A strong storm system and cold front moved across northern Arizona and produced strong to very strong winds.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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 FGZ wrote it up.
A strong storm system and cold front moved across northern Arizona and produced strong to very strong winds.
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 Flagstaff, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 25, 4:10 AM MST, 5 hours 50 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ 410 AM MST SAT APR 25 2009 .SYNOPSIS...A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BECOME ESTABLISHED ACROSS THE WESTERN STATES OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. A COLD FRONT WILL CROSS NORTHERN ARIZONA TODAY...WITH STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND AREAS OF BLOWING DUST... ESPECIALLY NORTH OF THE MOGOLLON RIM. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF LIGHT SHOWERS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN NORTH OF INTERSTATE 40. DRY CONDITIONS WITH BREEZY AFTERNOON WINDS AND NEAR NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. && .DISCUSSION... STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS ARE THE SHORT TERM ISSUE. THE SURFACE COLD FRONT WAS ALONG A LINE FROM CEDAR CITY UTAH TO DEATH VALLEY EARLY THIS MORNING AND IS HEADED OUR WAY. SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST SFC WINDS IN NORTHERN ARIZONA ARE ALREADY GUST FROM 15 TO 25 MPH AT MANY AREAS. THE 88D VELOCITY DATA IS SHOWING 40-50 KT WIND RIGHT OFF THE SFC. THE CLOUD COVER SEEN FRIDAY EVENING HAS MOVED EAST OF AZ...AND SOME SCATTERED UPSLOPE STRATUS IS SEEN IN NW AZ. FOR TODAY...WE HAVE UPGRADED THE HIGH WIND WATCH TO A WARNING AND WILL KEEP THE WIND ADVISORIES...SO THE ENTIRE CWA HAS SOME TYPE OF WIND HEADLINE. THESE WINDS ARE DUE TO THE PASSAGE OF A COLD FRONT ACROSS AZ TODAY. THE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO BE ALONG A LINE FROM PAGE TO FLAGSTAFF BY NOON. THE FASTEST WINDS (SW GUSTS 55-65 MPH) ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HALVES OF NAVAJO AND APACHE COUNTIES. THIS AREA WILL BE STILL AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT FOR MOST OF THE DAY. AREAS OF BLOWING DUST WILL SHOULD CAUSE TRAVEL CONCERNS...ESPECIALLY ALONG I-40. MOISTURE WITH THE FRONT IS LIMITED BUT LIFT IS PRETTY STRONG SO WE NEED TO KEEP A MENTION OF LIGHT SHOWERS IN TODAYS FORECAST FOR THE HIGHER TERRAIN NORTH OF I-40. TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY...THE COLD FRONT WILL BE MOVING QUICKLY EASTWARD TONIGHT...WITH CLEARING SKIES FROM WEST TO EAST. PROGS CONTINUE TO SHOW A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE OVER THE WESTERN U.S. FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. NORTHERN ARIZONA SHOULD BE DRY WITH BREEZY AFTERNOONS AND NEAR NORMAL TEMPS. FRIDAY...THE GFS MODEL IS SHOWING ANOTHER SYSTEM TO CROSS AZ WITH VERY DEEP MOISTURE...WHILE THE EC IS DRY. WE INHERITED SOME SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS WORDING FOR FRIDAY AND WILL KEEP IT FOR NOW. && .AVIATION...FOR THE 12Z PACKAGE...A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS NORTHERN AZ TODAY. SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE INTO THE 20-35 KT RANGE WITH GUSTS FROM 35-55 KT. THE HIGHEST WIND SPEEDS WILL BE ACROSS NAVAJO AND APACHE COUNTIES IN THE AFTERNOON WITH AREAS OF BLOWING DUST. AFT 15Z THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS NORTH OF A LINE FROM SELIGMAN-FLAGSTAFF-WINDOW ROCK ALONG WITH SCT-BKN CLOUD COVER AT 10-12 KFT MSL. AVIATION DISCUSSION NOT UPDATED FOR AMENDMENTS. && .FIRE WEATHER...WILL UPGRADE THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH TO A RED FLAG WARNING AND