The southern and central portions of Arizona were very moist and unstable. Storms developed and moved toward the southwest and strong winds kicked up widespread areas of blowing dust.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS PSR wrote it up.
The southern and central portions of Arizona were very moist and unstable. Storms developed and moved toward the southwest and strong winds kicked up widespread areas of blowing dust. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch was in effect for much of the evening.
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 Phoenix, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 14, 4:25 PM MST, 1 hour 35 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ 425 PM MST THU AUG 14 2008 SOUTH-CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ARIZONA...AND SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION .UPDATED...UPDATED AVIATION DISCUSSION. && .SYNOPSIS... THERE WILL BE AN INCREASED THREAT FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL ARIZONA THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT. FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY PRECIPITATION CHANCES WILL SLOWLY BE DECREASING. MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY A DRY NORTHWESTERLY FLOW WILL OVERSPREAD MUCH OF THE AREA RESULTING IN LITTLE TO NO CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION. TEMPERATURES WILL GENERALLY HOLD STEADY THROUGH NEXT WEEK. && .DISCUSSION... EARLIER CONVECTION ACROSS SE CA HAS ENDED AS EXPECTED WITH A FAIRLY THICK MID LEVEL DECK REMAINING. NOT SURPRISING TEMPERATURES ACROSS SE CA AND SW AZ ARE STRUGGLING TO RECOVER THIS AFTERNOON AS THE PBL HAS HAD A BIG BITE TAKEN OUT OF IT. EXPECT THIS AREA TO REMAIN FAIRLY FREE OF CONVECTION THROUGH THE EVENING. FURTHER TO THE EAST...CLOUDS HAVE DISSIPATED FOR THE MOST PART ACROSS CENTRAL ARIZONA WITH ONLY A THIN SHIELD OF CIRRUS REMAINING. THIS IS HELPING TEMPERATURES SOMEWHAT OVERCOME THE CONVECTIVELY-COOLED BOUNDARY LAYER WHICH WAS EVIDENT ON THE 12Z KPSR RAOB. LATEST SFC TEMPS ACROSS PHX ARE IN THE UPPER 90S...SHOULD SEE A COUPLE OF MORE DEGREES OF WARMING DURING THE NEXT FEW HOURS. THE EXTRA SUNSHINE IS ALSO SUPPORTING CONVECTIVE INITIATION ALONG THE RIM AND THERE HAS BEEN A NOTICEABLE UPTICK IN ACTIVITY DURING THE PAST HOUR. SEVERAL FACTORS POINT TOWARD A POSSIBLY ACTIVE EVENING/NIGHT ACROSS SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA...INCLUDING THE PHOENIX AREA. FIRST THERE IS A 50KT WLY JET THAT IS SLOWLY DROPPING SOUTH THROUGH AZ AND NM...PUTTING EAST CENTRAL ARIZONA IN AN AREA FAVORABLE FOR ENTRANCE REGION JET DYNAMICS WHICH WILL HELP BOOST RIM-FIRED CONVECTION THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SECOND...STORM MOTION THIS EVENING IS FORECAST TO BE A SOLID 15 TO 25 KT FROM THE NE/E...A DIRECTION WHICH IS VERY FAVORABLE FOR STORM PROPAGATION FROM THE HIGHER TERRAIN INTO THE LOWER DESERTS. THIRD IS AN INTERESTING CONVERGENCE OF WEATHER SYSTEMS...A MID-LEVEL FRONT MOVING SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE AREA AND A SHEARING CYCLONIC CIRCULATION NEAR NOGALES. THE BIGGEST QUESTION MARK FOR GETTING STORMS INTO THE LOWER DESERTS THIS EVENING/TONIGHT IS INSTABILITY. MODIFIED MODEL SOUNDINGS INDICATE THAT INSTABILITY WILL BE ON THE LOW END THIS EVENING. INSTABILITY COULD INCREASE IF THE SURFACE MOISTURE DOESN/T DECREASE TOO MUCH AND/OR MID-LEVEL TEMPERATURES DECREASE SOME. OVERALL THE WIND PROFILES APPEAR TO BE JUST ABOUT AS FAVORABLE AS WE CAN GET AROUND HERE BUT THE INSTABILITY WILL NOT BE OVERTLY HIGH. WILL RIDE WITH LOW-END CHANCE POPS FOR THE EASTERN HALF OF THE CWA FOR TONIGHT...AGAIN WOULD BE MORE EXCITED IF MOISTURE LEVELS WERE JUST A BIT HIGHT. HAVE TRAILED POPS INTO THE OVERNIGHT TIMEFRAME OUT INTO THE S-CNTRL/SW AZ DESERTS TO ACCOUNT FOR ONGOING STORM MIGRATION IN THE STRONG ELY FLOW. FRIDAY DOESN/T LOOK TO BE AS ACTIVE AS THE MID-LEVEL MOISTURE WILL BE DECREASING. TEMPERATURES WILL BE A BIT WARMER ACROSS THE CWA...