KT 3240 11289

$$

FRANCIS

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 Tucson, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jul 25, 1:45 PM MST, 3 hours 32 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 25, 1:45 PM MST, 3 hours 32 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
145 PM MST THU JUL 25 2013

.SYNOPSIS...A DISTURBANCE ALOFT ACROSS THE AREA WILL ENHANCE
THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE AND INTENSITY ACROSS MOST OF THE INTO THIS
EVENING. SOME STORMS WILL GENERATE HEAVY RAINFALL.
OTHERWISE...PLENTY OF MOISTURE ACROSS THE REGION TO PROVIDE A CHANCE
OF MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY AND
SATURDAY. A DECREASE IN MOISTURE IS EXPECTED TO LEAD TO LESS
THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH PERHAPS AN INCREASE AGAIN
BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.

&&

.DISCUSSION...IR SATELLITE IMAGERY AND RADAR IMAGERY SHOWS
WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED LATE THIS MORNING
ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST
AREA. COVERAGE IN THE VALLEYS HASN'T BEEN AS WIDESPREAD AS SOME OF
THESE STORMS HAVE HAD ISSUES PERSISTING ONCE OFF THE MOUNTAINS. THE
STORMS SO FAR HAVE BEEN VERY EFFICIENT RAINFALL PRODUCERS WITH 1 TO
2 INCHES COMMON WITH THE STRONGER CELLS RESULTING IN AREAS OF FLASH
FLOODING. NOW WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF MCS DEVELOPMENT AS COLD POOLS
GET ESTABLISHED. WITH CONTINUED OUTFLOWS AND CELL MERGERS...THE
THREAT FOR VALLEY LOCATIONS WILL CONTINUE INTO THIS EVENING.
MEANWHILE...THE FORECAST IS A BIT MORE UNCERTAIN FOR EASTERN
SECTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA INCLUDING MUCH OF
GRAHAM/GREENLEE/COCHISE COUNTIES AS CONVECTION MORE LIMITED STILL
THERE. WILL MAINTAIN ELEVATED POPS NEARLY AREAWIDE INTO THIS EVENING
WHICH COINCIDES WELL WITH THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH.

FRIDAY WILL MUCH DEPEND ON HOW WORKED OVER WE ARE FROM CONVECTION
TODAY. THE INVERTED TROUGH WILL GRADUALLY SWING TO THE NORTH AND
SOME DRIER AIR WILL MOVE INTO EASTERN AREAS WITH PWAT VALUES DOWN TO
ABOUT 1.25 INCHES EAST OF TUCSON. WE STILL THINK THERE WILL BE
ENOUGH MOISTURE FOR SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS BUT NOT TO
THE LEVEL OF COVERAGE WE ARE SEEING TODAY. BY THIS WEEKEND...THE
UPPER HIGH WILL GRADUALLY SHIFT SOUTHWARD ACROSS ARIZONA INTO
NORTHERN SONORA WITH MOISTURE GRADUALLY DECREASING. THIS WILL RESULT
IN A MUCH LOWER GRADE MONSOON PATTERN BY ABOUT SUNDAY AND MONDAY.
THEREAFTER...THE MID/UPPER LEVEL HIGH WILL SHIFT EASTWARD BY THE
MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. THIS WILL RESULT IN THE FLOW BECOMING MORE
SOUTHERLY AGAIN WITH RAIN CHANCES GRADUALLY INCREASING.

&&

.AVIATION...ACTIVE THUNDERSTORM DAY WITH ABUNDANT CB IN THE VICINITY
THROUGH 25/04Z. FAVORED TIME FOR THUNDERSTORMS TO IMPACT TERMINALS
IS THROUGH 25/22Z...WITH ADDITIONAL SHOWER ACTIVITY AND ISOLATED
THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE THROUGH THE 26/04Z. CIGS IN THE MVFR RANGE
EXPECTED WITH THUNDERSTORMS...BUT SHOULD OTHERWISE REMAIN VFR. WINDS
WILL REMAIN GENERALLY LESS THAN 10 KTS OUTSIDE OF
THUNDERSTORMS...WITH STRONG A ERRATIC WINDS NEAR THUNDERSTORMS.
AVIATION DISCUSSION NOT UPDATED FOR TAF AMENDMENTS.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...AN ACTIVE THUNDERSTORM DAY IS ON TAP THROUGH THE
AFTERNOON AND EVENING. HIGH MOISTURE VALUES WILL KEEP FIRE WEATHER
CONCERNS VERY LOW...BUT MAY LEAD TO HEAVY RAIN AND FLASH FLOODING.
TYPICAL LIGHT WINDS FOLLOWING NORMAL DIURNAL TRENDS ARE
EXPECTED...WITH STRONG AND ERRATIC WINDS AROUND THUNDERSTORMS. MOIST
AIR WILL REMAIN IN PLACE THROUGH SATURDAY BUT A WARM AND DRYING
TREND SHOULD BEGIN BY SUNDAY ALONG WITH BREEZIER WEST WINDS.

&&

.TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...FLASH FLOOD THROUGH 9 PM THURSDAY
FOR ALL OF SOUTHEAST ARIZONA EXCEPT FOR WESTERN PIMA COUNTY.

