Strong to severe thunderstorms developed across portions of Southeast Arizona resulting in large hail and flash flooding.
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 TWC wrote it up.
Strong to severe thunderstorms developed across portions of Southeast Arizona resulting in large hail and flash flooding.
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 Tucson, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 22, 2:08 PM MST, 50 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ 208 PM MST TUE JUL 22 2008 .SYNOPSIS...AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE OVER WEST TEXAS WILL MOVE WEST INTO NORTHWEST MEXICO BY WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THIS SYSTEM WILL TEND TO ENHANCE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT AND INTENSITY AS IT APPROACHES THE REGION. IT NOW APPEARS THAT A SLIGHT DOWNTURN IN THE MONSOON FLOW IS EXPECTED THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AS THE REGION FALLS IN BETWEEN THE DEPARTING UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE...AND THE UPPER LEVEL REMAINS OF HURRICANE DOLLY AS SHE MOVES INTO THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY. SOME OF THE MOISTURE FROM DOLLY IS EXPECTED TO SPREAD INTO THE REGION THIS WEEKEND...LEADING TO AN INCREASE IN THUNDERSTORM CHANCES. && .DISCUSSION...FORECAST HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY COMPLICATED OVER THE NEXT 48HRS. THE MAIN STORY IS THAT THE UPPER LOW WE HAVE BEEN TRACKING SINCE LAST WEEK IS SLOWLY MOVING THIS WAY OUT OF W TX WITH RECENT WATER VAPOR LOOPS INDICATING A DIFFLUENCE AXIS OPENING UP FROM N CENTRAL NEW MEXICO ACROSS SE AZ AND NE SONORA. WE HAVE PLENTY OF INSTABILITY...AT LEAST POTENTIALLY...WITH A PRECIP WATER AS HIGH AS IT USUALLY GETS AROUND HERE. HOWEVER OUR LOW LEVEL STEERING FLOW IS STILL WEAK AND IS NOT PROGGED TO INCREASE UNTIL AFTER DARK. SO FOR THE 2ND DAY IN A ROW...VIGOROUS MOUNTAIN DEVELOPMENT OCCURRED EARLY...BUT INITIAL CELLS HAVE MOVED LITTLE WHILE THEIR ANVILS HAVE SPREAD OUT AND ARE CLOUDING OVER THE VALLEYS. THIS RAISES ONE OF SEVERAL QUESTIONS LATER TONIGHT/WED AS THE UPPER LOW CLOSES IN AND INDUCES FAIRLY IMPRESSIVE SYNOPTIC SCALE LIFT. BY THEN OUR ATMOSPHERE MAY BE AT LEAST PARTIALLY WORKED OVER...BUT WITH SUCH A TROPICAL SOUNDING...THE INTRODUCTION OF SYNOPTIC-SCALE DYNAMICS SHOULD SUPPORT AT LEAST SOME NOCTURNAL REDEVELOPMENT. UPSTREAM TRENDS OVER THE SOUTHERN WHITES AND GILAS MAY BE A SIGN OF THE DYNAMICS STARTING TO TAKE OVER. SEE 20Z NESDIS SATELLITE DISCUSSION FOR DETAILS /SPENES -- WMO HEADER TXUS20 KNES/. THE COVERAGE OF NOCTURNAL REDEVELOPMENT IS OF COURSE IN DOUBT AT THE MOMENT...WHICH IN TURN THROWS OUR ENTIRE WED FORECAST IN DOUBT. WE COULD BE TOO CLOUDY TO REDEVELOP ON WED...OR THE REDEVELOPMENT MAY BE RATHER WEAK WITH SHOWERS AND EMBEDDED TSTM OR TWO...OR WE COULD BE RATHER CLEAR IN THE MORNING WHICH WOULD SUPPORT STRONG AND ORGANIZED TSTMS DURING THE DAY. WHILE TIMING THE BEST CHANCE OF WIDESPREAD TSTMS IS NOW LESS CERTAIN...IT DOES NOT APPEAR IT WILL BE WED NIGHT LIKE I PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT. WILL BE ADJUSTING POPS ACCORDINGLY IN THIS PACKAGE BY RAISING THEM FOR THE OVERNIGHT THROUGH WED MORNING...WHILE LOWERING THEM FOR WED NIGHT. IT WILL BE VERY MUCH A WAIT-AND-SEE PROPOSITION OVER THE NEXT 48 HOURS. THE NEXT ADJUSTMENT WILL BE TO LOWER POPS THU AND ESPECIALLY FRI AS WE GET IN BETWEEN SYSTEMS. IT IS HARD TO SAY IF DOLLYS OUTER SUBSIDENCE ENVELOPE IS TO BLAME...BUT MOST 06Z AND 12Z MODELS ARE MORE EMPHATIC ABOUT DRAGGING WARMER/DRIER AIR INTO SE AZ ALOFT AS THE UPPER LOW CONTINUES ON ITS WESTWARD JOURNEY BEFORE TURNING NW AND EVENTUALLY N AROUND THE EDGE OF THE UPPER RIDGE. THAT MAKES SOME SENSE...ALTHOUGH PRECIP WATERS ARE NOT PROGGED TO FALL ALL THAT MUCH...SO WE ARE NOT GOING TO LOWER POPS TOO FAR BELOW CLIMO. THEN AS WE GET INTO THE WEEKEND...IT IS STARTING TO BECOME MORE APPARENT THAT THE UPPER LEVEL REMAINS OF DOLLY WILL SPREAD IN THIS GENERAL DIRECTION. AS WE HAVE SEEN MANY...MANY TIMES WITH REMNANT TROPICAL SYSTEMS...THEY CAN BE A MIXED BAG. THEY USUALLY CLOUD US OVER QUITE A BIT WHICH CUTS INTO THE TSTM POTENTIAL. BUT THEY DO BRING A LOT OF MOISTURE AND AT LEAST SOME UPPER LEVEL DYNAMICS. WE WERE CARRYING A MODEST UPRAMP THIS WEEKEND...WHICH STILL LOOKS REASONABLE...BUT THE EXACT IMPACT ON SE AZ IS FAR FROM CERTAIN THIS FAR IN ADVANCE. && .AVIATION...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE MOUNTAINS WILL ATTEMPT TO SPREAD SLOWLY SW INTO THE VALLEYS THRU 03Z...WITH THE GREATEST RISK AT KOLS AND KDUG. IF ONE OF THESE STORMS DRIFTS OVER A TAF SITE...CONDITIONS COULD EASILY FALL TO IFR...MAINLY DUE TO VSBY RESTRICTIONS IN HEAVY RAIN. WITH SUCH A MOIST ENVIRONMENT...CB BASES OF 040-060 AGL ARE LIKELY. THERE IS A RISK FOR REDEVELOPMENT OVERNIGHT...BUT THE RISK IS TOO LOW TO CARRY IN TAFS JUST YET. AVIATION DISCUSSION NOT UPDATED FOR TAF AMENDMENTS. && .TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. PYTLAK WEATHER.GOV/TUCSON
