Strong thunderstorms with heavy rainfall occurred throughout the Tucson metro area.
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 thunderstorms with heavy rainfall occurred throughout the Tucson metro area.
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 8, 2:32 PM MST, 2 hours 38 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ 232 PM MST TUE JUL 8 2008 .SYNOPSIS...A SLOW MOVING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER SONORA WILL GRADUALLY MOVE NORTH INTO ARIZONA THROUGH THURSDAY...WHERE IT WILL EVENTUALLY STALL OUT UNTIL THE WEEKEND. THIS COMBINED WITH AN INCREASE IN MONSOON MOISTURE WILL LEAD TO MORE NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS...SOME OF WHICH COULD POSE A THREAT FOR HEAVY RAIN. A SLIGHT DECREASE IN ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED FOR THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK ONCE THIS LOW PRESSURE AREA WEAKENS...AND HIGH PRESSURE BUILD IN FROM THE EAST. && .DISCUSSION...CONCERNING OUR TSTMS TODAY...WE ARE IN A BIT OF A FIGHT BETWEEN INCREASING UPPER LEVEL DYNAMICS VERSUS RATHER WARM TEMPS ALOFT AND SOMEWHAT LIMITED INSOLATION. STRONGEST TSTMS SO FAR HAVE BEEN WHERE WEVE HAD THE MOST SUN TODAY...NAMELY ALONG THE RIM. WE WILL HAVE TO WATCH THOSE...BUT OF GREATER CONCERN FOR LATER THIS EVENING ARE THE TSTMS FLARING ON VORT SPOKES ROTATING NW AHEAD OF OUR MID AND UPPER LEVEL LOW OVER SONORA. THIS LOW WILL BE THE KEY FEATURE OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS AS MODELS...KEEPING IN MIND THEIR POOR INITIALIZATION OVER MEXICO...HAVE BEEN QUITE CONSISTENT IN BRINGING THIS NORTH AND STALLING IT OVER AZ LATER THIS WEEK. IN THE SHORT TERM...HAVE ELECTED TO BUMP POPS UP A BIT OVER THE S 1/3 OF THE CWA...ESPECIALLY OVERNIGHT WHEN INCREASING MOISTURE AND DYNAMICS SHOULD MAINTAIN AT LEAST SOME NOCTURNAL DEVELOPMENT. HELD POPS AS-IS EVERYWHERE ELSE...ALTHOUGH I WAS A BIT TEMPTED TO LOWER THEM FROM KTUS NW INTO PINAL COUNTY TONIGHT. EVEN THOUGH CAPE IS ON THE WEAK SIDE /500-1000 J/KG/...WE ARE STARTING TO SEE A BIT OF E SHEAR. THAT COULD POSE SOME THREAT OF A HYBRID MICROBURST OR TWO...AND PERHAPS SOME CLUSTERING INTO HEAVY RAINERS LATER IN THE EVENING. WED-FRI CONTINUE TO LOOK QUITE A BIT MORE ACTIVE. AN UPPER LOW OR SHEAR AXIS GETTING STUCK BETWEEN RIDGE CENTERS IS A TRADEMARK TYPE-III SEVERE WEATHER/FLASH FLOOD PATTERN FOR ARIZONA. JUST TO ADD TO IT...SOME SORT OF A MOISTURE SURGE IS WORKING UP THE GULF OF CA BASED ON PRECIP WATER AND SATELLITE IMAGERY...ALONG WITH A FORTUITOUS QUIKSCAT PASS EARLIER IN THE DAY. THUS THE 1.4-1.8 PRECIP WATER BOTH NAM AND GFS SHOW OVER SE AZ BY WED AFTERNOON SHOULD PAN OUT. WITH A WARM CORE NEARLY STATIONARY LOW ON TOP OF SUCH HIGH PRECIP WATER...YOU HAVE THE INGREDIENTS FOR A POTENTIAL SHARS /SUBTLE HEAVY RAINFALL SIGNATURE/ EVENT...SOMEWHERE AT SOME POINT. