Alert archive / Arizona / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2026

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 87, NWS Phoenix, AZ

August 20, 2026La Paz County, Arizona

NWS Phoenix, AZ issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 20, 2026, 2:08 AM MST for La Paz County, Arizona. It was in force for 21 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: Aug 20, 2026, 2:08 AM MST (09:08 UTC)
Expired: Aug 20, 2026, 2:29 AM MST
In force: 21 min
Issued by: NWS Phoenix, AZ
Area: Storm-based polygon
Hail: 0.88 in
Wind: 60.0 mph

County La Paz County, AZ

The radar

The Yuma radar (KYUX), 151 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 09:09 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

Phoenix, AZ (KPSR), launched 00:00Z, 9.1 hours before the alert went out and 189 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: 1221 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -145 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 2679 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 22 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 12 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 60 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

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 Phoenix, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Aug 19, 11:00 PM MST, 3 hours 8 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 19, 11:00 PM MST, 3 hours 8 minutes before

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In the hours before

Local storm report, Aug 19, 10:23 PM MST, 3 hours 45 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Phoenix AZ
1023 PM MST Wed Aug 19 2026

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

0958 PM     Non-Tstm Wnd Gst Sky Harbor Airport      33.43N 112.02W
08/19/2026  M68 MPH          Maricopa           AZ   ASOS

            The automated weather station at Phoenix Sky
            Harbor Airport reported a maximum wind gust
            of 68 mph. ASOS station KPHX Phoenix Sky
            Hrbr.

&&

TW

Local storm report, Aug 19, 10:25 PM MST, 3 hours 43 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Phoenix AZ
1025 PM MST Wed Aug 19 2026

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

0958 PM     Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 4 NNW East Mesa         33.47N 111.72W
08/19/2026  M63 MPH          Maricopa           AZ   AWOS

            The automated weather station at Falcon
            Field Airport reported a maximum wind gust
            of 63 mph. AWOS station KFFZ Mesa Falcon
            Fld.

&&

TW

Special weather statement, Aug 19, 10:29 PM MST, 3 hours 39 minutes before

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Phoenix AZ
1029 PM MST Wed Aug 19 2026

AZZ534-537-538-540>542-544-545-547-557-200630-
Aguila Valley AZ-New River Mesa AZ-Mazatzal Mountains AZ-
Buckeye/Avondale AZ-Cave Creek/New River AZ-Tonopah Desert AZ-
Deer Valley AZ-Northwest Valley AZ-Rio Verde/Salt River AZ-
North Phoenix/Glendale AZ-
1029 PM MST Wed Aug 19 2026

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT MARICOPA COUNTY THROUGH 1130 PM
MST...

At 1028 PM MST, Doppler radar was tracking an outflow boundary near
New River, moving northwest at 35 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 55 mph and pea size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
         possible.

Locations impacted include...
Phoenix, Glendale, Scottsdale, Peoria, Surprise, Goodyear, Buckeye,
El Mirage, Youngtown, New River, Sun City West, Waddell, Circle City,
Sun City, Wittmann, Litchfield Park, Cave Creek, Carefree, Deer
Valley Airport, and White Tank Mountain Park.

This includes the following highways...
AZ Interstate 10 between mile markers 116 and 125.
AZ Interstate 17 between mile markers 212 and 241.
US Highway 60 between mile markers 120 and 152.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 1100 PM MST for
south central Arizona.

&&

LAT...LON 3400 11160 3392 11152 3340 11254 3369 11279
      3394 11259 3396 11254 3389 11228 3391 11224
      3395 11224 3397 11219 3405 11215
TIME...MOT...LOC 0528Z 129DEG 31KT 3384 11218

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH

KB

Local storm report, Aug 19, 10:36 PM MST, 3 hours 32 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Aug 20, 1:45 AM MST, 23 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Aug 20, 1:56 AM MST, 12 minutes before

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The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Aug 19, 7:19 PM MST	Special Weather Statement	PSR	Gila	26 min
Aug 19, 7:51 PM MST	Dust Storm Warning	PSR	Maricopa, Pinal	54 min
Aug 19, 8:01 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PSR	Gila, Maricopa, Pinal	44 min
Aug 19, 8:23 PM MST	Special Weather Statement	PSR	Maricopa	3 hr
Aug 19, 8:32 PM MST	Areal Flood Advisory	PSR	Gila	3 hr
Aug 19, 8:46 PM MST	Dust Storm Advisory	PSR	Maricopa, Pinal	89 min
Aug 19, 8:53 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PSR	Gila, Maricopa, Pinal	37 min
Aug 19, 8:56 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PSR	Pinal	49 min
Aug 19, 9:03 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PSR	Maricopa, Pinal	42 min
Aug 19, 9:11 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PSR	Gila, Maricopa	34 min
Aug 19, 9:14 PM MST	Dust Storm Warning	PSR	Maricopa, Pinal	61 min
Aug 19, 9:29 PM MST	Flash Flood Warning Considerable damage threat	PSR	Pinal	3 hr
Aug 19, 9:46 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PSR	Maricopa, Pinal	44 min
Aug 19, 10:11 PM MST	Areal Flood Advisory	PSR	Pinal	3 hr
Aug 19, 10:29 PM MST	Special Weather Statement	PSR	Maricopa	61 min
Aug 19, 10:59 PM MST	Dust Storm Warning	PSR	Maricopa	61 min
Aug 19, 11:01 PM MST	Dust Storm Advisory	PSR	Maricopa, Pinal	59 min
Aug 20, 12:02 AM MST	Dust Storm Advisory	PSR	La Paz, Maricopa, Yuma	58 min
Aug 20, 12:52 AM MST	Areal Flood Advisory	PSR	Maricopa	3 hr
Aug 20, 1:45 AM MST	Special Weather Statement	PSR		30 min
Aug 20, 1:56 AM MST	Special Weather Statement	PSR	La Paz	34 min
Aug 20, 2:20 AM MST	Special Weather Statement	PSR	Maricopa	25 min
Aug 20, 2:26 AM MST	Special Weather Statement	PSR		49 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Arizona, 2026 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2026

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.