Thunderstorms caused very strong winds, heavy rain and some damage in the City of Blythe and other nearby areas on the evening of August 25th.
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.
Thunderstorms caused very strong winds, heavy rain and some damage in the City of Blythe and other nearby areas on the evening of August 25th.
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 25, 8:45 PM PST, 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ 945 PM MST MON AUG 25 2008 SOUTH-CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ARIZONA...AND SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION && .SYNOPSIS... ABUNDANT MOISTURE FROM TROPICAL STORM JULIO WILL CONTINUE TO STREAM INTO THE DESERT SOUTHWEST OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS...PRODUCING ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA AND SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA THIS EVENING...AND AGAIN TUESDAY. THE STRONGER STORMS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND STRONG GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS. THIS COOLER...MOIST PATTERN WILL CONTINUE INTO WEDNESDAY FOR CONTINUED THREAT OF THUNDERSTORMS. MOISTURE AND STORM COVERAGE BEGIN TO WANE AND TEMPERATURES WARM SLIGHTLY THE LATTER PART OF THE WEEK. && .DISCUSSION... VERY ACTIVE NIGHT CONVECTIVELY SPEAKING...AS THE MONSOON IS IN FULL SWING. UPPER LEVEL SHORT WAVE TROF IS CURRENTLY PASSING BY TO OUR NORTH...SUPPLYING DYAMICAL LIFT...AND TS JULIO CONTINUES TO MOVE NORTH UP THE GULF OF CA SUPPLYING MOISTURE INTO OUR DESERTS. PWAT VALUE AT PHOENIX THIS AFTERNOON WAS UP TO 1.8 INCHES...AND SURFACE DEWPOINTS OVER THE LOWER DESERTS THIS EVENING RANGED FROM THE MID 60S TO LOW 70S MOST PLACES. DYNAMICS PLUS MOISTURE PLUS OROGRAPHICS HAVE COMBINED TO PRODUCE SCT TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...MANY WITH HEAVY RAINFALL. FLOODING HAS OCCURRED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM JOSHUA TREE NP EAST THROUGH SRN GILA COUNTY. WATER RESCUES WERE NEEDED IN LAVEEN EARLIER. HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING HAS IMPACTED MUCH OF LA PAZ COUNTY...IN THE PARKER AREA...AS WELL AS PORTIONS OF NORTHERN MARICOPA COUNTY. NUMEROUS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS HAVE BEEN ISSUED ACROSS THE CWA LAST 6 HOURS...AS WELL AS SMALL STREAM FLOOD ADVISORIES. AT 8 PM ANOTHER LINE OF STORMS DEVELOPED ACROSS THE NRN CWA...FROM LA PAZ COUNTY EASTWARD INTO SRN GILA COUNTY...AND THIS LINE LIKELY WAS SPURRED BY OUTFLOWS MOVING SOUTH OUT OF MOHAVE/YAVAPAI COUNTIES. THE LINE HAS MOVED SOUTH OVER THE PAST HOUR AND SCT/NMRS SHOWERS AND TSTMS WILL CONTINUE OVER MUCH OF THE CWA THROUGH AT LEAST MIDNIGHT. HAVE UPDATED FORECASTS TO RAISE POPS ACROSS MUCH OF THE CWA THIS EVENING...AND RAISED POPS AFTER MIDNIGHT INTO THE CHANCE CATEGORY FOR SOUTH-CENTRAL AZ. FORECASTS LOOK TO BE IN DECENT SHAPE ATTM. REST OF THE DISCUSSION IS FROM PREVIOUS DAY SHIFT. .PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... THE INFLUX OF LOW TO MID-LEVEL MOISTURE FROM TROPICAL STORM JULIO AND A GOOD AMOUNT OF SURFACE INSOLATION AND HEATING OVER THE CENTRAL DESERTS HAS FACILITATED AN EARLY START TO CONVECTION...MAINLY OVER NORTHWEST PINAL COUNTY AND THE HIGHER TERRAIN EAST OF PHOENIX. THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS THROUGHOUT SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA...LA PAZ COUNTY AND EXTENDING INTO EASTERN RIVERSIDE COUNTY (INCLUDING JTNP)...THESE AREAS WILL HAVE THE GREATEST POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAINFALL AMOUNTS THAT COULD LEAD TO LOCALIZED FLASH