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THESE OUTBREAKS CAN OCCUR ANY TIME DAY OR NIGHT...AND THE DIURNAL CYCLE CAN BE DISRUPTED TO THE POINT THAT OUR HIGH POP FORECASTS CAN WIND UP IN THE WRONG TIMES OR PLACES. WHILE CONFIDENCE IS GROWING FOR WIDESPREAD PRECIP...THE TIMING AND PLACEMENT ARE BOTH FAR FROM CERTAIN. WARM TEMPS ALOFT AND LIMITED SOLAR HEATING COULD ALSO THROW THINGS OFF KILTER. THUS WE HAVE RAISED POPS...BUT NOT AS HIGH AS WE MAY EVENTUALLY NEED THEM TO BE. SAME THINKING GOES FOR ADDING HEAVY RAIN WORDING TO THE GRIDS OR ZONES -- IT IS SIMPLY TOO EARLY. AS AN INITIAL GUESS...WE LEANED ON THE SPC-CALIBRATED SREF...WHICH PLACED A SLIGHTLY GREATER THREAT OVER THE E CWA WED...CENTRAL CWA THU...AND THE WEST THU NIGHT/FRI. THE GREATEST THREAT OF WET MICROBURSTS MAY BE WED AS WE RETAIN A BIT OF DRY AIR ALOFT AND WE MAINTAIN RESPECTABLE E FLOW. SWODY2 LOOKS GOOD IN THIS REGARD. ONCE WE SATURATE AND THE LOW MOVES OVERHEAD... THAT PARTICULAR THREAT SHOULD DIMINISH AS THE HEAVY RAIN THREAT INCREASES. THANKS TO HPC ON THE AREAL QPF AND QPFPFD COORD TODAY. MODELS ARE PREDICTABLE IN THEIR UNPREDICTABILITY IN THE EXTENDED RANGE. BY THEN THE GFS IS LITTERED WITH CONVECTIVE VORTICES WHILE THE MID/UPPER LEVEL SHEAR AXIS BECOMES BROADER BUT REMAINS OVERHEAD. GENERALLY WENT WITH THE ENSEMBLE MEAN WHICH INDICATES A GRADUAL BREAKDOWN OF THE HIGH TO OUR NW...AND A WESTWARD EXPANSION OF THE HIGH TO OUR E. IF THAT WORKS OUT...IT WOULD RETURN US TO A MORE TYPICAL MONSOON PATTERN FOR MID JULY. WILL GRADUALLY SHADE POPS DOWN TOWARD MID JULY CLIMO FROM DAYS 4 THRU 7...WHILE BRINGING BACK A MORE DIURNAL TSTM CYCLE. && .FIRE WEATHER...AN UPPER LEVEL LOW IS FORECAST TO STALL NEAR OR OVER ARIZONA FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK. THIS...IN ADDITION TO INCREASING MOISTURE FROM THE SOUTH...SHOULD RESULT IN HIGH HUMIDITIES AND RATHER WIDESPREAD WETTING RAINS...ESPECIALLY FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON INTO FRIDAY. && .AVIATION...SCATTED TSTMS WITH 6-8K FT AGL BASES WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND SPREAD W THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. WHILE THE ACTIVITY WILL DIMINISH BY 06Z...THERE IS A RISK OF REDEVELOPMENT OVERNIGHT... PARTICULARLY NEAR KOLS AND KDUG. WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE 5-10 KTS AND GENERALLY FROM THE SOUTHEAST EXCEPT NEAR THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH 06Z WHERE A FEW GUSTS OVER 40KTS ARE POSSIBLE. AVIATION DISCUSSION NOT UPDATED FOR TAF AMENDMENTS. && .TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. PYTLAK WEATHER.GOV/TUCSON
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ 122 PM MST TUE JUL 8 2008 AZZ019-029-030-032>035-091200- NORTHERN GREENLEE COUNTY-SOUTHEAST PINAL COUNTY- UPPER GILA RIVER VALLEY-TOHONO OODHAM NATION- TUCSON METRO/MARANA/GREEN VALLEY-SANTA CRUZ COUNTY-COCHISE COUNTY- 122 PM MST TUE JUL 8 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 SOUTHEAST ARIZONA THIS AFTERNOON AND GRADUALLY SPREAD WEST INTO THE DESERTS THIS EVENING. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER THE SIERRA MADRES IN SONORA MEXICO ARE THEN EXPECTED TO SPREAD NORTHWEST INTO MAINLY SANTA CRUZ AND COCHISE COUNTIES OVERNIGHT. THE ATMOSPHERE IS A BIT MORE UNSTABLE COMPARED TO YESTERDAY...SO A COUPLE OF STORMS COULD PRODUCE WIND GUSTS APPROACHING SEVERE LIMITS. TEMPERATURES ALOFT ARE RATHER WARM...SO THE RISK OF HAIL IS LOW. MOISTURE IS BEGINNING TO INCREASE FROM THE SOUTH...SO A FEW STORMS MAY PRODUCE 1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED BEGINNING ON WEDNESDAY AND CONTINUING INTO AT LEAST FRIDAY. A SURGE OF MOISTURE IS SPREADING NORTH UP THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA...WITH A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM EXPECTED TO STALL OVER SOUTHERN ARIZONA BY THURSDAY. THIS WILL INCREASE THE THREAT OF HEAVY RAIN AND FLASH FLOODING OVER PARTS OF SOUTHEAST ARIZONA...WITH A FEW WET MICROBURSTS POSSIBLE MAINLY ON WEDNESDAY. IT IS TOO EARLY TO TELL EXACTLY WHERE THE HEAVIEST RAINS WILL FALL...BUT ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES ARE NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION AT SOME POINT BETWEEN WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND FRIDAY. EMERGENCY MANAGERS...HIKERS...CAMPERS AND THOSE WITH OUTDOOR PLANS FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK SHOULD MONITOR FUTURE FORECASTS CLOSELY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. AZZ031-091200- WESTERN PIMA COUNTY- 122 PM MST TUE JUL 8 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL ARIZONA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING OVER SOUTHEAST ARIZONA THIS AFTERNOON. AT LEAST SOME OF THESE WILL SPREAD WEST INTO WESTERN PIMA COUNTY TONIGHT. THE ATMOSPHERE IS A BIT MORE UNSTABLE COMPARED TO YESTERDAY...SO A COUPLE OF STORMS COULD PRODUCE WIND GUSTS APPROACHING SEVERE LIMITS ALONG WITH SOME BLOWING DUST. MOISTURE IS BEGINNING TO INCREASE FROM THE SOUTH AS WELL...SO A FEW STORMS MAY PRODUCE 1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED BEGINNING ON WEDNESDAY AND CONTINUING INTO AT LEAST FRIDAY. A SURGE OF MOISTURE IS SPREADING NORTH UP THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA...WITH A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM EXPECTED TO STALL OVER SOUTHERN ARIZONA BY THURSDAY. THIS WILL INCREASE THE THREAT OF HEAVY RAIN AND FLASH FLOODING OVER PARTS OF SOUTHEAST ARIZONA...WITH A FEW WET MICROBURSTS POSSIBLE MAINLY ON WEDNESDAY. IT IS TOO EARLY TO TELL EXACTLY WHERE THE HEAVIEST RAINS WILL FALL...BUT ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES ARE NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION AT SOME POINT BETWEEN WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND FRIDAY. EMERGENCY MANAGERS...HIKERS... CAMPERS AND THOSE WITH OUTDOOR PLANS FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK SHOULD MONITOR FUTURE FORECASTS CLOSELY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. PYTLAK
The Tucson radar (KEMX), 88 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:09 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Roof of mobile home torn off.
Several roads were flooded in Corona De Tucson.
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: 101626, 101625.