A deep low pressure system over the Western United States and a cold front approaching Arizona brought strong winds and blowing dust the northeastern parts of the state.
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 deep low pressure system over the Western United States and a cold front approaching Arizona brought strong winds and blowing dust the northeastern parts of the state.
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 May 25, 3:30 AM MST, 2 hours 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ 330 AM MST FRI MAY 25 2012 .SYNOPSIS...A DEEP LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AND COLD FRONT WILL BRING THE STRONGEST WINDS SO FAR THIS SPRING...TODAY AND SATURDAY. AS THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AND COLD FRONT SWEEP THROUGH ARIZONA ON SATURDAY THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION WITH MUCH COOLER HIGH TEMPERATURES. WARMER TEMPERATURES WITH MUCH LIGHTER WINDS ARE EXPECTED SUNDAY THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. && .DISCUSSION...A STRONG UPPER LEVEL LOW AND COLD FRONT WILL BEGIN TO MOVE EAST TOWARD NORTHERN ARIZONA TODAY. MAIN IMPACTS FROM THIS STORM WILL BE HIGH WINDS AND DRY CONDITIONS...PRODUCING WIDESPREAD CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND CONSIDERABLE BLOWING DUST AND VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS. FOR NORTHERN ARIZONA TODAY...THE PRESSURE GRADIENTS AND WINDS AT THE SFC AND ALOFT WILL INCREASE WITH SOUTHWEST WINDS INCREASING TO 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 60 MPH...FROM THE MOGOLLON RIM NORTHWARD. SOUTH OF THE MOGOLLON RIM SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS FROM 45 TO 55 MPH. IN THE LITTLE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY THERE WILL BE CONSIDERABLE BLOWING DUST WITH LOCALIZED VISIBILITY AS LOW AS 1/4 MILE OR LESS DUE TO BLOWING DUST. THE MAIN IMPACTED AREA ALONG I-40 WILL BE WEST OF WINSLOW FROM TWO GUNS TO WINSLOW. THERE WILL BE CONSIDERABLE BLOWING DUST ALONG HIGHWAY 191 AND 160 THROUGH THE CHINLE VALLEY...EXPECTING THE DUST TO BE MORE WIDESPREAD WITH VISIBILITY LESS THAN A 1/4. FOR SATURDAY...THE UPPER LOW AND COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP THROUGH NORTHERN ARIZONA BRINGING HIGH TEMPERATURE WELL BELOW NORMAL AND A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. THE MAIN WEATHER IMPACT FOR SATURDAY WILL BE THE HIGH WINDS ALONG AND A HEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. THERE WILL LIKELY BE BLOWING DUST ONCE AGAIN IN THE LITTLE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY AND CHINLE VALLEY WITH VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS. FINALLY BY SUNDAY AND MONDAY...A RETURN TO LIGHTER WINDS AND MILD TEMPERATURES (NEAR NORMAL) ARE FORECAST. TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...A HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE IS FORECAST TO BUILD OVER THE REGION WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES RISING ABOVE NORMAL... TEMPERATURES IN THE MOUNTAINS ARE FORECAST TO CLIMB INTO THE 80S WITH VALLEY LOCATIONS IN THE 90S TO LOW 100'S. && .AVIATION...FOR THE 12Z PACKAGE...SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS 10-20 KTS GUSTING NEAR 30 KTS THROUGH 18Z. AFT 18Z...WINDS INCREASING TO 25-35 KTS WITH GUSTS 40-50 KTS. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE ALONG AND NORTH OF THE MOGOLLON RIM WHERE GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 50 KTS ARE EXPECTED. LOCAL MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS IN BLOWING DUST MAY DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...ESPECIALLY IN THE CHINLE VALLEY AND ALONG AND NORTH OF THE LITTLE CO RIVER VALLEY. TONIGHT...STRONG WINDS WITH GUSTS OVER 40 KTS WILL CONTINUE DOWNWIND OF THE KAIBAB PLATEAU AND MOGOLLON RIM. WINDS ELSEWHERE OVERNIGHT WILL REMAIN 15-20 KTS WITH GUSTS 25-30 KTS. A LIGHT SHOWER WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE NORTH LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY AS A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE STATE. AVIATION DISCUSSION NOT UPDATED FOR AMENDMENTS. && .FIRE