FLOOD CONCERNS. ACROSS THE LOWER DESERT ELEVATIONS...THERE IS STILL A SUBSTANTIAL DEPTH TO THE DRIER SUBCLOUD LAYER WHICH IS FAVORABLE FOR STRONG DOWNBURST WINDS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH...AND ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. BASED ON THE PATTERN...PUT AREAL POP COVERAGE (ISOLATED TO SCATTERED) INTO THE WEATHER GRIDS FOR MOST OF OUR CWA...INCLUDING JTNP...FOR THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING. WITH THE MOISTURE AND CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY...DAYTIME TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO BE SEVERAL DEGREES COOLER TUESDAY. THE FORECAST BECOMES A LITTLE TRICKIER...ESPECIALLY IF AIRMASS GETS WORKED OVER ON A LARGE-SCALE BASIS TONIGHT. BASED ON THE TRACK OF T.S. JULIO AND MOISTURE FLOW...KEPT CHANCE POPS GOING FOR ALL OUR AZ ZONES TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... WEDNESDAY THRU FRIDAY SHOULD SEE A DEFINITE DOWNSWING IN ACTIVITY AS A SOMEWHAT DRIER FLOW PREVAILS. HOWEVER...MODERATE ELY STEERING FLOW WILL GIVE US PAUSE TO TOTALLY TAKE OUT MENTION OF PRECIP UNTIL ABOUT FRIDAY WHEN AIRMASS APPEARS TO BE AT ITS DRIEST. WILL LEAVE SLIGHT CHANCES GOING BY FRIDAY ONLY OVER HIGHER TERRAIN OF ZONE 24. SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...MEDIUM RANGE MODELS...BOTH EURO AND GFS...ARE STILL STRONGLY SUGGESTING ANOTHER UPSWING IN MOISTURE AND RESULTANT CONVECTION DURING THE UPCOMING HOLIDAY WEEKEND. THIS IS THE RESULT OF THE PROGS DEVELOPING A STRONG RETURN S/SELY FLOW AROUND W COAST TROF AND SUBTROPICAL RIDGE SHIFTING TO OUR E. FOR NOW...WILL TWEAK POPS UP A BIT ON SAT/SUNDAY AS A LEAD-IN...COULD BE INTERESTING. && .AVIATION... INCREASED MOISTURE IN PART DUE TO TS JULIO AND A GULF SURGE UP THE LOWER CO RIVER..AND A PASSING UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE FROM THE WEST ARE INDICATING THAT AN ACTIVE EVENING WILL CONTINUE FOR MOST OF THE FORECAST AREA. THERE WILL BE AN INCREASING CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ARIZONA THIS EVENING...INCLUDING THE GREATER PHOENIX AREA. STORMS WILL BE HEAVY RAIN PRODUCERS...WITH SOME BRIEF GUSTY WINDS...REDUCED VISIBILITIES...AND LOWER CIGS IN THE VICINITY OF ANY CONVECTION. IN ADDITION...ABRUPT WIND SHIFTS WITH GUSTS AROUND 40 KTS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH ANY OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES THAT OCCUR. AS OF 7 PM...A NEW LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED OVER FAR NORTHERN MARICOPA COUNTY EXTENDED FROM GLADDEN THRU WICKENBURG...INTO ANTHEM AND SEVEN SPRINGS. THE LINE WILL LIKELY CONTINUE TO PUSH SOUTH AND IT IS POSSIBLE FOR STORMS FOR FORM ACROSS MUCH OF THE GREATER PHOENIX AREA THRU 9 PM...AND STORMS MAY MOVE INTO KPHX AFTER 8 PM. GOOD POSSIBILITY FOR GUSTY WINDS TO MOVE INTO KPHX/KIWA FROM THE NORTH AFTER 8 PM...AND POSSIBLY EXCEED 25 MPH. OF COURSE...WITH DEVELOPING CONVECTION WIND DIRECTIONS WILL BE VARIABLE AND VERY HARD TO FORECAST OR TIME. WE HAVE ALREADY SEEN WINDS FROM A VARIETY OF DIRECTIONS DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS AT KPHX. AT 7 PM STRONG STORMS HAD DEVELOPED OVER MUCH OF YUMA COUNTY...AND SOME OF THESE MAY WORK THEIR WAY WESTWARD INTO KBLH/KYUM THIS EVENING. GUSTY WINDS ABOVE 30 MPH FROM THE NE OR E ARE POSSIBLE THRU 9 PM...ALONG WITH SOME BLOWING DUST OR SAND. ACTIVITY WILL THEN DECREASE OVERNIGHT...WITH A FEW LINGERING SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS STILL POSSIBLE. AREAS OF MID/UPPER LEVEL CLOUD DEBRIS WILL LIKELY PERSIST THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING. AVIATION