Winds gusted to 51 mph at Sky Harbor airport.
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.
Winds gusted to 51 mph at Sky Harbor airport.
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 5, 9:45 PM MST, 0 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ 945 PM MST TUE AUG 5 2008 SOUTH-CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ARIZONA...AND SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION .SYNOPSIS... THE CENTER OF HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT WILL DRIFT SLOWLY WEST FROM THE SOUTHERN MIDWEST TOWARD THE FOUR CORNERS THROUGH THE NEXT FEW DAYS. MEANWHILE...SEVERAL WEAK LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS WILL MOVE AROUND THE SOUTHERN AND WESTERN EDGES OF THE HIGH...OVER ARIZONA...AND BRING AT LEAST A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE ENTIRE FORECAST AREA THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING. FROM FRIDAY THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK...THE HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BE CENTERED NEAR THE FOUR CORNERS REGION...A LOCATION WHICH SUPPORTS A DAILY CHANCE FOR LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS...MAINLY OVER SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA. && .DISCUSSION... VERY ACTIVE EVENING ACROSS THE SOUTH CENTRAL DESERTS WITH STORMS CONTINUING TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE GREATER PHOENIX AREA...AFTER THEY FIRED OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN AND PROPAGATED TOWARD PHOENIX. MOST OF THE OUTFLOWS WERE WEAK...BUT AFTER 0200Z...STRONGER WINDS WERE THE RULE TO THE SOUTHEAST OF ZONE 23...AFTER +TRW HIT AREAS BETWEEN FLORENCE AND TUCSON. ONE SPOTTER REPORT SAID VSBY DOWN TO NEAR ZERO...DUE TO HVY RAIN BETWEEN FLORENCE AND ORACLE. ALSO THE PLOT DATA AT 00Z SEEMED TO AGREE VERY WELL WITH LATEST GFS IN THAT THE CENTER OF THE ANTICYCLONIC FLOW WAS NEAR THE TX PANHANDLE AND A STRONGER SOUTHEAST FLOW APPEARED IN THE 500-300MB LAYER. UPDATED ZONES BY 8 PM MENTIONED HIGHER POPS...MORE PRECIP...AND KEPT THE AREAS OF BLOWING DUST/ AS MENTIONED IN PREV ZONES. AFTER THIS CONVECTION DIES OUT AFTER MIDNIGHT...EXPECT A VERY SLOW CLEARING TREND. RUC APPEARS TO DO THE BEST JOB IN PICKING UP THE VORT MAX AND MOVING IT NORTHWARD TO NEAR INW-IGM LINE BY 12Z WED. PORTIONS OF PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... OUT WEST...STILL EXPECTING FORCING/LIFT ASSOCIATED WITH WHAT NOW APPEARS TO BE A FAIRLY WEAK MID LEVEL VORT MAX THAT SHOULD MOVE NORTHWARD UP THE CO RIVER VALLEY INTO SRN NV OVERNIGHT TONIGHT. HAVE DROPPED ALL MENTION OF SHOWERS/TSTMS FOR SOUTHEAST CALIF. WEDNESDAY...A DECAYING TROPICAL SYSTEM WILL BE PUSHING UP THE RIO GRANDE TOWARD SRN NM. MODELS INDICATING DRIER AIR WILL BE WRAPPING AROUND AND AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM...INTO SE AZ. HOWEVER...WILL STILL SEE SOME ACTIVITY OVER THE RIM AND STEERING FLOW BECOMES A LITTLE MORE FAVORABLE WEDNESDAY EVENING TO PROPAGATE STORMS TOWARD THE PHOENIX AREA. THEREFORE HAVE SOME HIGHER POPS FOR OUR ERN CWA. PRECIP MECHANISMS DISAPPEAR FOR SE CA/SW AZ WEDNESDAY AND POPS TREND DOWN ACCORDINGLY. TEMPERATURES CWA-WIDE WEDNESDAY WILL BE WARMER THAN THE PAST COUPLE DAYS...EVEN SLIGHTLY ABOVE AVERAGE...WHICH SHOULD HELP BOOST INSTABILITY. THURSDAY...AN UPPER LEVEL ANTI-CYCLONIC CIRCULATION OVER THE FOUR CORNERS AND A CYCLONIC CIRCULATION OVER THE NORTHERN SEA OF CORTEZ WILL PRODUCE A FAVORABLE SE TO NW FLOW ALONG THE SIERRA MADRE OCCIDENTAL AND INTO AZ. MID-LEVELS FORECAST TO COOL SLIGHTLY WHILE BOUNDARY LAYER REMAINS FAIRLY WARM/HUMID LEADING TO MODERATE INSTABILITY. THIS WOULD BE A FAVORABLE SETUP FOR INCREASED CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY ACROSS OUR ERN CWA SO UPPED POPS THURSDAY. FRIDAY AND BEYOND...MODELS CONTINUE TO INDICATE AN OVERALL DRYING TREND THROUGH THE EXTENDED PERIOD. SWLY FLOW DOES NOT LOOK TO BE AS DEEP/STRONG AS PREVIOUSLY ADVERTISED BUT WE SHOULD STILL SEE A SLIGHT DOWNWARD TREND AS COMPARED TO THE NEXT FEW DAYS. DEFINITELY ENOUGH UNCERTAINTY TO WARRANT LOW-END POPS FOR OUR ERN CWA. TEMPERATURES WILL BE FAIRLY STEADY AND HOLD NEAR NORMAL VALUES. && .AVIATION... KPHX AND KIWA...LATEST PHOENIX SOUNDING INDICATED A SLIGHT DROP IN THE PRECIP WATER AND A BIT MORE STABLE TEMP PROFILE COMPARED TO EARLIER IN THE DAY. HOWEVER...THE SURROUNDING AREAS MAINLY OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN HAD SEVERAL LATE-FORMING CLUSTERS OF TSTMS. THEY EACH HAD THEIR OUTFLOWS. BY 0130Z THE BEST ONE WAS TO THE NORTH OF KPHX AND MOVING SOUTHWARD. WILL AMEND TAFS TO SHOW BETTER