Alert archive / Arizona / Dust Storm Warnings in 2017
Dust Storm Warning 5, NWS Phoenix, AZ
NWS Phoenix, AZ issued this dust storm warning at Jul 29, 2017, 6:15 PM MST for Maricopa County, Pinal County, Arizona. It was in force for 45 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
- Jul 29, 2017, 6:15 PM MST (01:15 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 29, 2017, 7:00 PM MST
- In force
- 45 min
- Issued by
- NWS Phoenix, AZ
Counties Maricopa County, AZ, Pinal County, AZ
The radar
The Phoenix radar (KIWA), 29 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:17 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 (KDMA), launched 00:00Z, 1.3 hours before the alert went out and 143 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 914 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -48 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 984 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 10 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 37 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 24 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this dust storm 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 dust storm warning went out at Jul 29, 3:00 PM MST, 3 hours 15 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jul 29, 3:00 PM MST, 3 hours 15 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Phoenix AZ 300 PM MST Sat Jul 29 2017 .SYNOPSIS... High moisture levels have settled into much of southern Arizona and will stay put at least through the weekend. This will bring an increased chance of showers and thunderstorms, especially across south-central Arizona. Subsequently, high temperatures decrease as well...most noticeably over south-central Arizona. Next week will remain unsettled each day with slight chances for showers and storms over the deserts and higher chances across the higher terrain. High temperatures will climb back to near seasonal normals. && .DISCUSSION... Active Monsoon day underway across the state, with broad coverage of storms across the southeastern border as well as slightly lower topped convection over portions of the Rim and northern Arizona. AMDAR flight soundings in/around KPHX show one to two inversion caps around 700 & above 500mb currently...possibly due to the persist CU fields over the lower deserts throughout the morning. Cooler daytime temperatures and capping inversions would traditionally retard storm activity this evening, but additional atmospheric support in the form of broad upper divergent fields and various embedded MCV/IT circulations throughout the region should work together to promote a bit more storm coverage this evening than last. Current radar obs show activity already intruding into northern Maricopa county along I-17 and near Wickenburg. Hi-res models cluster a large area of rainfall across portions of Phoenix by the evening, but realization of that forecast solution would take some organized outflow intrusions and intersections. With the moisture-laden airmass (dewpoints in the 60s and PWATs at or above moving regional averages for the date), outflows may not have much dust or speed to them, but enough lift to promote additional shower and storm activity across the region into the evening. The setup for this the rest of the weekend continues to be for heavy rain with some potential for flash flooding given the projected slow moving nature of the storms that develop. One factor that will limit strength of convection this weekend is the very cool high temperatures expected, especially over south central AZ where highs Sunday will fall into the 90s. Of course, the lack of typically intense summer heating will reduce instability and potential strength of convection. POPs this weekend remain high, in the 30-50 percent ballpark over much of the area including central deserts. For next week, Monday through Friday, we have a rather broad- brushed, moderate grade monsoon forecast in place each day as guidance is not clear cut on the small scale features that may enhance convection. What does appear rather clear cut is that moisture will remain in place area-wide through Friday, and there will continue to be sufficient CAPE - especially over higher terrain - to support typical afternoon and evening thunderstorm development. Steering flow will stay on the light side each day initially favoring a south to southeast flow and turning more to the northeast by midweek, all the better to allow rim convection to drift down and into the central deserts. Temperatures will climb a few degrees as moisture backs off from the excessive levels seen this weekend, but highs should stay near or slightly below seasonal normals for the most part each day. Although moisture levels do back off slightly during the week they do not drop enough to suggest a serious break in monsoon convection. && .AVIATION... South-Central Arizona including KPHX, KIWA, and KSDL: Thunderstorms will continue to build north/east/southeast of the terminals. Today is expected to be a little bit more active than yesterday. An outflow from the north is forecast to affect terminals first (around 00Z) and then another outflow from the southeast is forecast to affect terminals 2 to 3 hours later. However, there is lower confidence on the exact timing and direction of the outflow. Storms and showers in the vicinity of the airport and even over the airport will be possible this afternoon and through the overnight hours. Southeast California/Southwest Arizona including KIPL and KBLH: Winds will follow their typical diurnal patterns for today with just a few mid and high level clouds. Another chance of showers moves in tonight for KBLH although confidence is much to low to include any mention of precipitation at this point. Aviation discussion not updated for amended TAFs. && .FIRE WEATHER... Monday through Friday: Thunderstorm activity will hang around through Friday, with the greatest chances over the higher terrain north and east of Phoenix. Minimum relative humidities will stay above 20 percent across the board with great overnight recoveries. High temperatures will be mostly below seasonal normals this weekend, then gradually climb to near normal levels by Wednesday as moisture and storm chances slightly decrease. Winds will otherwise be light outside of any thunderstorm related winds. && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters should follow standard reporting procedures. && .PSR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AZ...None. CA...None. && Visit us on Facebook, Twitter, and at weather.gov/phoenix DISCUSSION...Nolte/CB AVIATION...Hernandez FIRE WEATHER...Hernandez
In the hours before
Local storm report, Jul 29, 5:40 PM MST, 35 minutes before
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</html>Local storm report, Jul 29, 5:51 PM MST, 24 minutes before
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</html>Local storm report, Jul 29, 5:53 PM MST, 22 minutes before
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</html>Local storm report, Jul 29, 5:55 PM MST, 20 minutes before
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</html>Local storm report, Jul 29, 6:09 PM MST, 6 minutes before
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</html>Local storm report, Jul 29, 6:13 PM MST, 2 minutes before
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</html>The office that day
Everything else NWS Phoenix, AZ issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 29, 5:00 PM MST | Special Weather Statement | PSR | Maricopa | 45 min |
| Jul 29, 5:12 PM MST | Areal Flood Advisory | PSR | Maricopa | 3 hr |
| Jul 29, 5:38 PM MST | Special Weather Statement | PSR | Maricopa | 52 min |
| Jul 29, 7:16 PM MST | Areal Flood Advisory | PSR | Maricopa, Pinal | 119 min |
| Jul 30, 12:27 PM MST | Flash Flood Warning | PSR | Gila | 3 hr |
Nearby
Dust Storm Warnings in Arizona, 2017Every dust storm warning in 2017
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.