Severe thunderstorms moved across parts of the city of Yuma, with damaging winds, large hail, and low visibilities due to heavy rain.
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.
Severe thunderstorms moved across parts of the city of Yuma, with damaging winds, large hail, and low visibilities due to heavy rain.
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 26, 3:10 PM MST, 4 hours 35 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ 310 PM MST THU AUG 26 2010 .UPDATE...UPDATED FIRE WEATHER DISCUSSION. && .SYNOPSIS... A WEAK AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL ALLOW FOR A CONTINUED CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT AND FRIDAY. A LARGER...FASTER MOVING AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL SWEEP THROUGH THE AREA ON SATURDAY...FOLLOWED BY DRIER CONDITIONS ON SUNDAY. THERE WILL BE AN INCREASING CHANCE OF AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE UPCOMING WEEK. && .DISCUSSION... EARLY AFTERNOON WATER VAPOR IMAGERY AND REGIONAL RADAR MOSAIC REVEALS A SMALL AREA OF LOW PRESSURE ACROSS SOUTHEAST ARIZONA...WITH A BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING NORTHWESTWARD THROUGH THE PHOENIX METRO AREA TOWARD TONOPAH. ONE COULD MAKE THE CASE THAT THE CENTER OF THE CIRCULATION HAD DRIFTED TOWARD EASTERN PIMA COUNTY AS OF 1PM BASED ON THE RADAR REFLECTIVITY ALONE...HOWEVER A SECONDARY CIRCULATION COULD BE INFERRED ACROSS SOUTHWEST MARICOPA AS WELL. RAINFALL TOTALS THUS FAR HAVE BEEN LARGELY UNIMPRESSIVE HOWEVER LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN HAS BEEN OBSERVED AT SEVERAL LOCATIONS. MEANWHILE ACROSS SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA SKIES ARE SUNNY AND TEMPERATURES CONTINUE TO SOAR TOWARD 110 DEGREES. THE HIGH AT SKY HARBOR THROUGH 1 PM HAS ONLY BEEN 95 DEGREES...WHICH OCCURRED AT 842 AM...8 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. VERY TRICKY FORECAST THIS EVENING AS ONLY THE NAM12 INITIALIZED THE CIRCULATION CENTER IN THE CORRECT PLACE...SO MY CONFIDENCE IN HOW TONIGHT WILL EVOLVE IS LOW. AS COULD BE EXPECTED...ABUNDANT CLOUD COVER APPEARS TO HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED CAPE ACROSS THE PHOENIX AREA...SHOWERS HAVE NOW MIGRATED WESTWARD TOWARD GREATER INSTABILITY ACROSS WESTERN MARICOPA COUNTY. MEANWHILE A LARGER TROUGH OFF THE WEST COAST AND ASSOCIATED CIRCULATION CENTER NEAR SAN DIEGO HAS LED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF CONVECTION ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA. HOW BOTH OF THESE AREAS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EVOLVE TONIGHT IS A TOUGH CALL. I THINK SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BLOSSOM OVER LA PAZ/YUMA/WESTERN MARICOPA COUNTIES THIS EVENING WHERE SKIES HAVE BEEN SUNNY ALL DAY...THEN DRIFT INTO THE STABLE AIRMASS OVER THE PHOENIX AREA LATE TONIGHT. FOR THE MOST PART THIS WILL REDUCE THE AREAL COVERAGE OF THE PRECIP BUT SHOWERS AND OCCASIONAL THUNDERSTORMS COULD GO ON THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. I WILL MAINTAIN ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE PHOENIX AREA THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS INTO FRIDAY MORNING AND WHILE I AM NOT EXPECTING A REPEAT OF TODAYS WEATHER ON FRIDAY...I THINK SOME SHOWERS COULD PERSIST LONGER INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS THAN THEY WOULD TYPICALLY. THE LOW OVER SAN DIEGO WILL DRIFT THROUGH THE AREA TOMORROW ALTHOUGH THE BOUNDARY LAYER COULD BE SUFFICIENTLY WORKED OVER THAT CONVECTION IS AT A MINIMUM TOMORROW. REGARDLESS I THINK SUFFICIENT INSTABILITY WILL BE REALIZED IN THE HIGHER TERRAIN NORTHEAST OF PHOENIX TOMORROW AFTERNOON AND I WENT WITH HIGHER THAN CLIMO POPS. VERY SIMILAR TO THE PREVIOUS FORECAST. SATURDAY STILL LOOKS LIKE THE BEST DAY AS A LARGE TROUGH MOVES IN FROM THE PACIFIC. I MADE VERY FEW CHANGES TO THE FORECAST ON SATURDAY AS WE ALREADY HAD 30-50 PERCENT POPS IN PLACE ACROSS THE EASTERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA. THIS STILL LOOKS REASONABLE AS VERY DRY AIR ACROSS SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA WILL KEEP PRECIP CHANCES AT A MINIMUM...AND MEAN MIXING RATIOS OF 12+ G/KG IN THE EAST ALONG WITH SUFFICIENT INSTABILITY SHOULD RESULT IN SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...THE TROUGH AXIS REMAINS OVER THE INTERIOR WEST SUNDAY AS A SUBSEQUENT EMBEDDED DISTURBANCE MOVES THROUGH THE NORTHERN GREAT BASIN. WITH A SLOWER EASTWARD ADVANCE THAN PREVIOUSLY PROGGED...DRY ADVECTION DOES NOT ADVANCE QUITE AS FAR EAST OVER