A mid level trough acted on ample moisture to produce thunderstorms capable of producing damaging winds across Santa Cruz and western Pima Counties.
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.
A mid level trough acted on ample moisture to produce thunderstorms capable of producing damaging winds across Santa Cruz and western Pima Counties.
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 6, 1:37 PM MST, 1 hour 3 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ 137 PM MST MON AUG 6 2012 .SYNOPSIS...ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS AGAIN THIS EVENING BEFORE A SLIGHT DRYING TREND WILL BRING A LITTLE LESS THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE. OTHERWISE...STRONG HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT WILL RESULT IN HOT DAYTIME TEMPERATURES. && .DISCUSSION...STARTING TO SEE A FEW SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY AND SOUTHEAST OF SELLS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. STILL LOOKING AT THE MAIN AREAS OF CONCERN FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORMS BEING ACROSS CENTRAL PIMA AND SANTA CRUZ COUNTIES INITIALLY...THEN IMPACTING WESTERN PIMA. THE GREATER TUCSON AREA WILL BE RIGHT ALONG THE TRANSITION ZONE BETWEEN THE SLIGHTLY DRIER AND STABLE AIR TO THE EAST AND THE DEEPER MOISTURE TO THE WEST. ALSO...IT APPEARED THAT THE BEST UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT FROM THE INVERTED TROUGH MOVING THROUGH NORTHERN MEXICO WILL BE ACROSS THE WESTERN DESERTS. AFTER TONIGHT...MODELS CONTINUE TO BUILD THE UPPER HIGH OVER THE REGION WHICH SHOULD RESULT IN SOME DRYING AND SLIGHTLY WARMER HIGH TEMPERATURES. NOT SURE THERE WILL BE A PROLONG DOWN PERIOD OF THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY AS THE UPPER HIGH MOVES TO A MORE FAVORABLE POSITION OVER SOUTHERN UTAH ON WEDNESDAY. THUS...WILL CALL FOR LESS THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE TUESDAY THEN INCREASE POP VALUES ON WEDNESDAY. FOR NOW...WILL JUST CALL FOR A STANDARD POP FORECAST AFTER WEDNESDAY. HIGH TEMPERATURES...ESPECIALLY ACROSS WESTERN PIMA COUNTY...WILL BE A CONCERN FOR WEDNESDAY AND POSSIBLY THURSDAY. LATER SHIFTS MAY NEED TO ISSUE A HEAT ADVISORY FOR THE LOWER WESTERN DESERTS ON WEDNESDAY. && .AVIATION...SCT-BKN 100-120 WITH ISOLD TO SCT SHRA/TSRA DVLPG THRU 07/06Z. WIND SPEEDS GENERALLY LESS THAN 10 KTS. WIND GUSTS UP TO 45 KTS NEAR THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. AVIATION DISCUSSION NOT UPDATED FOR TAF AMENDMENTS. && .FIRE WEATHER...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO BE POSSIBLE THRU THE WEEK...THOUGH MAIN STORY WILL BE THE MODEST DRYING TREND AND HOTTER TEMPERATURES. THIS WILL RESULT IN RH VALUES CONTINUING TO DROP BELOW VALUES SEEN OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS. WINDS WILL ALSO INCREASE SLIGHTLY LATE IN THE WEEK AS THE UPPER LEVEL HIGH REPOSITIONS OVER NRN AZ. && .TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. WEATHER.GOV/TUCSON
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ 1008 AM MST MON AUG 6 2012 AZZ503>505-514-070400- UPPER SANTA CRUZ RIVER VALLEY/ALTAR VALLEY-TUCSON METRO AREA- SOUTH CENTRAL PINAL COUNTY-CATALINA AND RINCON MOUNTAINS- 1008 AM MST MON AUG 6 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST ARIZONA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL ONCE AGAIN RETURN TO THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING. THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE WILL BE LESS THAN YESTERDAY...WITH THE BEST CHANCES JUST WEST OF THE AREA ACROSS CENTRAL AND WESTERN PIMA COUNTY. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND STRONG WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN THREATS FROM SOME OF THE STRONGER STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE WILL BEGIN TO DIMINISH SOMEWHAT. AS THIS HAPPENS...EXPECT HOT DAYTIME TEMPERATURES MOST OF THE WEEK. AFTERNOON HIGHS MAY NEAR RECORD LEVELS IN SOME LOCATIONS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. AZZ501-502-515-070400- WESTERN PIMA COUNTY-TOHONO O'ODHAM NATION-BABOQUIVARI MOUNTAINS- 1008 AM MST MON AUG 6 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST ARIZONA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE WILL BE AN ELEVATED RISK OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINFALL AND DAMAGING WINDS THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. STORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS CENTRAL PIMA COUNTY AND NORTHERN SONORA MEXICO THIS AFTERNOON AND TRACK WEST AND NORTHWEST INTO THE EVENING HOURS. AREAS AROUND SELLS AND AJO COULD BE HIT THE HARDEST...WITH POWER OUTAGES POSSIBLE DUE TO STRONG THUNDERSTORM WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE WILL BEGIN TO DIMINISH SOMEWHAT. AS THIS HAPPENS...EXPECT HOT DAYTIME TEMPERATURES MOST OF THE WEEK. AFTERNOON HIGHS MAY NEAR RECORD LEVELS IN SOME LOCATIONS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. AZZ506>513-070400- SOUTHEAST PINAL COUNTY-UPPER SAN PEDRO RIVER VALLEY- EASTERN COCHISE COUNTY BELOW 5000 FEET-UPPER GILA RIVER VALLEY- WHITE MOUNTAINS OF GRAHAM AND GREENLEE COUNTIES- GALIURO AND PINALENO MOUNTAINS-CHIRICAHUA MOUNTAINS- DRAGOON AND MULE AND HUACHUCA AND SANTA RITA MOUNTAINS- 1008 AM MST MON AUG 6 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST ARIZONA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A MORE STABLE ATMOSPHERE TODAY WILL RESULT IN LESS THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL STILL DEVELOP IN THE MOUNTAINS WITH A FEW STRAY STORMS DRIFTING WESTWARD INTO THE VALLEYS. THE BEST CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ACROSS WESTERN SECTIONS OF COCHISE COUNTY THIS AFTERNOON. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE WILL BEGIN TO DIMINISH SOMEWHAT. AS THIS HAPPENS...EXPECT HOT DAYTIME TEMPERATURES MOST OF THE WEEK. AFTERNOON HIGHS MAY NEAR RECORD LEVELS IN SOME LOCATIONS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. WEATHER.GOV/TUCSON
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ 223 PM MST MON AUG 6 2012 AZZ502-503-515-062215- BABOQUIVARI MOUNTAINS INCLUDING KITT PEAK AZ-TOHONO O'ODHAM NATION INCLUDING SELLS AZ-UPPER SANTA CRUZ RIVER AND ALTAR VALLEYS INCLUDING NOGALES AZ- 223 PM MST MON AUG 6 2012 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHERN PIMA COUNTY UNTIL 315 PM MST... AT 216 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 9 MILES SOUTH OF SELLS...MOVING NORTHWEST AT 15 MPH. WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. AREAS AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...SELLS...LITTLE TUCSON... ARTESA...COWLIC AND SAN ISIDRO. LAT...LON 3186 11210 3205 11173 3177 11146 3163 11187 TIME...MOT...LOC 2123Z 139DEG 14KT 3181 11187 SMR
The Tucson radar (KEMX), 121 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:39 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm winds snapped several power poles southwest of Sells and damaged homes in Big Fields. Three of the homes sustained major roof damage.
Thunderstorm winds caused roof damage to one residence and damaged several sheds at Diamond Bell Ranch. An eight inch brick wall was blown over on to a car.
The AWOS at Pinal Air Park (KMZJ) recorded a gust to 67 mph.
Thunderstorm winds registered a gust to 66 mph at the Nogales Airport then caused major roof to a home on the eastern side of the city along Royal Road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arizona in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, August 2012
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: 408116, 408126, 408127, 408376.