DISCUSSION NOT UPDATED FOR AMENDED TAFS. && .FIRE WEATHER... WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY... A RATHER SLIGHT DRYING AND WARMING TREND IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE REGION WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FROM THE NORTHWEST. TOWARD NEXT WEEKEND MOISTURE LEVELS AND PRECIPITATION CHANCES WILL INCREASE AS A BROAD AREA OF LOW PRESSURE APPROACHES THE WESTERN UNITED STATES. && .PSR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AZ...NONE. CA...NONE. && NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX IS ON THE INTERNET AT WEATHER.GOV/PHOENIX DISCUSSION...CB/MEYERS/ESTLE AVIATION...CB FIRE WEATHER...INIGUEZ
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ 617 AM MST MON AUG 25 2008 AZZ020>028-CAZ030>033-260100- LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY AZ-WEST CENTRAL DESERTS- NORTHWEST MARICOPA COUNTY-GREATER PHOENIX AREA- SOUTHERN GILA COUNTY/TONTO NATIONAL FOREST FOOTHILLS- YUMA/MARTINEZ LAKE AND VICINITY-SOUTHWEST DESERTS- SOUTHWEST MARICOPA COUNTY-NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL PINAL COUNTY- JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK-LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY CA- RIVERSIDE COUNTY/EASTERN DESERTS-IMPERIAL COUNTY- 617 AM MST MON AUG 25 2008 /617 AM PDT MON AUG 25 2008/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST-CENTRAL ARIZONA...EXTREME SOUTHWEST ARIZONA...EXTREME WEST-CENTRAL ARIZONA... SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA...SOUTHWEST ARIZONA...WEST-CENTRAL ARIZONA... EXTREME SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA AND SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA. THE STRONGEST STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS TO 50 MPH...HEAVY RAIN AND HAIL...WITH AREAS OF BLOWING DUST POSSIBLE IN THE DESERTS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THERE WILL CONTINUE TO BE A CHANCE OF MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE AREA TUESDAY INTO THURSDAY...WITH THE BEST CHANCES OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN. AFTER A BRIEF LULL IN THUNDERSTORM CHANCES ON FRIDAY...THE THREAT WILL INCREASE AGAIN BY SATURDAY AND ESPECIALLY SUNDAY. AGAIN...STRONGEST STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY RAIN AND HAIL. .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 ESTLE
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
515 PM MST MON AUG 25 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0445 PM TSTM WND GST 4 ENE AVONDALE 33.44N 112.29W
08/25/2008 M60 MPH MARICOPA AZ TRAINED SPOTTER
WIND GUST OF 60 MPH NEAR INTERSTATE 10,115 AVENUE AND
AVONDALE BLVD.
&&
MEYERSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
542 PM MST MON AUG 25 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0515 PM FLASH FLOOD 4 S LAVEEN 33.36N 112.13W
08/25/2008 MARICOPA AZ BROADCAST MEDIA
HOUSES FLOODED AND WATER RESCUES FROM FLASH FLOOD AT 35TH
AVE AND DOBBINS
&&
KINCAIDPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
641 PM MST MON AUG 25 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0325 PM TSTM WND DMG CHANDLER 33.29N 111.87W
08/25/2008 MARICOPA AZ BROADCAST MEDIA
PLANES OVERTURNED AT CHANDLER AIRPORT WHEN AWOS MEASURED
A 67 MPH WIND GUST.
&&
KINCAIDThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous trees and power lines were downed by strong winds in and near Blythe. Some homes also sustained some damage from these storms.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in California, 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: 128679.