Showers and thunderstorms produced very heavy rainfall totals across parts of South-Central Arizona.
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.
Showers and thunderstorms produced very heavy rainfall totals across parts of South-Central Arizona.
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 Jul 13, 10:45 AM MST, 1 hour 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ 1045 AM MST SUN JUL 13 2008 SOUTH-CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ARIZONA...AND SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION .SYNOPSIS... LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS FROM THE SOUTHEAST AND SOUTH WILL CONTINUE TO BRING A CHANCE OF MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH MONDAY. MOST OF THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE OVER SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA AND THE NORTH PORTION OF SOUTHWEST ARIZONA AND SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA THIS WEEKEND...AND MOSTLY OVER SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA THIS COMING WEEK. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN IS EXPECTED AT TIMES IN SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA THROUGH TONIGHT AND MONDAY WHICH COULD CAUSE SOME FLOODING. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY INCREASE THROUGH THIS COMING WEEK AS HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT BUILDS OVER ARIZONA...AND HUMIDITY LEVELS DROP OFF. && .DISCUSSION... AS PREVIOUS SHIFT MENTIONED...FLOW IS SOMEWHAT CHAOTIC...BUT THERE IS A LOW PRESSURE CIRCULATION OVER EAST-CENTRAL ARIZONA WHICH WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT INTO MONDAY. THERE IS STILL ABUNDANT MOISTURE OVER SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA AND IT LOOKS AS IF IT WILL BE INCREASING WITH DYNAMICS THROUGH TONIGHT INTO MONDAY. THIS IN COMBINATION WITH RELATIVELY WEAK FLOW ALOFT WILL PROBABLY LEAD TO SOME FLASH FLOODING IN SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA AT TIMES THROUGH TONIGHT INTO MONDAY. A SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT HAS BEEN ISSUED TO HIGHLIGHT THE FLASH FLOOD POTENTIAL IN SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA PER ABOVE PARAGRAPH. WE ARE ALSO GOING TO DISCUSS THE POSSIBILITY OF ISSUING A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR LATER TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT AND POSSIBLY INTO MONDAY. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... AIRMASS REMAINS QUITE MOIST WITH PWAT VALUES FROM 1.75 TO NEAR 2 INCHES ACROSS SCNTRL/SERN AZ PER THE RECENT 00Z RAOBS. SURFACE DEWPOINTS HAVE DROPPED A HANDFUL OF DEGREES OVER THE PAST DAY BUT STILL REMAIN QUITE HIGH...AND FOR THE MOST PART WERE IN THE 60S OVER THE LOWER AZ/CA DESERTS EARLY THIS MORNING. BROAD UPPER LEVEL RIDGE IN PLACE OVER THE SOUTHWEST UNITED STATES EARLY THIS MORNING...BUT FLOW ALOFT IS RATHER CHAOTIC WITH A DEFORMED AND IRREGULAR UPPER STREAMLINE PATTERN IN PLACE. VERY HARD TO PICK OUT INDIVIDUAL FEATURES IN THE RATHER WEAK FLOW ALOFT...AND PROGS WILL NOT DO A VERY GOOD JOB WITH THE DETAILS. HOWEVER...LATEST NAM AND GFS BOTH SEEM TO PICK UP ON ANOTHER INVERTED TROF OVER ERN AZ...WHICH WILL SLOWLY MOVE NORTH AND INTO NERN AZ DURING THE DAY TODAY. WITH THE AIRMASS SO MOIST...THIS DISTURBANCE SHOULD PROVIDE A GOOD CHANCE FOR SHOWERS/STORMS TO THE HIGHER TERRAIN EAST OF PHOENIX. STEERING FLOW OVER MOST OF THE CWA IS SLY TO SWLY...NOT FAVORABLE FOR BRINGING STORMS INTO OUR LOWER DESERTS. THUS WE WILL KEEP POPS TODAY FROM PHOENIX WESTWARD MOSTLY IN THE SLIGHT CHANCE CATEGORY...WITH POPS OVER HIGHER PEAKS EDGING UP TO AROUND 30 PCT. WITH THE HUMIDITY STILL QUITE HIGH...TEMPS