Alert archive / Arizona / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2026
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 49, NWS Tucson, AZ
NWS Tucson, AZ issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 15, 2026, 3:40 PM MST for Graham County, Arizona. It was in force for 50 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 15, 2026, 3:40 PM MST (22:40 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 15, 2026, 4:30 PM MST
- In force
- 50 min
- Issued by
- NWS Tucson, AZ
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Hail
- 1.0 in
- Wind
- 60.0 mph
County Graham County, AZ
The radar
The Tucson radar (KEMX), 145 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:42 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 12:00Z, 10.7 hours before the alert went out and 229 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
- 136 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -201 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 2281 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 16 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 45 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 65 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted.
887 WUUS55 KTWC 152240 SVRTWC AZC009-152330- /O.NEW.KTWC.SV.W.0049.260715T2240Z-260715T2330Z/ BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED Severe Thunderstorm Warning National Weather Service Tucson AZ 340 PM MST Wed Jul 15 2026 The National Weather Service in Tucson has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... South Central Graham County in southeastern Arizona... * Until 430 PM MST. * At 340 PM MST, a severe thunderstorm was located 6 miles northeast of San Jose, moving southwest at 10 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and small hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees. * Locations impacted include... Safford, Thatcher, Solomon, San Jose, Safford Regional Airport, Roper Lake State Park, Pima, Central and Swift Trail Junction. This includes the following highways... Route 191 between mile markers 112 and 136. Route 70 between mile markers 332 and 351. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Seek shelter inside a well-built structure and stay away from windows. This storm is capable of producing damaging winds. Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. && LAT...LON 3299 10953 3286 10942 3265 10966 3287 10987 TIME...MOT...LOC 2240Z 61DEG 9KT 3289 10953 HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED MAX HAIL SIZE...<1.00 IN WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED MAX WIND GUST...60 MPH $$ KJS
2 follow-up statements
460 WWUS55 KTWC 152303 SVSTWC Severe Weather Statement National Weather Service Tucson AZ 403 PM MST Wed Jul 15 2026 AZC009-152330- /O.CON.KTWC.SV.W.0049.000000T0000Z-260715T2330Z/ Graham AZ- 403 PM MST Wed Jul 15 2026 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 430 PM MST FOR SOUTH CENTRAL GRAHAM COUNTY... At 403 PM MST, a severe thunderstorm was located near San Jose, moving southwest at 10 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and small hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees. Locations impacted include... Safford, Thatcher, Solomon, San Jose, Roper Lake State Park, Safford Regional Airport, Central and Swift Trail Junction. This includes the following highways... Route 191 between mile markers 112 and 132. Route 70 between mile markers 333 and 351. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Seek shelter inside a well-built structure and stay away from windows. This storm is capable of producing damaging winds. Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. && LAT...LON 3290 10961 3279 10951 3265 10966 3287 10987 TIME...MOT...LOC 2240Z 61DEG 9KT 3289 10953 HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED MAX HAIL SIZE...<1.00 IN WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED MAX WIND GUST...60 MPH $$ JRM
255 WWUS55 KTWC 152321 SVSTWC Severe Weather Statement National Weather Service Tucson AZ 421 PM MST Wed Jul 15 2026 AZC009-152331- /O.EXP.KTWC.SV.W.0049.000000T0000Z-260715T2330Z/ Graham AZ- 421 PM MST Wed Jul 15 2026 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 430 PM MST FOR SOUTH CENTRAL GRAHAM COUNTY... The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe limits, and no longer poses an immediate threat to life or property. Therefore, the warning will be allowed to expire. However, gusty winds are still possible with this thunderstorm. && LAT...LON 3290 10961 3279 10951 3265 10966 3287 10987 TIME...MOT...LOC 2303Z 60DEG 9KT 3286 10959 $$ JRM