CHANCES OF CONVECTION DURING THE 03-07Z TIME FRAME. ONE OR TWO GUSTS OVER 35 MPH IS ALSO A POSSIBILITY AT KPHX/KIWA. KYUM...KIPL...AND KBLH...MID AND HIGH CLOUDS WILL BE ON THE INCREASE BUT NO AVIATION CONCERNS THERE THROUGH AT LEAST 06Z. AVIATION DISCUSSION NOT UPDATED FOR AMENDED TAFS. && .FIRE WEATHER... THURSDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND...STILL A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THURSDAY MAINLY THE HIGHER TERRAIN EAST OF THE GREATER PHOENIX AREA. OTHERWISE...RELATIVELY DRIER AIR WILL LESSEN THE CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...KEEPING THE CHANCE MAINLY OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN EAST OF THE GREATER PHOENIX AREA. && .PSR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AZ...NONE. CA...NONE. && NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX IS ON THE INTERNET AT WEATHER.GOV/PHOENIX DISCUSSION...SIPPLE AVIATION...SIPPLE FIRE WEATHER...ELLIS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ 547 AM MST TUE AUG 5 2008 AZZ022>024-027-028-060500- NORTHWEST MARICOPA COUNTY-GREATER PHOENIX AREA- SOUTHERN GILA COUNTY/TONTO NATIONAL FOREST FOOTHILLS- SOUTHWEST MARICOPA COUNTY-NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL PINAL COUNTY- 547 AM MST TUE AUG 5 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST-CENTRAL ARIZONA AND SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO TONIGHT. ANY THUNDERSTORM THAT DEVELOPS WILL LIKELY BE A SLOW MOVER AND PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL... WHICH RAISES THE POSSIBILITY OF PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS AND LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY INCREASES CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY. .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 ATWEATHER.GOV/PHOENIX AZZ020-021-CAZ030>032-060500- LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY AZ-WEST CENTRAL DESERTS- JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK-LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY CA- RIVERSIDE COUNTY/EASTERN DESERTS- 547 AM MST TUE AUG 5 2008 /547 AM PDT TUE AUG 5 2008/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EXTREME WEST- CENTRAL ARIZONA...WEST-CENTRAL ARIZONA...EXTREME SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA AND SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS PRIMARILY ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA AND SOUTHWEST ARIZONA THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THIS EVENING. ANY THUNDERSTORM THAT DEVELOPS WILL LIKELY BE A SLOW MOVER. WITH A RATHER MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS IN PLACE...HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE A POSSIBILITY WHICH COULD LEAD TO LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY. .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 INIGUEZ
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ 514 PM MST TUE AUG 5 2008 AZZ024-060100- SOUTHERN GILA/TONTO NF FOOTHILLS- 514 PM MST TUE AUG 5 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AFFECTING SOUTH CENTRAL GILA COUNTY... AT 511 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG STORMS 9 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PERIDOT NEAR SAN CARLOS LAKE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 9 MPH. THE PRIMARY THREATS WILL BE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES AND GUSTY WINDS OF 45 TO 55 MPH. BOATERS ARE ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE TO LIGHTNING. GET TO SHORE AT THE FIRST SIGN OF LIGHTNING THEN SEEK SHELTER IN A BUILDING OR ENCLOSED VEHICLE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ 907 PM MST TUE AUG 5 2008 AZZ023-060445- GREATER PHOENIX AREA- 907 PM MST TUE AUG 5 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AFFECTING CENTRAL MARICOPA COUNTY... AT 906 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG STORM OVER CENTRAL MARICOPA COUNTY NEAR SKY HARBOR AIRPORT...MOVING WEST AT 5 MPH. THE PRIMARY THREATS WILL BE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES AND GUSTY WINDS OF 45 TO 55 MPH. SOME UNSECURED OBJECTS WILL BE BLOWN AROUND...TREE LIMBS COULD BE SNAPPED OFF AND ISOLATED POWER OUTAGES WILL BE POSSIBLE. BLOWING DUST WILL TEMPORARILY REDUCE VISIBILITY. SEEK SHELTER INDOORS UNTIL THE STORM PASSES. HIRSCH
The Phoenix radar (KIWA), 48 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 04:42 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Power lines down near 7th Street and Northern.
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: 123179.