OUR FORECAST AREA. BY MONDAY...BOTH ECMWF AND GFS SHOW FRANK HAVING MOVED NORTH-NORTHWEST OFF THE COAST OF BAJA. THE OFFICIAL TPC TRACK DOES NOT TAKE IT THAT FAR NORTH AND SHOWS IT AS A TROPICAL DEPRESSION. BY TUESDAY...THE UPPER TROUGH AXIS REACHES THE PLAINS AND THERE IS A HIGH CENTERED NEAR THE TEXAS/MEXICO BORDER WITH SOUTH-SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT OVER OUR FORECAST AREA ENABLING MOISTURE TO MOVE FURTHER WEST. BY WEDNESDAY...THE HIGH IS ADVERTISED TO BE FURTHER WEST NEAR SONORA WHICH WILL LEAD TO LESS INSTABILITY. AS THE RIDGE APPROACHES...TEMPERATURES WILL INCREASE. && .AVIATION... SOUTH CENTRAL AZ...INCLUDING KIWA AND KPHX... SCT LGT SHWRS...WITH ISOLD RW/TRW CONTINUE TO SPREAD NEWD THROUGH THE AREA. CELL DEVELOPMENT IS SLOWER THAN TYPICAL LATE-DAY STORMS WITH STEADY MOVEMENT/GROWTH TO THE NORTH AND EAST. LTG HAS ALSO BEEN SLOW TO DEVELOP...WITH CELL TOPS TO 35-40 THSD FT. AMENDED TAF FOR SKY HARBOR STILL LOOKS GOOD WITH LOWEST CIGS NEAR 8 THSD FT AND LOWEST VSBY IN PRECIP NEAR 6 MILES. TIMING OF NEW STORMS NOT ADJUSTED FROM OLDER SET OF TAFS. THUS PEAK ACTIVITY 00-04Z. SOUTHEAST CA AND SOUTHWEST AZ...INCLUDING KIPL AND KBLH... EASTERLY WINDS REMAINING LESS THAN 12 KTS WITH SKC OR SCT CLOUDS THRU AT LEAST 27/03Z. BEST CHANCES FOR CB DEVELOPMENT WILL BE TONIGHT AND INTO FRIDAY AFTERNOON. DISCUSSION NOT UPDATED FOR AMENDED TAFS. && .FIRE WEATHER... SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY... A LARGE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL SWEEP THROUGH THE SOUTHWEST UNITED STATES SUNDAY AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. THIS WILL RESULT IN GENERALLY CLEAR SKIES ACROSS SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA AND SOUTHWEST ARIZONA. BUT THERE WILL BE SUFFICIENT MOISTURE FOR A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL ARIZONA...MOSTLY OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN. TEMPERATURES WILL SHOW A SLOW WARMING TREND. && .PSR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AZ...NONE. CA...NONE. && NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX IS ON THE INTERNET AT WEATHER.GOV/PHOENIX DISCUSSION...LEINS/AJ AVIATION...SIPPLE FIRE WEATHER...SIPPLE
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ 615 AM MST THU AUG 26 2010 AZZ022>024-027-028-271315- NORTHWEST MARICOPA COUNTY-GREATER PHOENIX AREA- SOUTHERN GILA COUNTY/TONTO NATIONAL FOREST FOOTHILLS- SOUTHWEST MARICOPA COUNTY-NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL PINAL COUNTY- 615 AM MST THU AUG 26 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST-CENTRAL ARIZONA AND SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND TONIGHT. IF ANY STORMS FORM THEY WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LOCALIZED DAMAGING WINDS AND BRIEF HEAVY RAIN. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE LIKELIHOOD OF STORMS WILL INCREASE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY WITH SEVERE POTENTIAL PEAKING ON SATURDAY. STORM CHANCES WILL DECREASE NEXT WEEK BUT WILL LINGER THROUGH WEDNESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. AZZ020-021-025-026-CAZ030>033-271315- LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY AZ-WEST CENTRAL DESERTS- YUMA/MARTINEZ LAKE AND VICINITY-SOUTHWEST DESERTS- JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK-LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY CA- RIVERSIDE COUNTY/EASTERN DESERTS-IMPERIAL COUNTY- 615 AM MST THU AUG 26 2010 /615 AM PDT THU AUG 26 2010/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EXTREME SOUTHWEST ARIZONA...EXTREME WEST-CENTRAL ARIZONA...SOUTHWEST ARIZONA...WEST- CENTRAL ARIZONA...EXTREME SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA AND SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND TONIGHT...A BIT BETTER CHANCE OVER JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK. IF ANY STORMS FORM THEY WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LOCALIZED DAMAGING WINDS AND BRIEF HEAVY RAIN. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE FRIDAY THEN DECREASE FROM WEST TO EAST SATURDAY. SEVERE POTENTIAL WILL BE BEST ON SATURDAY OVER SOUTHWEST ARIZONA. DRY CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL NEXT WEEK. .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
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
541 PM MST THU AUG 26 2010
AZZ025-026-270130-
YUMA AZ-
541 PM MST THU AUG 26 2010
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PHOENIX HAS ISSUED A
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR...