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 15, 3:00 PM MST, 40 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jul 15, 3:00 PM MST, 40 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Tucson AZ 300 PM MST Wed Jul 15 2026 .SYNOPSIS...Scattered thunderstorms this evening with heavy rain and strong gusty winds possible near any thunderstorm. More widespread chances for showers and thunderstorms are forecast on Thursday and potentially Friday with an increased risk of flash flooding. High temperatures will be below normal for the next 7 days. && .DISCUSSION...A very active monsoon pattern will continue for the foreseeable future. Rather chaotic upper air pattern via water vapor imagery which shows an upper low over srn Baja, an upper low over cntrl TX, large expansive upper ridge that extends from ern CONUS west to the interior west with a high centered near Salt Lake City. And in the tropics, there is TS Elida, which was located 570 miles SSW off the srn tip of Baja per the latest NHC advisory. We have NE flow over the area today between the upper high near Salt Lake City and the cntrl TX upper low. Ample moisture is in place for scattered showers and thunderstorms as they propagate NE-SW. Main threats will be strong gusty outflow winds, some of which may briefly be severe, localized heavy rain and flash flooding. Thursday: Flash flooding concerns will be heightened thanks to additional moisture advection into the area with PWATs ranging from 1.25" far east to over 2" west of Tucson and sufficient dynamics over the area. Thunderstorms developing over the mountains will propagate to the SW under NE flow aloft. Outflow interactions will continue to develop strong wet microbursts from Tucson west late Thursday afternoon into Thursday night. Localized rainfall rates up to 2"/hr are possible with some of the very wet storms leading to flash flooding. From WPC, HREF/REFS guidance had low end chances, (10-30%), of rainfall totals exceeding 5", especially west of Tucson. With that said, and in coordination with WPC, added a rare Moderate Risk (MDT, at least 40%) in the Excessive Rainfall Outlook (ERO) for excessive rainfall within 25 miles of a point, for SW Cochise county, all of Santa Cruz county, ern Pima county (mainly S of Tucson at this time) and central Pima county. A Flash Flood watch was issued for most of the area Thursday afternoon into early Friday morning. We may see some interesting average recurrence intervals (ARI) on Thursday. Of note: the last time SE AZ had an area MDT ERO was on Sept 21, 2022. Friday has the potential to be another active day but confidence is low due to what happens on Thursday. Could end up with an MCV moving thru which will diminish chances. Wet monsoon pattern continues this weekend into the first half of next week with daily chance of showers and thunderstorms. High temperatures will run below normal for the next 7 days. && .AVIATION...Valid through 17/00Z. Widely SCTD -SHRA/-TS thru 16/04z then SCTD -SHRA/TS aft 16/19z. Ceilings mostly 9k-12k ft. Hvy rain, mtn OBSCN and erratic strong wind gusts of 35-45 kts psbl with any TS. Outside of TS, SFC winds generally under 10 kts. Aviation discussion not updated for TAF amendments. && .FIRE WEATHER...Daily chances for thunderstorms will continue each afternoon and evening through the next 7 days with day to day variability. More widespread chances for showers and thunderstorms are likely Thursday and potentially Friday. Minimum relative humidity 25-30 percent in the lower desert locations and above 40 percent in the mountains this week. Winds this week will remain mainly light and under 15 mph, though strong and erratic winds will be possible with any thunderstorm. && .HYDROLOGY...The heavy rains on Thursday may lead to some significant rises in washes, creeks and rivers, especially from western Cochise county west into central Pima county. && .TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Flood Watch from Thursday afternoon through late Thursday night for AZZ502>506-514-515. Flood Watch from Thursday afternoon through Thursday evening for AZZ507>509-511>513. && 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 14, 5:35 PM MST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TWC | Cochise, Graham | 40 min |
| Jul 14, 5:54 PM MST | Areal Flood Advisory | TWC | Cochise, Graham | 2 hr |
| Jul 14, 6:09 PM MST | Dust Storm Advisory | TWC | Cochise | 81 min |
| Jul 15, 10:44 AM MST | Flood Watch | TWC | Cochise, Graham, Greenlee, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz | 34 hr |
| Jul 15, 12:29 PM MST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TWC | Santa Cruz | 46 min |
| Jul 15, 1:03 PM MST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TWC | Santa Cruz | 42 min |
| Jul 15, 1:26 PM MST | Flash Flood Warning | TWC | Santa Cruz | 3 hr |
| Jul 15, 4:49 PM MST | Flash Flood Warning | TWC | Pinal | 3 hr |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Arizona, 2026Every 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.