Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 2026
Flash Flood Warning 178, NWS Tucson, AZ
NWS Tucson, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Sep 2, 2026, 2:27 PM MST for Pima County, Arizona. It was in force for 3 hr. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.
The facts
- Issued
- Sep 2, 2026, 2:27 PM MST (21:27 UTC)
- Expired
- Sep 2, 2026, 5:00 PM MST
- In force
- 3 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Tucson, AZ
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Flood severity
- None
County Pima County, AZ
The radar
The Tucson radar (KEMX), 61 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:27 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.
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2, 3:30 PM MST | FLASH FLOOD | 10 Ne Arivaca, AZ | Video of water rushing across Arivaca Road shared via social media. Reported that multiple washes through Arivaca Road were flowing. |
Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.
Did it verify
Verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow matched one storm report to this flash flood warning; the first came 63 minutes after it went out.
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 12:00Z, 9.5 hours before the alert went out and 209 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
- 466 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -79 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1631 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 27 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 17 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 78 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.2
The text
As transmitted.
053
WGUS55 KTWC 022127
FFWTWC
AZC019-030000-
/O.NEW.KTWC.FF.W.0178.260902T2127Z-260903T0000Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
227 PM MST Wed Sep 2 2026
The National Weather Service in Tucson has issued a
* Flash Flood Warning for...
South Central Pima County in southeastern Arizona...
* Until 500 PM MST.
* At 227 PM MST, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing
heavy rain in areas along and near Arivaca Road north of Arivaca in
Pima county. Between 1 and 1.5 inches of rain have fallen.
Additional rainfall amounts up to 0.5 inches are possible in the
warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin
shortly.
HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, streets as
well as other poor drainage and low-lying areas.
* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
Flood prone areas along Arivaca Road from Arivaca to the Pima and
Santa Cruz county border.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
In hilly terrain there are many low water crossings which are
potentially dangerous in heavy rain. Do not attempt to cross flooded
roads. Find an alternate route.
&&
LAT...LON 3173 11117 3159 11117 3155 11124 3165 11134
3172 11123
FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED
$$
EDWARDS2 follow-up statements
232
WGUS75 KTWC 022246
FFSTWC
Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
346 PM MST Wed Sep 2 2026
AZC019-030000-
/O.CON.KTWC.FF.W.0178.000000T0000Z-260903T0000Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Pima AZ-
346 PM MST Wed Sep 2 2026
...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM MST THIS
AFTERNOON FOR SOUTH CENTRAL PIMA COUNTY...
At 346 PM MST, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms produced heavy
rain along and near Arivaca Road north of Arivaca in Pima County.
Between 1 and 1.5 inches of rain have fallen. Flooding impacts will
continue, but no additional rainfall is expected. Flash flooding is
ongoing or expected to begin shortly.
HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, streets as well
as other poor drainage and low-lying areas.
Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
Flood prone areas along Arivaca Road from Arivaca to the Pima and
Santa Cruz county border.
This includes the following streams and drainages...
Guijas Wash, Las, Cedar Creek, Saucito Wash, Sopori Wash, Bolas
Blancas Wash, Seco, Arroyo and Papalote Wash.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
In hilly terrain there are hundreds of low water crossings which are
potentially dangerous in heavy rain. Do not attempt to cross flooded
roads. Find an alternate route.
&&
LAT...LON 3172 11123 3165 11134 3155 11124 3159 11117
3173 11117
FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED
$$
EDWARDS318
WGUS75 KTWC 022356
FFSTWC
Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
456 PM MST Wed Sep 2 2026
AZC019-030006-
/O.EXP.KTWC.FF.W.0178.000000T0000Z-260903T0000Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Pima AZ-
456 PM MST Wed Sep 2 2026
...FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON FOR
SOUTH CENTRAL PIMA COUNTY...
The heavy rain has ended. Flooding is no longer expected to pose a
threat, though water may continue to impact some low lying points
along Arivaca Road. Please continue to heed remaining road closures.