&&

VISIT US ON FACEBOOK...TWITTER...YOUTUBE...AND AT WEATHER.GOV/TUCSON

GL

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 25, 1:05 PM MST, 4 hours 12 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
105 PM MST THU JUL 25 2013

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0105 PM     FLASH FLOOD      3 N CORONA DE TUCSON    31.99N 110.77W
07/25/2013                   PIMA               AZ   TRAINED SPOTTER

            TRAINED SPOTTER REPORTED FLASH FLOODING ON SOUTH
            HOUGHTON ROAD NEAR CORONA DE TUCSON.

&&

EVENT NUMBER TWC1300076

BROST

Local storm report, Jul 25, 1:26 PM MST, 3 hours 51 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
126 PM MST THU JUL 25 2013

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0115 PM     FLASH FLOOD      4 WSW VAIL              32.03N 110.77W
07/25/2013                   PIMA               AZ   FACEBOOK

            WATER FLOWING QUICKLY ACROSS HOUGHTON ROAD JUST SOUTH
            OF THE FAIRGROUNDS.

&&

EVENT NUMBER TWC1300077

BROST

Special weather statement, Jul 25, 1:52 PM MST, 3 hours 25 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
152 PM MST THU JUL 25 2013

AZZ507-514-252130-
SANTA CATALINA AND RINCON MOUNTAINS INCLUDING MOUNT
LEMMON/SUMMERHAVEN AZ-UPPER SAN PEDRO RIVER VALLEY INCLUDING SIERRA
VISTA/BENSON AZ-
152 PM MST THU JUL 25 2013

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EXTREME EASTERN PIMA AND WESTERN
COCHISE COUNTIES UNTIL 230 PM MST...

AT 145 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES NORTH OF BENSON...OR 30 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF WILLCOX...MOVING NORTH AT 10 MPH.

HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN.

AREAS AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...MAINLY RURAL AREAS NORTH OF
INTERSTATE 10 ACROSS EXTREME EASTERN PIMA AND WESTERN COCHISE
COUNTIES.

LAT...LON 3224 11056 3229 11023 3199 11016 3190 11045
TIME...MOT...LOC 2052Z 164DEG 10KT 3205 11029

JJB

Local storm report, Jul 25, 2:40 PM MST, 2 hours 37 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
240 PM MST THU JUL 25 2013

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0239 PM     FLASH FLOOD      4 WSW PICTURE ROCKS     32.32N 111.31W
07/25/2013                   PIMA               AZ   BROADCAST MEDIA

            SWIFT WATER RESCUE AT ANWAY RD AND MANVILLE RD.

&&

EVENT NUMBER TWC1300078

GL

Local storm report, Jul 25, 2:58 PM MST, 2 hours 19 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
258 PM MST THU JUL 25 2013

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0255 PM     FLASH FLOOD      2 SSW THREE POINTS      32.04N 111.29W
07/25/2013                   PIMA               AZ   FACEBOOK

            WATER FLOWING OVER THE ROADWAYS ALONG SIERRITA MOUNTAIN
            RD AND GUY STREET. THERE WAS ABUNDANT DEBRIS IN THE AREA
            AS WELL. WASHES AND STREAMS WERE STILL RUNNING AT TIME
            OF REPORT.

&&

EVENT NUMBER TWC1300079

BROST

Local storm report, Jul 25, 4:17 PM MST, 1 hour before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
417 PM MST THU JUL 25 2013

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0414 PM     FLASH FLOOD      SABINO CANYON           32.34N 110.81W
07/25/2013                   PIMA               AZ   FLOOD CONTROL

            SABINO CREEK AT DAM ROSE 1.4 FEET AT 325PM

&&

EVENT NUMBER TWC1300080

GWS

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 26, 9:52 AM MST	Special Weather Statement	TWC	Graham	38 min
Jul 26, 12:48 PM MST	Areal Flood Advisory	TWC	Pima, Pinal	3 hr
Jul 26, 1:08 PM MST	Special Weather Statement	TWC	Santa Cruz	52 min
Jul 26, 1:12 PM MST	Areal Flood Advisory	TWC	Pima	3 hr
Jul 26, 1:31 PM MST	Areal Flood Advisory	TWC	Graham	119 min
Jul 26, 1:44 PM MST	Flash Flood Warning	TWC	Pima	2 hr
Jul 26, 1:50 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TWC	Pima	40 min
Jul 26, 2:02 PM MST	Flash Flood Warning	TWC	Pima, Pinal	118 min
Jul 26, 2:05 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TWC	Pima	40 min
Jul 26, 2:17 PM MST	Flash Flood Warning	TWC	Pima	118 min
Jul 26, 2:28 PM MST	Special Weather Statement	TWC		47 min
Jul 26, 2:41 PM MST	Areal Flood Advisory	TWC	Pima	3 hr
Jul 26, 2:46 PM MST	Areal Flood Advisory	TWC	Pima, Pinal	3 hr
Jul 26, 2:54 PM MST	Areal Flood Advisory	TWC	Cochise, Santa Cruz	111 min
Jul 26, 3:10 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TWC	Pima	50 min
Jul 26, 3:29 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TWC	Cochise	31 min
Jul 26, 3:35 PM MST	Flash Flood Warning	TWC	Pima	115 min
Jul 26, 3:51 PM MST	Flash Flood Warning	TWC	Cochise, Santa Cruz	3 hr

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Arizona, 2013 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2013

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.