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ 152 PM MST TUE JUL 22 2008 AZZ019-029-030-032>035-231200- NORTHERN GREENLEE COUNTY-SOUTHEAST PINAL COUNTY- UPPER GILA RIVER VALLEY-TOHONO OODHAM NATION- TUCSON METRO/MARANA/GREEN VALLEY-SANTA CRUZ COUNTY-COCHISE COUNTY- 152 PM MST TUE JUL 22 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL ARIZONA AND SOUTHEAST ARIZONA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND DRIFT SOUTHWEST AT 5 TO 10 MPH INTO THE VALLEYS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. ALTHOUGH THE HEAVIEST RAINS WILL NOT BE PARTICULARLY WIDESPREAD...THE STRONGEST STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING 1 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN. THIS WILL POSE AN OBVIOUS FLASH FLOOD THREAT...ESPECIALLY IN STREAMS AND NORMALLY DRY WASHES RUNNING OUT OF THE MOUNTAINS. A FEW WET MICROBURSTS WITH WINDS APPROACHING SEVERE LIMITS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. LATER TONIGHT...AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL APPROACH FROM WEST TEXAS. THIS WILL ADD ADDITIONAL LIFT TO AN ALREADY SATURATED AND RATHER UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE. THUS THERE IS A RISK THAT THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN WILL REDEVELOP OVERNIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THE ATMOSPHERE WILL REMAIN VERY MOIST OVER SOUTHEAST ARIZONA WEDNESDAY AS THE UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVES WEST ACROSS NORTHERN SONORA. DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH SUNSHINE THE AREA RECEIVES...ANOTHER ROUND OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN COULD DEVELOP WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. IT NOW APPEARS THAT THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT DOWNTURN IN THUNDERSTORMS THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. ATTENTION WILL THEN TURN TO THE WEEKEND AS RESIDUAL MOISTURE FROM THE REMNANTS OF HURRICANE DOLLY SPILL INTO THE AREA. THIS SHOULD LEAD TO AN INCREASED THREAT FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...BUT IT IS MUCH TOO EARLY TO DETERMINE IF THIS WILL BRING A RENEWED THREAT FOR LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN. THOSE WITH OUTDOOR PLANS SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR WEATHER FORECASTS CLOSELY THROUGHOUT THE WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. AZZ031-231200- WESTERN PIMA COUNTY- 152 PM MST TUE JUL 22 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL ARIZONA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED LATE TONIGHT. THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE WILL BE HEAVY RAINS..PERHAPS AS MUCH AS AN INCH IN LESS THAN AN HOUR. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THE ATMOSPHERE WILL REMAIN VERY MOIST OVER SOUTHEAST ARIZONA WEDNESDAY AS THE UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVES WEST ACROSS NORTHERN SONORA. DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH SUNSHINE THE AREA RECEIVES...A ROUND OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN COULD DEVELOP WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING OVER WESTERN PIMA COUNTY. IT NOW APPEARS THAT THERE WILL BE A DOWNTURN IN THUNDERSTORMS THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. ATTENTION WILL THEN TURN TO THE WEEKEND AS RESIDUAL MOISTURE FROM THE REMNANTS OF HURRICANE DOLLY SPILL INTO THE AREA. THIS SHOULD LEAD TO AN INCREASED THREAT FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...BUT IT IS MUCH TOO EARLY TO DETERMINE IF THIS WILL BRING A RENEWED THREAT FOR LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN. THOSE WITH OUTDOOR PLANS SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR WEATHER FORECASTS CLOSELY THROUGHOUT THE WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. PYTLAK WEATHER.GOV/TUCSON
The Tucson radar (KEMX), 65 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:59 UTC.
4 flash flood, 1 lightning, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A trained spotter reported water flowing over Ramsey Road near Hereford.
An 18 year old man was struck by lightning and injured while working on the roof of a house.
A trained spotter reported nickel sized hail in Sahuarita.
A trained spotter reported 0.90 inch of rain in 15 minutes with roadways flooded in the Sahuarita area.
A trained spotter reported flooding on Highway 191 near Pearce.
The Pantano Wash at Vail crested at 12.6 feet or 1.6 feet above bankful at 9:00 PM.
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: 107171, 107185, 107184, 107186, 107176, 107182.