&&
LAT...LON 3172 11123 3165 11134 3155 11124 3159 11117
3173 11117
$$
EDWARDSWhat forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this flash flood 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 flash flood warning went out at Sep 2, 2:11 PM MST, 16 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Sep 2, 2:11 PM MST, 16 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Tucson AZ 211 PM MST Wed Sep 2 2026 .SYNOPSIS...Scattered showers and thunderstorms continue this afternoon into this evening, especially from Tucson southward. Thursday into the weekend, elevated moisture continues with scattered to numerous thunderstorms with the main threat being heavy rainfall. High temperature will will fluctuate between normal and a few degrees below normal. && .DISCUSSION...Scattered thunderstorms have developed over the past couple of hours, with the main area of convection from Tucson southward. Most of the storms initially struggled with having sustained updrafts, but we've been seeing some better storm organization over the past hour or so, especially between Tucson and Nogales. Main concern this afternoon into evening is locally heavy rainfall resulting in isolated flash flooding with a secondary threat of gusty winds to around 50 mph. Storm movement today is slow (north-northeast about 5 to 10 mph) which will amplify the trend towards those local areas of 1 to 2 inches of rain. While these storms should diminish in scope during the evening hours, we'll continue to keep an eye towards Sonora after midnight into the early morning for potential MCS. This could push additional outflow or even some overnight convection in our forecast area, especially south of Tucson. The HRRR has latched onto this solution but the other CAMs not as much, thus confidence is low but something we'll be monitoring. Of course if late night convection were to occur or remnants of an MCS pushing through Thursday morning, then leftover clouds, subsidence or lower instability could reduce thunderstorm chances Thursday afternoon. Otherwise, more broadly speaking, we'll remain in an active pattern Thursday/Friday and continuing into the weekend as lower level southerly flow keeps reinforcing moisture from Sonora. Additionally, the southerly flow will get some aid from Tropical Storm Marie (well southwest of Baja) that will push additional moisture up the Gulf of California towards southern Arizona. This will keep an above average late monsoon pattern for us at least through the weekend with primary threat continuing to be heavy rain with an isolated to scattered flash flood threat. Note that the HREF shows this well for Thursday with a 50% to 70% neighborhood probability (40-km) of 1" or more in 3 hours across Santa Cruz, Ern Pima, far SE Pinal and western Cochise Counties. There are no real well defined disturbances/lift to really hone in on during this period for southeast Arizona, so we'll continue to see day-to-day variability in convection. Given the above normal moisture levels during the period (PWAT averaging 1.3 to 1.7 inches), there will be higher than normal chances for nocturnal convection, but confidence is quite low on timing. Elevated moisture levels look to continue early next week as well, though the flow pattern become a bit more southeasterly at that time. Temperatures will be near or just slightly below normal through the forecast period. && .AVIATION...Valid through 04/00Z. Expect SCT-BKN clouds 8-12k ft AGL through the forecast period. Scattered SHRA/TSRA mainly from Tucson south and eastward continuing through 03/04Z with slight chances of convection overnight into Thursday morning. Additional SCT SHRA/TSRA once again mainly from KTUS south and eastward aft 03/20Z. Near thunderstorms expect heavy rainfall and gusty winds to 35 kts. Otherwise winds will be west northwest 5-10 kts this afternoon and evening, and light and terrain driven at other times. Aviation discussion not updated for TAF amendments. && .FIRE WEATHER...Expect scattered thunderstorms this afternoon into evening mainly from Tucson south and eastward. Elevated storm chances are expected Thursday into the weekend as above normal moisture (aided by the tropics) moves in. Heavy rainfall leading to flash flooding will be the main threat. Temperatures will be around normal to a few degrees below normal into early next week. Minimum relative humidity values mainly 20 to 45 percent in the valleys and 30 to 60 percent in the mountains over the next week. Winds will generally remain less than 15 mph and terrain driven through the week. && .TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && Visit us on Facebook, X, YouTube, and at weather.gov/Tucson
The office that day
Everything else NWS Tucson, AZ issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2, 6:46 AM MST | Areal Flood Advisory | TWC | Pima | 14 hr |
| Sep 2, 1:28 PM MST | Flash Flood Warning | TWC | Pima | 3 hr |
| Sep 2, 1:41 PM MST | Flash Flood Warning | TWC | Santa Cruz | 3 hr |
| Sep 2, 1:52 PM MST | Areal Flood Advisory | TWC | Pima | 35 min |
| Sep 2, 2:50 PM MST | Areal Flood Advisory | TWC | Santa Cruz | 7 min |
| Sep 2, 2:57 PM MST | Flash Flood Warning | TWC | Santa Cruz | 108 min |
Nearby
Flash Flood Warnings in Arizona, 2026Every flash flood 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.