TODAY WILL STRUGGLE TO GET OUT OF THE 90S OVER MUCH OF THE CENTRAL AZ DESERTS...AND WE ARE FORECASTING A HIGH OF JUST 99 AT PHOENIX...WHICH IS 8 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. THUS...INSTABILITY WILL ALSO BE A BIT LIMITED TODAY SO THAT HELPS EXPLAIN THE SLIGHT CHANCE POPS GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF MOISTURE PRESENT. FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY...THE INVERTED TROF IS FORECAST TO LIFT NORTHEASTWARD AND MOVE OUT OF OUR AREA...LEAVING BEHIND A SOMEWHAT MORE LAMINAR...AND SWLY...FLOW ALOFT ACROSS THE AREA. MOISTURE WILL THIN A BIT...BUT REMAIN ON THE HIGH SIDE AND TEMPS WILL CREEP A BIT HIGHER...LEADING TO INCREASED INSTABILITY DURING THE DAY. THIS ALL LEADS TO A STANDARD OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE GRADE MONSOON FORECAST MONDAY...WITH CHANCE POPS FOR SOUTH-CENTRAL AZ MONDAY EVENING...AND SLIGHT CHANCE POPS OVER THE WESTERN HALF. NOT MUCH CHANGE PLANNED FOR THE EXTENDED FORECAST...AS A STANDARD MONSOONAL FORECAST REMAINS IN PLACE TUESDAY INTO THE WEEKEND. MOISTURE WILL REMAIN IN PLACE...AND SUFFICIENT TO WARRANT A CHANCE FOR AFTN/EVE STORMS OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN EAST OF PHOENIX EACH DAY...WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE EXPECTED OVER THE LOWER AZ/CA DESERTS. AS THE AIRMASS GRADUALLY DRYS OUT...TEMPS WILL CLIMB EACH DAY AND SHOULD REACH TO ABOUT NORMAL BY WEDNESDAY. THIS WILL INCREASE INSTABILITY EACH DAY...WHICH WILL SOMEWHAT OFFSET ANY LOSS IN MOISTURE. 00Z GFS RUN DID SUGGEST THAT AN UPPER TROF WILL PUSH THROUGH THE PAC NW THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY AND BRING INCREASING SWLY FLOW ALOFT INTO SERN CA AND FAR WESTERN AZ. AS THIS OCCURS MOISTURE WILL SCOUR OUT OF SERN CA AND POPS WILL DROP INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS. ALSO...POPS WILL GRADUALLY LOWER OVER SOUTH-CENTRAL AZ AS WELL EACH DAY...AND WILL DROP INTO THE SLIGHT CHANCE CATEGORY ACROSS ZONE 24 BY THURSDAY. SINCE THE EUROPEAN IS NOT AS AGGRESSIVE WITH THIS TROFFING AND THE DRYING SOUTHWEST FLOW...HAVE NOT BACKED OFF ON OUR POPS IN THE EXTENDED AS MUCH AS WOULD BE SUGGESTED IF YOU TOOK THE GFS AT FACE VALUE. && .AVIATION... PHX VICINITY... CURRENTLY QUIET ACROSS THE AREA. AS HAS BEEN THE RULE...AIRMASS IS STILL FAIRLY MOIST THOUGH SOME DRYING HAS OCCURRED. MODELS FOR TODAY INDICATING A SIMILAR SCENARIO TO SATURDAY...MAINLY TSTMS DEVELOPING OVER AREA MOUNTAINS WITH LITTLE WINDS TO PUSH THEM OFF THEIR HIGH PERCHES. WILL DROP EXPLICIT MENTION OF THUNDER AT KPHX/KIPL BUT HANG ON THE CB AS TSTMS WILL LIKELY AFFECT FLIGHT PATHS. AS IS USUALLY THE CASE WITH STORMS IN AZ...OUTSIDE CHANCE A COMPLEX COULD DEVELOP A COLD-POOL AND PUSH ITSELF OFF THE MOUNTAINS AND INTO THE VALLEY THOUGH PROBABILITY IS NOT HIGH ENOUGH TO INCLUDE IN TAFS AT THIS TIME. TSTM ACTIVITY WILL WIND DOWN AFTER 05Z-ISH. SE CA/SW AZ... MID-LEVEL LOW CURRENTLY OVER SE CA FORECAST TO LIFT NORTHWARD INTO NEVADA THROUGH THE DAY. AIRMASS REMAINS SLIGHTLY UNSTABLE...SO WILL LIKELY SEE SOME TSTMS POP OVER AREA MOUNTAINS. STORM MOTION IS VERY WEAK THOUGH...SO ODDS ARE THAT STORMS WILL BE STRONGLY TIED TO THE MOUNTAINS. A STORM OR TWO COULD DEVELOP A DECENT COLD POOL AND MOVE OFF THE MOUNTAINS...BUT ODDS OF THAT ARE LOW AT THIS TIME AND IMPACT ON TAF SITES WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO ASSESS. MOST FAVORED AREA FOR TSTMS WILL BE THE MOUNTAINS OF LA PAZ COUNTY IN SW AZ. AVIATION DISCUSSION NOT UPDATED FOR AMENDED TAFS. && .FIRE WEATHER... TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY... CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY WILL GENERALLY TREND DOWN TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL RISE BACK TO NEAR NORMAL LEVELS...WITH RH VALUES TREND DOWN SLOWLY /THOUGH SIGNIFICANT DRYING IS NOT EXPECTED/. MODELS HINTING THAT MOISTURE LEVELS COULD INCREASE AGAIN TOWARD NEXT WEEKEND...WHICH WILL BEAR MONITORING. OTHERWISE NO SIGNIFICANT FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS AT THIS TIME. && .PSR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AZ...NONE. CA...NONE. && NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX IS ON THE INTERNET AT WEATHER.GOV/PHOENIX DISCUSSION...ELLIS/CB AVIATION...INIGUEZ FIRE WEATHER...INIGUEZ
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ 621 AM MST SUN JUL 13 2008 AZZ021>023-026>028-140100- WEST CENTRAL DESERTS-NORTHWEST MARICOPA COUNTY- GREATER PHOENIX AREA-SOUTHWEST DESERTS-SOUTHWEST MARICOPA COUNTY- NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL PINAL COUNTY- 621 AM MST SUN JUL 13 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA...SOUTHWEST ARIZONA AND WEST-CENTRAL ARIZONA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS AN INCREASING CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TODAY INTO TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY FROM PHOENIX EASTWARD. THE PRIMARY HAZARD IS LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WHICH MAY LEAD TO FLOODING OF ROADS...STREAMS...WASHES AND LOW LYING AREAS. STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS CAN ALSO PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH....AS WELL AS DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THERE WILL BE A CONTINUED CHANCE FOR MAINLY LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MONDAY...AND THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. GUSTY WINDS TO OVER 40 MPH ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. FROM TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THERE WILL BE A CONTINUED SLIGHT CHANCE FOR MAINLY LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS. THE PRIMARY HAZARDS WILL BE BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL...STRONG GUSTY WINDS GREATER THAN 40 MPH...AND DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. AZZ024-140100- SOUTHERN GILA COUNTY/TONTO NATIONAL FOREST FOOTHILLS- 621 AM MST SUN JUL 13 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST-CENTRAL ARIZONA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE WILL BE A GOOD CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...PRIMARILY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. THE PRIMARY HAZARD WILL BE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WHICH COULD LEAD TO FLOODING OF AREA ROADS... STREAMS...WASHES AND LOW LYING AREAS. IN ADDITION...STRONGER STORMS COULD PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH...AS WELL AS DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THERE WILL BE A CONTINUED CHANCE FOR MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MONDAY AND TUESDAY...WITH THE PRIMARY HAZARD TO BE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. STRONGER STORMS MAY ALSO PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH. AS THE AIRMASS GRADUALLY DRIES OUT...THERE WILL BE JUST A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY INTO THE WEEKEND. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. AZZ020-025-CAZ030>033-140100- LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY AZ-YUMA/MARTINEZ LAKE AND VICINITY- JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK-LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY CA- RIVERSIDE COUNTY/EASTERN DESERTS-IMPERIAL COUNTY- 621 AM MST SUN JUL 13 2008 /621 AM PDT SUN JUL 13 2008/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EXTREME SOUTHWEST ARIZONA...EXTREME WEST-CENTRAL ARIZONA...EXTREME SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA AND SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...WITH SOMEWHAT BETTER CHANCES OVER HIGHER TERRAIN OF RIVERSIDE AND NORTHERN LA PAZ COUNTIES. THE PRIMARY HAZARD WILL BE BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL WHICH COULD LEAD TO LOCAL FLOODING OF STREAMS...WASHES AND ROADS. IN ADDITION...STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS IN EXCESS OF 45 MPH...BLOWING DUST AND SAND...AND DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THERE WILL BE A CONTINUED SLIGHT CHANCE FOR MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...AND THE PRIMARY HAZARDS WILL BE BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL...GUSTY WINDS GREATER THAN 45 MPH...BLOWING DUST AND SAND...AND DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT WILL START TO DRY OUT THE ATMOSPHERE BEGINNING ON THURSDAY...AND THUS NO WEATHER HAZARDS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH SATURDAY...ALTHOUGH THERE COULD BE SOME CLOUD BUILDUPS OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF RIVERSIDE AND LA PAZ COUNTIES DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. BRECKENRIDGE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ 1052 AM MST SUN JUL 13 2008 AZZ022>024-027-028-131945- GREATER PHOENIX AREA-NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL PINAL COUNTY-NORTHWEST MARICOPA COUNTY-SOUTHERN GILA/TONTO NF FOOTHILLS-SOUTHWEST MARICOPA COUNTY- 1052 AM MST SUN JUL 13 2008 ...THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING HEAVY RAINFALL AFFECTING SOUTHERN GILA COUNTY...FAR EASTERN MARICOPA COUNTY...AND NORTH-CENTRAL PINAL COUNTY... AT 1040 AM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A BROAD AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN GILA...FAR EAST MARICOPA AND NORTH-CENTRAL PINAL COUNTIES. THESE STORMS ARE SLOW MOVING...NEARLY STATIONARY...AND THE PRIMARY THREAT WILL BE HEAVY RAINFALL...UP TO ONE INCH IN 30 MINUTES...THAT CAN LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. THE STORM ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE IN AREAL COVERAGE AND INTENSITY THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON. VERY HEAVY RAINFALL MAY CAUSE TEMPORARY PONDING ON SOME ROADS AND MINOR FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. HEAVY RUNOFF CAN PRODUCE SUDDEN FLOW IN NORMALLY DRY WASHES AND STREAMS. MOTORISTS SHOULD SLOW DOWN IN HEAVY RAINFALL TO REDUCE THE RISK OF HYDROPLANING. IF WATER COVERS A ROADWAY OR LOW LYING AREA...MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT DRIVE THROUGH THE WATER...TURN AROUND...DO NOT DROWN. MEYERS
The Phoenix radar (KIWA), 36 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:02 UTC.
1 heavy rain, 1 flash flood, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A record daily maximum rainfall of 1.30 inches was set at Sky Harbor Airport. Other reports of heavy rain included .90 inch in 20 minutes in Tempe, and 1.00 inch in 20 minutes near Wickenburg.
Numerous streets and highways reported flooded in Phoenix and Tempe. One spotter near Guadalupe and McClintock picked up 2 1/2 inches in just 45 minutes. One unofficial report near Baseline and I-10 included 3.75 inches from this storm. A roof of a charter school in Ahwatukee was reported to have collapsed from the accumulated rain water.
Winds from a microburst blew down about 25 trees and damaged light poles at Mesa Community College. A security officer was slightly injured when the strong winds blew him from his golf cart.
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, July 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: 116061, 116060, 127467.