REMOVE AZ ZONE 011 /CHUSKA MOUNTAINS/ FROM THE WARNING...SEE RFWFGZ FOR THE DETAILS. A COLD FRONT WILL CROSS NORTHERN ARIZONA TODAY WITH VERY STRONG WINDS. THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS NAVAJO AND APACHE COUNTIES DURING THE AFTERNOON. MOISTURE IS LIMITED WITH THIS FRONT...WITH JUST A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS NORTH OF A LINE FROM SELIGMAN-FLAGSTAFF-WINDOW ROCK. COOL AND DRY WEATHER WITH MUCH LESS WIND IS IN STORE SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. && .FGZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... 1) RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON MST SATURDAY UNTIL 7 PM MST SATURDAY EVENING FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES: 112>114-137-140. 2) HIGH WIND WARNING TODAY 10 AM MST TIL 7 PM MST FOR AZZ011>017-040. 3) WIND ADVISORY TODAY FROM 8 AM TO 7 PM MST SATURDAY FOR AZZ004>010-018-037>039. && PUBLIC.....................DL AVIATION/FIRE WEATHER......MAS VISIT WEATHER.GOV/FLAGSTAFF FOR NORTHERN ARIZONA WEATHER INFORMATION.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ 427 AM MST SAT APR 25 2009 AZZ004>018-037>040-260700- KAIBAB PLATEAU-MARBLE AND GLEN CANYONS-GRAND CANYON COUNTRY- COCONINO PLATEAU-YAVAPAI COUNTY MOUNTAINS- NORTHEAST PLATEAUS AND MESAS HWY 264 NORTHWARD-CHINLE VALLEY- CHUSKA MOUNTAINS AND DEFIANCE PLATEAU- LITTLE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY IN COCONINO COUNTY- LITTLE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY IN NAVAJO COUNTY- LITTLE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY IN APACHE COUNTY- WESTERN MOGOLLON RIM-EASTERN MOGOLLON RIM-WHITE MOUNTAINS- NORTHERN GILA COUNTY-YAVAPAI COUNTY VALLEYS AND BASINS- OAK CREEK AND SYCAMORE CANYONS-BLACK MESA AREA- NORTHEAST PLATEAUS AND MESAS SOUTH OF HWY 264- 427 AM MST SAT APR 25 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL ARIZONA...NORTH CENTRAL ARIZONA...NORTHEAST ARIZONA AND WEST CENTRAL ARIZONA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ALL OF NORTHERN ARIZONA HAS EITHER A HIGH WIND WARNING OR WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT STARTING THIS MORNING UNTIL 7 PM TONIGHT. STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS WITH AREAS OF BLOWING DUST ARE FORECAST TODAY...ESPECIALLY FROM EAST FLAGSTAFF TO THE NEW MEXICO BORDER WHERE WINDS OF 25 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 65 MPH ARE EXPECTED. ELSEWHERE SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE FORECAST. SEE PRODUCT PHXNPWFGZ FOR DETAILS. A RED FLAG WARNING WILL BE IN EFFECT TODAY OVER THE LITTLE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY AND THE VALLEYS OF YAVAPAI COUNTY. SEE PRODUCT PHXRFWFGZ FOR DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY FOR SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...DRY CONDITIONS WITH BREEZY AFTERNOON WINDS AND NEAR NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST THROUGH THURSDAY. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION ON FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A trained spotter in Seligman reported strong winds with a peak wind gust of 59 MPH.
High winds (59 MPH and 60 MPH) were reported in both Tuba City and at Two Guns.
A peak wind gust of 67 MPH was reported at the Mogollon Rim Airpark in Overgaard.
The AWOS at the Show Low airport reported a peak wind gust of 63 MPH.
High winds were recorded at the Winslow ASOS.
Arizona Department of Transportation reported strong winds in Lupton with a peak wind gust of 59 MPH.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arizona in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, April 2009
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: 169980, 170014, 170016, 170021, 170013, 169993.