WEST CENTRAL YUMA COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST ARIZONA
UNTIL 630 PM MST/630 PM PDT/
AT 537 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS YUMA COUNTY.
THE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE MAINLY OVER UNPOPULATED AREAS...BUT
HAVE PRODUCED OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES WITH WIND GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH.
LOCALLY DENSE BLOWING DUST IS POSSIBLE. IF YOU ENCOUNTER BLOWING
DUST WHILE DRIVING...PULL OVER AS FAR OFF THE ROADWAY AS POSSIBLE
AND PARK. TURN OFF YOUR HEADLIGHTS AND KEEP YOUR FOOT OFF THE BRAKE.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
ARABY...
YUMA...
SOMERTON... GADSDEN AND SAN LUIS...
GADSDEN...
LAT...LON 3243 11470 3247 11481 3248 11483 3262 11482
3273 11471 3268 11434 3234 11436
TIME...MOT...LOC 0038Z 113DEG 35KT 3248 11445
HIRSCHSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
711 PM MST THU AUG 26 2010
AZZ025-CAZ031-033-270330-
YUMA AZ-IMPERIAL CA-
711 PM PDT THU AUG 26 2010
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PHOENIX HAS ISSUED A
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR...
SOUTHEASTERN IMPERIAL COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA
EXTREME WEST CENTRAL YUMA COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST ARIZONA
UNTIL 830 PM PDT/830 PM MST/
AT 706 PM PDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 11 MILES NORTHEAST OF GORDON'S WELL...MOVING
SOUTH AT 5 MPH.
HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
GORDON'S WELL...
ANDRADE...
INTERSTATE 8 BETWEEN GORDON'S WELL AND YUMA...
LOCALLY DENSE BLOWING DUST IS POSSIBLE. IF YOU ENCOUNTER BLOWING DUST
WHILE DRIVING...PULL OVER AS FAR OFF THE ROADWAY AS POSSIBLE AND
PARK. TURN OFF YOUR HEADLIGHTS AND KEEP YOUR FOOT OFF THE BRAKE.
LAT...LON 3263 11481 3270 11475 3270 11497 3287 11502
3297 11476 3272 11451 3262 11481
TIME...MOT...LOC 0211Z 338DEG 6KT 3284 11487
HIRSCHThe Yuma radar (KYUX), 25 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:45 UTC.
7 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Spotter reports several houses damaged on May Street in Yuma. One house is uninhabitable. Most severe damage was near 23 Avenue and 5th Street.
Zero visibility reported in rain along with gusty winds estimated at up to 80 mph. Damage was reported to homes and businesses with numerous trees uprooted. A huge pine tree fell on a house at the corner of 8th Avenue and 10th Street. Entire carports were torn from their foundations. A roof on a home in the 1100 block of Appaloose Lane was completely torn off of its rafters. The ceramic tiles on the top of the entrance to El Charro Cafe, 601 West 8th Street, were severely damaged. The roof of a self-serve car wash collapsed. There were several reports of car windshields broken due to flying debris. At the old Foxworth Galbraith hardward store, entire structures collapsed and lay mangled on the ground where the outdoor lumber sdection had been.
Spotter reported hail estimated size 0.50 inches.
About 30 power poles were snapped by strong microburst winds, estimated in excess of 60 kt. APS reported up to 16,660 customers were without power at the height of the storm. Many of the poles were downed in the area bounded by Avenue B to the west, 4th Avenue to the east, the Colorado River to the north, and 12th street to the south.
Several schools in the Yuma area, including Yuma High School, were damaged due to strong thunderstorm winds, and were closed on Friday August 27th. The old gym at Yuma High suffered roof damage, and shingles were blown off the roof of Centennial Middle School. Pecan Grove Elementary and Carver Elementary schools also reported wind damage.
As reported in the Yuma Sun, the Garden Landscaping Company at 830 South Orange Avenue was mostly destroyed by thunderstorm microburst winds, estimated to be near 75 knots. Damage was also reported at the O.G. RV Resort. The Yuma High School and Kofa High School sustained considerable wind and water damage.
A trained spotter reported a measured thunderstorm wind gust at 71 mph. The strong thunderstorm microburst winds damaged some Palo Verde trees.
Spotter reported hail estimated size 0.75 inches.
Several trees fell onto cars at 16th Street and Ave B.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arizona in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, August 2010
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: 250956, 250958, 250960, 253756, 253768, 253776, 254626, 250959, 250957.