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE WESTERN HALF OF THE CWA. SATURDAY COULD BE INTERESTING AS THE STRONG SHORTWAVE CURRENTLY OVER NE MT DIVES INTO CO. MODELS ADVOCATING THAT THE SYSTEM COULD PICK-UP SOME MOISTURE AHEAD OF IT...ACROSS ERN AZ AND INTO NM. COULD BE A FAIRLY ACTIVE DAY ACROSS THE RIM AS THE INCREASED PVA ENHANCES CONVECTION. STORM MOTION TURNS MORE TO THE NW...WHICH INDICATES THAT SRN GILA COUNTY WOULD BE FAIRLY ACTIVE THOUGH CONVECTION WOULD LIKE NOT MOVE INTO THE LOWER DESERTS /PHX AREA/. SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...DRYING TREND CONTINUES AS H5 ANTI-CYCLONE REMAINS CENTERED TO OUR WEST PUTTING OUR AREA IN UNFAVORABLE NLY FLOW. BY MID-WEEK MODELS ARE ALL INDICATING THAT A VERY BROAD TROUGH WILL MOVE TOWARD THE PAC NW. THIS WILL JUST RE-ENFORCE OUR DRY SPELL FOR LATER NEXT WEEK. EVEN IF SOME SHWRS/TSTMS DO DEVELOP STORM MOTION WILL BE FROM THE WEST KEEPING THE MAJORITY OF OUR CWA DRY. NO SIGNIFICANT TEMPERATURE TRENDS EXPECTED FOR THE EXTENDED. && .AVIATION... A MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS CONTINUES ACROSS SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH-CENTRAL AZ LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. STORMS ARE FIRING 40+NM NE OF KPHX/KIWA AIRFIELDS THIS AFTERNOON...AND A NORTHEASTERLY STEERING FLOW SHOULD AID IN BRINGING THE OUTFLOW...AND POSSIBLE REDEVELOPMENT...FROM THESE STORMS INTO THE GREATER PHOENIX AREA AFTER 00 UTC THIS EVENING. THE CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DIRECTLY IMPACTING KPHX AND KIWA AIRSPACES IS ABOUT 50-60%...WITH THE BEST TIME FRAME BETWEEN 01 AND 04 UTC THIS EVENING. HAVE INCLUDED TEMPO GROUP WITH TSTMS AND HVY RAIN...ALONG WITH 3SM BLDU WITH GUSTS TO AT LEAST 30KTS LIKELY. FAVORED DIRECTION WILL BE NLY...BUT ENOUGH UNCERTAINTIES REMAIN TO WARRANT VRBL FORECAST. AT THIS TIME...CEILINGS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN AT OR ABOVE 6K AGL. WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE SITUATION AND UPDATE TAFS AND FORECAST AS NEEDED. OUT WEST...A DRIER AND MORE STABLE AIRMASS IS EXPECTED THROUGH THE EVENING...WITH ONLY A 10% CHANCE FOR SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS. AVIATION DISCUSSION NOT UPDATED FOR AMENDED TAFS. && .FIRE WEATHER... SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...A RETURN TO LOWER HUMIDITY AND PLENTIFUL SUNSHINE IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE DESERT ZONES. BUT ENOUGH MOISTURE WILL REMAIN OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF SOUTH CENTRAL ARIZONA TO KEEP A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EACH DAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. && .PSR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AZ...NONE. CA...NONE. && NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX IS ON THE INTERNET AT WEATHER.GOV/PHOENIX DISCUSSION...INIGUEZ AVIATION...ESTLE/WANEK FIRE WEATHER...SIPPLE
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ 559 AM MST THU AUG 14 2008 AZZ022-023-027-028-151300- NORTHWEST MARICOPA COUNTY-GREATER PHOENIX AREA- SOUTHWEST MARICOPA COUNTY-NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL PINAL COUNTY- 559 AM MST THU AUG 14 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND TONIGHT. HAZARDS INCLUDE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY WINDS WITH REDUCED VISIBILITY IN BLOWING DUST...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WITH RUNNING WASHES AND PONDING OF WATER IN LOW SPOTS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. HAZARDS INCLUDE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY WINDS WITH REDUCED VISIBILITY IN BLOWING DUST...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WITH RUNNING WASHES AND PONDING OF WATER IN LOW SPOTS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX IS ON THE INTERNET AT WEATHER.GOV/PHOENIX AZZ024-151300- SOUTHERN GILA COUNTY/TONTO NATIONAL FOREST FOOTHILLS- 559 AM MST THU AUG 14 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST-CENTRAL ARIZONA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. HAZARDS INCLUDE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WITH RUNNING WASHES AND PONDING OF WATER IN LOW SPOTS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THERE IS A CHANCE OF AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY...AND A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EACH AFTERNOON AND EVENING AT LEAST THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. HAZARDS INCLUDE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WITH RUNNING WASHES AND PONDING OF WATER IN LOW SPOTS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX IS ON THE