WEATHER...TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY....A STRONG TROUGH MOVING THROUGH THE SOUTHWESTERN STATES WILL BRING STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS AND DRY CONDITIONS TO ARIZONA THROUGH SATURDAY. STRONG WINDS AND LOW RH WILL COMBINE TO PRODUCE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ACROSS ALL OF NORTHERN ARIZONA TODAY AND ACROSS EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE STATE SATURDAY. RH WILL BE MARGINAL BOTH DAYS IN THE HIGHEST ELEVATIONS WITH COOLER DAYTIME TEMPERATURES. THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR A THUNDERSTORM ACROSS NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE STATE SATURDAY AS A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH. SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...DECREASING WINDS WITH DRY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THIS PERIOD. DAYTIME TEMPERATURES WILL GRADUALLY WARM INTO NEXT WEEK. && .FGZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... DUST STORM WARNING FROM 10 AM FRIDAY TO 6 PM MST SATURDAY FOR AZZ010. HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 10 AM FRIDAY TO 6 PM MST SATURDAY FOR AZZ010>017-039-040. HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 10 AM TO 8 PM MST FRIDAY FOR AZZ004>007-009. RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 8 PM MST SATURDAY FOR AZZ109>118-139-140. RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 8 PM MST FRIDAY FOR AZZ104>108-137-138. WIND ADVISORY FROM 10 AM TO 8 PM MST FRIDAY FOR AZZ008-018-037-038. && PUBLIC.........TC AVIATION.......MCS FIRE WEATHER...MCS FOR NORTHERN ARIZONA WEATHER INFORMATION VISIT WEATHER.GOV/FLAGSTAFF
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ 443 AM MST FRI MAY 25 2012 AZZ004>018-037>040-251245- 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- 443 AM MST FRI MAY 25 2012 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 A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM APPROACHING NORTHERN ARIZONA WILL BRING DRY AND VERY WINDY CONDITIONS TODAY...AS WELL AS CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. SOUTHWEST WINDS 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS FROM 45 TO 60 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED. A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM THE MOGOLLON RIM NORTH...A DUST STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE CHINLE VALLEY...AND A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT THROUGHOUT NORTHERN ARIZONA FOR THE REST OF THE DAY. OVERNIGHT...WIND SPEEDS WILL DECREASE BUT NOT END...WHILE LOCALLY STRONG WINDS GUSTING UP TO 60 MPH ARE FORECAST EAST OF THE SAN FRANCISCO PEAKS AND KAIBAB PLATEAU...INCLUDING THE DONEY PARK AREA AND THE HOUSEROCK VALLEY.. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY SATURDAY...STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE ALONG AND A HEAD OF THE COLD FRONT...REACHING 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 60 MPH MAINLY FROM FLAGSTAFF EAST TO THE NEW MEXICO BORDER. DRY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE. SIGNIFICANT BLOWING DUST IS LIKELY IN THE CHINLE AND LITTLE COLORADO RIVER VALLEYS. A DUST STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE CHINLE VALLEY FROM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY EVENING. A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN ARIZONA FROM FLAGSTAFF EAST TO THE NEW MEXICO BORDER THROUGH EARLY EVENING SATURDAY. THE RED FLAG WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL SATURDAY EVENING FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST ARIZONA. MUCH LIGHTER WINDS ARE EXPECTED SUNDAY THROUGH NEXT WEEK.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 dust storm, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Blowing dust in the community of Many Farms dropped the visibility down to 1/4 mile. The dust in Chinle dropped the visibility down to 1/2 mile.
The ADOT wind sensor at Lupton measured a peak wind gust of 58 MPH.
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, May 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: 394040, 394056.