Abundant moisture, favorable monsoonal flow, and an outflow boundary from Sonora, Mexico allowed for isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms along the International Border. A few storms produced strong winds.
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 TWC wrote it up.
Abundant moisture, favorable monsoonal flow, and an outflow boundary from Sonora, Mexico allowed for isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms along the International Border. A few storms produced 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 Tucson, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 5, 3:05 PM MST, 37 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ 305 PM MST FRI AUG 5 2011 .SYNOPSIS...ADEQUATE MOISTURE WILL PROVIDE ISOLATED TO SCATTERED MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS INTO THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. && .DISCUSSION...ACTIVITY THIS AFTERNOON HAS BEEN PRETTY MUCH STUCK NEAR THE MOUNTAINS WITH A FEW GETTING INTO THE VALLEYS EAST OF TUCSON BUT WEAKENING RATHER QUICKLY. STORMS IN GRAHAM/GREENLEE/FAR EASTERN PINAL/NRN COCHISE COUNTY WILL BE FIGHTING ANVIL DECK WHICH WILL LIMIT CAPE VALUES. STILL COULD SEE LOCALIZED MODERATE RAIN NEAR THE HIGHER TERRAIN. FOCUS FOR THIS EVENING WILL BE ACROSS SOUTHERN COCHISE COUNTY AND ALL OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. HAVE SEEN SOME STRONG PULSY STORMS OVER THE HUACHUCA MOUNTAINS AND SOUTHEAST SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. QUICK RAINFALL AMOUNTS LIKELY IN THE HALF TO ONE RANGE. NOTE TO OUR USERS...RADAR PRECIPITATION TOTALS ARE RUNNING ON THE HIGH SIDE. THE REASON FOR THE HEIGHTENED FOCUS IS DUE TO THE CIRCULATION THAT IS CLEARLY VISIBLE ON SATELLITE IMAGERY HALFWAY BETWEEN NOGALES AND HERMOSILLO SONORA MEXICO. 18Z NAM CONTINUE TO SLOWLY MOVE THIS FEATURE WEST...BUT IT WILL HIT A WALL OF MID-LEVEL WEST NORTHWEST WINDS THAT IS OVER FAR NORTHWEST SONORA MEXICO. NAM EVOLVES THIS INTO AN INVERTED TROF WITH AXIS OVER SANTA CRUZ COUNTY AND PRODUCES AND LARGE AREA OF 1"-2" RAINFALL OVER SANTA CRUZ AND UP TO 4" SOUTH OF THE BORDER. CONSIDERED FFA FOR THIS AREA BUT AT THIS TIME WILL MENTION HEAVY RAIN IN THE EVENING FORECAST FOR SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. ELSEWHERE...LIKE TUCSON METRO AREA...THE CHANCES ARE LOW WITH THE METRO AREA NEEDING HELP FROM OUTFLOW BOUNDARY INTERACTION. LATEST MODEL RUNS MAINTAIN INVERTED TROF ACROSS THE AREA SATURDAY BETWEEN UPPER HIGH OFF NORTHERN BAJA CALIFORNIA AND OVER SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO. ISOLD/SCTD AFTN/EVENG STORMS FOR ERN 2/3RDS OF FORECAST AREA. SUNDAY AND MONDAY...INVERTED TROF STILL IN THE PICTURE ON SUNDAY AS THE TWO UPPER HIGHS START THE PROCESS OF CONSOLIDATION WHICH WILL BE COMPLETE EAST OF THE AREA ON MONDAY. REMAINDER OF NEXT WEEK...NOTHING TO HANG HAT ON FROM DEVIATING FROM CLIMATOLOGICAL POPS. HIGH TEMPERATURES OVER THE NEXT WEEK WILL REMAIN SEVERAL DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL BUT SHOW A SMALL DAY-TO-DAY DECREASES. && .AVIATION...ISOLD TO SCT TSRA/SHRA WILL OCCUR THRU 06Z SATURDAY... WITH THE BULK OF TSRA/SHRA TO BE FROM KTUS VICINITY EWD/SWD. MVFR CIGS/VSBYS AND WIND GUSTS TO NEAR 35 KTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE STRONGER TSRA. PRECIP TO DECREASE IN COVERAGE 06Z-12Z SATURDAY. OTHERWISE...FEW TO OCCASIONALLY BKN CLOUDS GENERALLY AT 8K-12K FT AGL AND SURFACE WIND MAINLY LESS THAN 10 KTS INTO SATURDAY MORNING. AVIATION DISCUSSION NOT UPDATED FOR TAF AMENDMENTS. && .FIRE WEATHER...EXPECT ISOLATED TO SCATTERED MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS INTO THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. NORMAL DIURNAL WIND TRENDS WILL OCCUR EXCEPT STRONG AND GUSTY WIND WILL PREVAIL NEAR THUNDERSTORMS. && .TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. WEATHER.GOV/TUCSON
