A cold front moving across the Great Basin brought high winds to east-central Arizona.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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 cold front moving across the Great Basin brought high winds to east-central Arizona.
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 29, 2:30 AM MST, 5 hours 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ 230 AM MST FRI APR 29 2011 .SYNOPSIS...A STORM SYSTEM MOVING ACROSS THE WESTERN UNITED STATES WILL BRING WINDY CONDITIONS TO THE NORTHLAND WITH WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 55 MPH LATER THIS AFTERNOON. ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...A MUCH COOLER AIR MASS WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA...KEEPING TEMPERATURES OVER THE WEEKEND 10 TO 15 DEGREES COOLER THAN ON FRIDAY. BY EARLY NEXT WEEK...THE STORM WILL HEAD EASTWARD WITH WARMING DAYTIME TEMPERATURES AND DRY CONDITIONS. && .DISCUSSION...A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN TODAY. PERSISTENT UPWARD MOTION ACROSS THE FOUR CORNERS AREA WILL RESULT IN STRENGTHENING SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENTS THROUGH THE DAY. IN ADDITION...WINDS ALOFT WILL STRENGTHEN IN ADVANCE OF THE STORM/COLD FRONT. AS A RESULT...EXPECT SUSTAINED WINDS OF 25-35 MPH WITH GUSTS FROM 40-55 MPH BY THIS AFTERNOON. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE LOCATED FROM ABOUT FLAGSTAFF EASTWARD INTO NEW MEXICO WHERE THE STRONGEST SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT AND WIND ALOFT WILL DEVELOP. AREAS OF BLOWING DUST WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE LITTLE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY AND THE NAVAJO NATION. OVERNIGHT...WINDS WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH AS WINDS ALOFT WEAKEN AND NIGHTTIME COOLING TAKES CHARGE. FOR SATURDAY...A SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS MOST OF NORTHERN ARIZONA BY SATURDAY MORNING. AS A RESULT...STILL LOOKS LIKE HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE FROM 10 TO 15 DEGREES COOLER THAN ON FRIDAY. OVERALL MODEL SOLUTIONS ARE A BIT FURTHER NORTH WITH THE MID-LEVEL LOW CENTER THAN 24 HOURS AGO. THE FURTHER NORTH TRACK WILL ENSURE THAT THIS SYSTEM IS MAINLY DRY WITH JUST A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS ALONG THE UTAH BORDER. SURFACE WINDS WILL BE BRISK AND GUSTY OUT OF THE NORTH BEHIND THE FRONT. ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY...THE MAIN LOW WILL MOVE TO THE EAST BUT A SECONDARY IMPULSE WILL MOVE OVER ARIZONA. THIS WILL PUSH A BACKDOOR COLD FRONT ACROSS THE AREA. AS A RESULT...COOLER TEMPERATURES WILL PERSIST ON SUNDAY WITH SOME WARMING BY MONDAY BUT NOT AS MUCH AS PREVIOUSLY ADVERTISED. IN ADDITION...GUSTY NORTHEAST WINDS WILL BE OUR FRIEND FOR A COUPLE DAYS ESPECIALLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE MOGOLLON RIM. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE OVER NORTHEAST ARIZONA ON SUNDAY AND WITH COLD POOL ALOFT AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM OR TWO WILL BE POSSIBLE. DRIER AND WARMER AIR IN THE MID-LEVELS WILL MOVE IN FOR MONDAY. FROM TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...DRY WEATHER IS EXPECTED THROUGH THE PERIOD. WARMER WEATHER AND LIGHTER WINDS ARE ANTICIPATED EARLY NEXT WEEK AS A DRY NORTHWEST FLOW DEVELOPS ALOFT. && .AVIATION...FOR THE 12Z PACKAGE...AREAS EAST AND NORTHEAST OF THE KAIBAB PLATEAU...SAN FRANCISCO PEAKS AND MOGOLLON RIM WILL CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE STRONG MOUNTAIN WAVE INDUCED SFC WINDS THIS MORNING IN EXCESS OF 30G45KT. GENERAL SW WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 15-25KTS WITH GUSTS 30-45KTS AFTER 15-17Z. AREAS OF BL DUST WITH LCL MVFR VSBYS IN AND NORTHEAST OF THE LITTLE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY. WINDS DECREASING AND GRADUALLY SHIFTING TO NORTHERLY AFTER 00Z SATURDAY. AVIATION DISCUSSION NOT UPDATED FOR AMENDMENTS. && .FIRE WEATHER... A LOW PRESSURE TROUGH WILL PRODUCE STRONG WINDS...DRY CONDITIONS... AND CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER TO MUCH OF THE AREA TODAY. ON SATURDAY... EXPECT BREEZY NORTHERLY WINDS...COOLER TEMPERATURES...AND POSSIBLY A FEW SPRINKLES ALONG THE UTAH BORDER. SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY... THE LOW PRESSURE TROUGH WILL TRAVERSE THE WESTERN UNITED STATES THROUGH EARLY MONDAY...PUSHING EAST OF ARIZONA LATE MONDAY. BREEZY WINDS AND HIGH TEMPERATURES 3 TO 5 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL ARE EXPECTED SUNDAY...AND RETURNING TO NEAR NORMAL MONDAY. BY TUESDAY A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE IS FORECAST TO BUILD OVER THE REGION WITH DRY CONDITIONS...LIGHTER WINDS AND HIGH TEMPERATURES 5 TO 8 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. && .FGZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... 1)RED FLAG WARNING FROM 11 AM TO 8 PM MST TODAY FOR ARIZONA FIRE WEATHER ZONES 107>118-137>140. 2)WIND ADVISORY FROM 9 AM TO 8 PM MST TODAY FOR AZZ009>018-038>040. && PUBLIC..............MCCOLLUM AVIATION/FIRE WX....MAS FOR NORTHERN ARIZONA WEATHER INFORMATION VISIT WEATHER.GOV/FLAGSTAFF.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ 355 AM MST FRI APR 29 2011 AZZ004>018-037>040-300730- 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- 355 AM MST FRI APR 29 2011 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 STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS SUSTAINED AT 20 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 40 TO 55 MPH ARE ANTICIPATED FOR MANY AREAS TODAY...AND A WIND ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR MUCH OF THE NORTHLAND. LOCAL AREAS OF BLOWING DUST WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE LITTLE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY AND NAVAJO NATION. AS CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY...A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT TODAY FOR MUCH OF NORTHERN ARIZONA. PLEASE REFER TO WEATHER.GOV/FLAGSTAFF FOR MORE DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .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.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Saint Johns Airport recorded a peak wind gust of 65 MPH with winds gusting over 58 MPH for over 3 hours. Blowing dust was also observed.
The Mesonet wind sensor at Linden recorded wind gusts go 59 MPH.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arizona in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, April 2011
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: 310522, 310523.