Dust Storm, Greater Phoenix Area
- When
- July 28, 7:20 PM MST
- Where
- Greater Phoenix Area forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
Visibility near zero reported south of Gilbert and Riggs in southern Chandler.
Brief strong winds produced near zero visibility followed by heavy rains and local 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 PSR wrote it up.
Brief strong winds produced near zero visibility followed by heavy rains and local 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 Phoenix, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 28, 5:15 PM MST, 2 hours 5 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ 515 PM MST WED JUL 28 2010 .UPDATED...UPDATED AVIATION DISCUSSION. && .SYNOPSIS... SEVERAL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS WILL MOVE TOWARD ARIZONA THE NEXT FEW DAYS...LEADING TO AN INCREASE IN RAIN CHANCES MOST AREAS. THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL PEAK THURSDAY ACROSS ARIZONA AS ONE LOW MOVES IN FROM THE EAST...WITH ANOTHER UP TICK SATURDAY FOR ARIZONA AND SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA AS ANOTHER LOW ARRIVES FROM THE SOUTH. TEMPERATURES WILL TREND DOWN HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND DUE TO INCREASED CLOUD COVER AND SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. DRIER AIR WILL FILTER IN EARLY NEXT WEEK CAUSING RAIN CHANCES TO DROP AND TEMPERATURES TO RISE. && .DISCUSSION... SAT AND RADAR TRENDS ARE SHOWING ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA EASTWARD. STORM MOVEMENT APPEARS RELATIVELY SLOW...OUT OF THE EAST AT 10KT OR SO...WITH THE BIGGEST THREAT THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING BEING MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL. PWATER OVER THE CENTRAL DESERTS IS AROUND 2.25 INCHES...AT LEAST THREE STANDARD DEVIATIONS ABOVE NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. MODIFIED 12Z PSR SOUNDING...USING A MEAN LAYER MIXING RATIO OF 14 G/KG AND AFTERNOON SFC TEMPS AROUND 100...YIELD SEVERAL HUNDRED J/KG OF CAPE WITH MINIMAL CIN. WE STARTED OFF WITH LESS CLOUD COVER OVER THE CENTRAL DESERTS THAN WE HAVE THE PAST FEW MORNINGS...AND GIVEN THE UNUSUALLY HIGH AMOUNTS OF MOISTURE AND INCREASING INSTABILITY WITH WARMING TEMPS...IT SHOULD NOT TAKE MUCH TO GET TALL STORMS GOING THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING WITH SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL AMOUNTS ON THE ORDER OF ONE INCH PER HOUR OR MORE. THE GREATEST RAINFALL THREAT REMAINS OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF SOUTHERN GILA COUNTY AND NORTHWESTERN PINAL COUNTY. THE CHANCE FOR SEVERE /60MPH OR GREATER/ WINDS IS NOT GENERALLY A THREAT TODAY...BUT CANNOT RULE OUT A MET MICROBURST. WENT WITH COVERAGE WORDING IN THE ZONES...SCATTERED SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS WITH A 40% CHANCE OF MEASURABLE RAIN ACROSS THE PHOENIX METRO AREA. THE THREAT DECREASES /SOMEWHAT/ INTO THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS...BUT WILL HANG ONTO SLIGHT CHANCE THROUGH EARLY MORNING HOURS. A VERY MOIST FLOW WILL CONTINUE INTO THE WEEKEND...WITH A GENERAL INCREASE IN THE THREAT OF SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS. BEYOND TODAY... FORECAST FOCUSES ON THE NEXT WAVE /INVERTED TROUGH/ CURRENTLY SPINNING OVER NORTHERN TEXAS AND EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH NEW MEXICO AND INTO ARIZONA THURSDAY/FRIDAY. HAVE INCREASED THE POPS FOR THIS TIME PERIOD...WITH THE GREATEST THREAT ONCE AGAIN HEAVY RAINFALL AND POSSIBLE FLOODING. MEANWHILE...TEMPS WILL REMAIN BELOW NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. FEW CHANGES MADE BEYOND THE FRIDAY PERIOD...AND THE PREVIOUS DISCUSSION/FORECAST REMAIN ON TRACK... PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... THINKING NOW IS THAT THURSDAY WILL SEE MUCH MORE ACTIVITY ACROSS OUR EASTERN CWA AS THE EFFECTS OF THE LOW OVER TEXAS ARE BETTER FELT AS IT MOVES INTO NEW MEXICO. INSTABILITY SHOULD BE A BIT HIGHER...SREF PROBABILITIES OF MLCAPE HIGHER THAN 1000 J/KG PERK-UP THURSDAY...AND AN AREA OF Q-VECTOR CONVERGENCE WILL BE MOVING INTO THE EASTERN HALF OF ARIZONA BY THE EVENING. STORM MOTION WILL STILL BE OUT OF THE EAST AT 10-15 KT HELPING TO PUSH STORMS INTO THE PHOENIX AREA. CURRENT PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES ARE APPROACHING RECORD HIGH VALUES THUS HEAVY RAIN WORDING WAS ADDED TO THE GRIDS FOR TODAY AND THURSDAY. HEAVY RAIN/FLASH FLOODING THREAT WILL ALSO BE PLAYED-UP IN THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK ISSUED LATER THIS MORNING. DON/T EXPECT ACTIVITY TO BE WIDESPREAD ENOUGH TO WARRANT A FLASH FLOOD WATCH. POPS AND TEMPERATURES COME DOWN A BIT FRIDAY AFTER AN EXPECTED ACTIVE THURSDAY. ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL LOW...CURRENTLY WEST OF THE YUCATAN PENINSULA...WILL ROUND THE SOUTHWEST PERIPHERY OF THE H5 ANTI-CYCLONE SATURDAY AND SUNDAY WHICH WILL KEEP TEMPERATURES COOLER...PLENTY OF CLOUDS AROUND...AND MAY ENHANCE CONVECTION A BIT. BOUNDARY LAYER FINALLY STARTS TO DRY OUT MONDAY INTO THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK AS WEST COAST TROUGHING EDGES EASTWARD. DROPPED POPS DOWN TO CLIMATOLOGY LEVELS FOR NEXT WEEK. TEMPERATURES WILL WARM AGAIN...APPROACHING OR SLIGHTLY EXCEEDING NORMAL LEVELS. && .AVIATION... SOUTH-CENTRAL AZ...INCLUDING KPHX...KIWA AND SURROUNDING AIRFIELDS... TO 07Z THU...SCT SHWRS AND TSTMS TOPS TO 45 THSD WITH VARIABLE WIND GUSTS TO 40 KNOTS. SCT CLDS NEAR 45 HUNDRED WITH BKN-OVC CLDS BASED NEAR 6 THSD MSL. BETWEEN 07Z THU AND 11Z THU...BKN CLDS BASED NEAR 6 THSD AGL WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS. FROM 11Z THU TO 18Z THU...SCT CLDS NEAR 6 THSD WITH BASES NEAR 10 THSD. SOUTHEASTERN CA...INCLUDING KIPL...KBLH AND SURROUNDING AIRFIELDS... EXPECT SOUTHERLY WINDS 5 TO 15 KTS WITH SCT-BKN CLOUDS AOA 12K FT. AVIATION DISCUSSION NOT UPDATED FOR AMENDED TAFS. && .FIRE WEATHER... FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY... PRECIP CHANCES WILL LINGER THROUGH FRIDAY WITH DRIER WEATHER EXPECTED SATURDAY THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. HUMIDITIES WILL DROP ON SUNDAY AS DRIER AIR IS ADVECTED INTO THE REGION. NO SIGNIFICANT SYNOPTIC SCALE WINDS EXPECTED AT ANY TIME DURING THE FORECAST PERIOD. && .PSR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AZ...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 9 PM MST THIS EVENING AZZ024-028. CA...NONE. && NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX IS ON THE INTERNET AT WEATHER.GOV/PHOENIX DISCUSSION...WANEK/INIGUEZ AVIATION...PVASQUEZ FIRE WEATHER...LEINS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ 509 AM MST WED JUL 28 2010 AZZ021>024-026>028-291215- WEST CENTRAL DESERTS-NORTHWEST MARICOPA COUNTY-GREATER PHOENIX AREA- SOUTHERN GILA COUNTY/TONTO NATIONAL FOREST FOOTHILLS- SOUTHWEST DESERTS-SOUTHWEST MARICOPA COUNTY- NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL PINAL COUNTY- 509 AM MST WED JUL 28 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST-CENTRAL ARIZONA...SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA...SOUTHWEST ARIZONA AND WEST-CENTRAL ARIZONA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP LATE THIS AFTERNOON OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF EASTERN AND SOUTHERN ARIZONA...INCLUDING THE GLOBE-MIAMI AREA...THEN MIGRATE INTO THE CENTRAL ARIZONA DESERTS...INCLUDING THE PHOENIX AREA...THIS EVENING. WITH THE ATMOSPHERE CURRENTLY VERY MOIST HIGH RAINFALL RATES WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH ANY THUNDERSTORM THAT DEVELOPS. STORMS WILL GENERALLY BE SLOW MOVING RAISING THE THREAT OF LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING. GUSTY WINDS AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY GREATER THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE IS EXPECTED THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. HEAVY RAINFALL WITH LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE AS WELL AS GUSTY WINDS AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING. LESS THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED FRIDAY FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER INCREASE SATURDAY. THE AIRMASS WILL STILL BE VERY MOIST THROUGH SATURDAY MEANING LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE. THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL BEGIN TO DECREASE IN COVERAGE SUNDAY THEN BE CONFINED TO THE EASTERN ARIZONA MOUNTAINS MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. MOISTURE LEVELS WILL LOWER ALLOWING THE FLASH FLOOD THREAT TO DECREASE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS...INCLUDING RAINFALL REPORTS...ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. AZZ020-025-CAZ030>033-291215- LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY AZ-YUMA/MARTINEZ LAKE AND VICINITY- JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK-LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY CA- RIVERSIDE COUNTY/EASTERN DESERTS-IMPERIAL COUNTY- 509 AM MST WED JUL 28 2010 /509 AM PDT WED JUL 28 2010/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EXTREME SOUTHWEST ARIZONA...EXTREME WEST-CENTRAL ARIZONA...EXTREME SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA AND SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO WEATHER HAZARDS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE SUNDAY AS A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES NORTH OUT OF SONORA INTO THE SOUTHWEST U.S. LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE AS THE ATMOSPHERE WILL BE VERY MOIST. GUSTY WINDS IN EXCESS OF 45 MPH AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX IS ON THE INTERNET AT WEATHER.GOV/PHOENIX
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</html>The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 dust storm, 1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
Visibility near zero reported south of Gilbert and Riggs in southern Chandler.
Heavy downpours of .75 inch in a half hour were reporte at Baseline and McClintock. Water was reported to be axle deep on the roadway. Parking lots were flooded in Tempe.
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, July 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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 252430, 252424.