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ 1215 PM MST FRI AUG 5 2011 AZZ503-507-508-512-513-515-060600- UPPER SANTA CRUZ RIVER VALLEY/ALTAR VALLEY- UPPER SAN PEDRO RIVER VALLEY- EASTERN COCHISE COUNTY BELOW 5000 FEET-CHIRICAHUA MOUNTAINS- DRAGOON AND MULE AND HUACHUCA AND SANTA RITA MOUNTAINS- BABOQUIVARI MOUNTAINS- 1045 AM MST FRI AUG 5 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST ARIZONA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. WITH THE ATMOSPHERE REMAINING MOIST...SOME OF THE STRONGER STORMS COULD PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAIN IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME...ALONG WITH WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND NEAR THE INTERNATIONAL BORDER. THE HEAVY RAIN COULD LEAD TO LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING PROBLEMS...ESPECIALLY NEAR AND DOWNSTREAM OF THE MONUMENT AND HORSESHOE WILDFIRE BURN SCARS. A FEW STORMS MIGHT LINGER INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED EACH AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE STRONGEST STORMS WILL PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS. MODERATE RAIN FROM STRONGER STORMS MAY RESULT IN FLASH FLOODING NEAR AND DOWNSTREAM OF THE WILDFIRE BURN SCARS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. AZZ504-506-509-511-514-060600- TUCSON METRO AREA-SOUTHEAST PINAL COUNTY-UPPER GILA RIVER VALLEY- GALIURO AND PINALENO MOUNTAINS-CATALINA AND RINCON MOUNTAINS- 1215 PM MST FRI AUG 5 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST ARIZONA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ISOLATED VALLEY TO SCATTERED MOUNTAIN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. THE STRONGEST STORMS WILL PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED EACH AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE STRONGEST STORMS WILL PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. AZZ510-060600- WHITE MOUNTAINS OF GRAHAM AND GREENLEE COUNTIES- 1045 AM MST FRI AUG 5 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST ARIZONA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE STRONGEST STORMS WILL PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS. MODERATE RAIN FROM STRONGER STORMS MAY RESULT IN FLASH FLOODING NEAR AND DOWNSTREAM OF THE WALLOW WILDFIRE BURN SCAR. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED EACH AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE STRONGEST STORMS WILL PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS. MODERATE RAIN FROM STRONGER STORMS MAY RESULT IN FLASH FLOODING NEAR AND DOWNSTREAM OF THE WALLOW WILDFIRE BURN SCAR. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. AZZ501-502-505-060600- WESTERN PIMA COUNTY-TOHONO O'ODHAM NATION- SOUTH CENTRAL PINAL COUNTY- 1045 AM MST FRI AUG 5 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST ARIZONA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS...MAINLY EAST OF A ELOY TO SELL LINE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EACH DAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. WEATHER.GOV/TUCSON
The Tucson radar (KEMX), 52 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:43 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A trained weather spotter near Tubac estimated a thunderstorm wind gust of 60 mph at her home.
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, August 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: 339747.