INTERNET AT WEATHER.GOV/PHOENIX AZZ020-021-025-026-CAZ031>033-151300- LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY AZ-WEST CENTRAL DESERTS- YUMA/MARTINEZ LAKE AND VICINITY-SOUTHWEST DESERTS- LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY CA-RIVERSIDE COUNTY/EASTERN DESERTS- IMPERIAL COUNTY- 559 AM MST THU AUG 14 2008 /559 AM PDT THU AUG 14 2008/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EXTREME SOUTHWEST ARIZONA...EXTREME WEST-CENTRAL ARIZONA...SOUTHWEST ARIZONA...WEST- CENTRAL ARIZONA AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND TONIGHT. HAZARDS INCLUDE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY WINDS WITH REDUCED VISIBILITY IN BLOWING DUST...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WITH RUNNING WASHES AND PONDING OF WATER IN LOW SPOTS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN LA PAZ COUNTY AND THE NORTH PORTION OF YUMA COUNTY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. HAZARDS INCLUDE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING... STRONG GUSTY WINDS WITH REDUCED VISIBILITY IN BLOWING DUST...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WITH RUNNING WASHES AND PONDING OF WATER IN LOW SPOTS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX IS ON THE INTERNET AT WEATHER.GOV/PHOENIX CAZ030-151300- JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK- 559 AM PDT THU AUG 14 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. HAZARDS INCLUDE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WITH RUNNING WASHES AND PONDING OF WATER IN LOW SPOTS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY. HAZARDS INCLUDE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING... STRONG GUSTY WINDS...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WITH RUNNING WASHES AND PONDING OF WATER IN LOW SPOTS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX IS ON THE INTERNET AT WEATHER.GOV/PHOENIX ELLIS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ 343 PM MST THU AUG 14 2008 AZZ022>024-028-150015- GREATER PHOENIX AREA-NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL PINAL COUNTY-NORTHWEST MARICOPA COUNTY-SOUTHERN GILA/TONTO NF FOOTHILLS- 343 PM MST THU AUG 14 2008 ...THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN GILA COUNTY...NORTHERN MARICOPA COUNTY...NORTH CENTRAL PINAL COUNTY BY... AT 330 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS STRETCHING FROM PRESCOTT TO SHOW LOW. THE LINE OF STORMS IS MOVING TO THE SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST...AND WILL BEGIN TO MOVE OFF THE HIGHER TERRAIN AND ACROSS SOUTHERN GILA COUNTY AND NORTHERN MARICOPA COUNTY BY 430 PM. THESE STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO PROPAGATE INTO THE LOWER DESERT ELEVATIONS INTO THE EVENING HOURS. THESE STORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL THAT COULD LEAD TO FLOW IN NORMALLY DRY WASHES AND LOW WATER CROSSINGS... INCLUDING PONDING OF WATER IN LOW-LYING AREAS. GUSTY WINDS OF UP TO 45 TO 50 MPH COULD PRODUCE AREAS OF BLOWING DUST AND TEMPORARILY REDUCE VISIBILITY FOR MOTORISTS. SMALL HAIL IS POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS. MEYERS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX IS ON THE INTERNET AT WEATHER.GOV/PHOENIX
The Phoenix radar (KIWA), 64 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:01 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood, 1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
Flooding reported on route 188. One spotter in Roosevelt observed one inch of rain in only 15 minutes.
Strong winds reported by spotter.
Several crashes on the Loop 202 were blamed on strong winds and rain. Power outages were reported after winds and rain moved through the East Valley. SRP reported about 3,000 customers were left without electricity...and APS reported 2,000 customers without power.
Strong winds reported at Brown and Mesa. Trees were damaged.
About 1.1 inches fell in just 30 minutes at Chandler and McQueen. Some streets were flooded.
Winds at Chandler Airport reached 50 knots as severe thunderstorms moved toward the west.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arizona in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, August 2008
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: 123228, 123232, 123231, 123230, 123229, 123234.