Arizona, 2002

Lightning Strike in Arizona, August 16, 2002

August 16, 2002 · NWS FGZ · 1 event in 1 county or zone

1 lightning, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Flagstaff, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 16, 2:30 PM MST, 3 hours 56 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 16, 2:30 PM MST, 3 hours 56 minutes before
NORTHERN ARIZONA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
230 PM MST FRI AUG 16 2002

.SYNOPSIS...EXPECT NEAR RECORD WARM TEMPERATURES TO PERSIST INTO
SATURDAY...TURNING GRADUALLY COOLER STARTING SUNDAY. A SLIGHT CHANCE
OF AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL LINGER
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY MAINLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE MOGOLLON RIM AND
WHITE MOUNTAINS. MONSOONAL MOISTURE WILL MOVE BACK ACROSS
NORTHERN ARIZONA BY EARLY NEXT NEXT WEEK.

.DISCUSSION...A COMPLICATED FLOW PATTERN WILL REMAIN OVER ARIZONA
THE NEXT FEW DAYS. FOR SATURDAY A WEAK EXTENSION OF THE PACIFIC
SUBTROPICAL RIDGE WILL REMAIN OVER NORTHERN ARIZONA. THIS SHOULD
BRING IN SOME WARMER MID LEVEL AIR AND ACT TO SUPPRESS THUNDERSTORM
ACTIVITY SOMEWHAT. ON THE OTHER HAND A STRONG MOISTURE GRADIENT WILL
REMAIN JUST SOUTH OF THE MOGOLLON RIM. AS A RESULT...THINK ISOLATED
THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE FROM THE RIM SOUTHWARD ON SATURDAY. ON
SUNDAY AND MONDAY MODELS ARE SHOWING THAT THE ATLANTIC SUBTROPICAL
RIDGE BEGINS TO NOSE INTO ARIZONA WITH DEEP SOUTHERLY FLOW
DEVELOPING. IF THE MODELS ARE CORRECT COULD BE A RAPID UPSWING IN
MOISTURE SUNDAY AND MONDAY. FOR NOW WILL INDICATE A GRADUAL INCREASE
IN THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY INTO MONDAY WITH ACTIVITY NUDGING NORTHWARD.
WITH INCREASING MOISTURE EXPECT TEMPERATURES BY SUNDAY AND MONDAY TO
BACK OFF FROM RECORD LEVELS.

IN THE EXTENDED...BY TUESDAY MODELS SHOWING A STRONG TROUGH MOVING
SOUTHWARD ALONG THE WEST COAST. THE MODELS ARE ALSO SHOWING
SUSTAINED SOUTHERLY FLOW OVER ARIZONA WHICH WOULD KEEP NORTHERN
ARIZONA IN THE MONSOON MOISTURE FOR THE MOST PART. WILL BROAD BRUSH
ZONES WITH A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXCEPT FOR THE NORTHWEST CORNER
OF THE COUNTY WARNING AREA.

MCCOLLUM

.FGZ...NONE.

.CODED TEMPERATURES/POPS FOR SELECTED CITIES IN NORTHERN ARIZONA

CITY             TEMPERATURES LO/HI           PROBABILITY OF PRECIP
                 TON SAT   SUN     MON        TON SAT   SUN     MON
FLAGSTAFF        049/086 050/083 052/082      020 020 020 020 020 030
WINSLOW          056/098 058/096 060/095      000 000 000 010 020 020
PRESCOTT         062/093 063/092 065/091      020 020 020 020 020 020
PAGE             072/100 072/099 074/098      000 000 000 000 000 010
WINDOW ROCK      043/091 044/090 046/089      010 010 010 020 020 030
CANYON DE CHELLY 051/097 052/096 054/095      010 010 010 020 020 020
COTTONWOOD       070/104 071/103 073/102      020 020 020 020 020 020
GRAND CANYON     049/087 050/084 052/083      010 010 010 010 010 010
GREER            046/081 047/078 049/077      010 020 010 030 030 040
HEBER            051/091 052/088 054/087      010 020 010 030 030 040
JACOB LAKE       049/084 050/081 052/080      010 010 010 010 010 010
NAVAJO N.M.      048/091 049/090 051/089      010 010 010 020 020 020
PAYSON           063/097 064/096 066/095      020 020 010 020 020 020
SEDONA           068/101 069/100 071/099      020 010 010 020 020 020
SELIGMAN         055/096 056/095 058/094      010 010 010 010 020 020
SHOW LOW         057/091 058/088 060/087      010 020 010 020 020 030
ST. JOHNS        051/093 053/091 055/090      010 000 000 010 020 020
WUPATKI N.M.     057/100 059/098 061/097      010 000 000 010 020 020

The radar

The Flagstaff radar (KFSX), 93 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:23 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Lightning, Gila

When
August 16, 6:26 PM MST
Where
Gila County, Globe
Reported by
UNKNOWN
Coordinates
33.800, -110.812 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning caused a house fire in Globe.

What these are

Lightning
A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Arizona in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, August 2002

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5317778.