Upper level high pressure over northern New Mexico steered drier air westward into southeast Arizona. However, adequate moisture remained from Tucson westward to fuel thunderstorms.
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.
Upper level high pressure over northern New Mexico steered drier air westward into southeast Arizona. However, adequate moisture remained from Tucson westward to fuel thunderstorms. Thunderstorms caused wind damage and flash flooding in northwest sections of the Tucson metro area.
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 22, 2:15 PM MST, 2 hours earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ 215 PM MST THU AUG 22 2013 .SYNOPSIS...SCATTERED MOSTLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH FRIDAY. THEREAFTER...INCREASING MOISTURE FROM THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA WILL PROVIDE MORE COVERAGE OF THUNDERSTORMS THIS WEEKEND. ABOVE NORMAL DAYTIME TEMPERATURES WILL OCCUR FRIDAY FOLLOWED BY A COOLING TREND THIS WEEKEND. && .DISCUSSION...BROAD UPPER RIDGE WILL REMAIN OVER MUCH OF THE CONTINENTAL U.S. THRU FRI NIGHT. THIS PATTERN WILL MAINTAIN A GENERALLY LIGHT SELY FLOW REGIME. MOISTURE WILL BE SUFFICIENT FOR ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS/TSTMS THIS EVENING AND AGAIN FRI AFTERNOON AND FRI EVENING. THE FAVORED AREAS FOR PRECIP THIS EVENING WILL GENERALLY BE SOUTH AND WEST OF TUCSON. SAT-MON... TROPICAL SYSTEM IVO IS PROGGED TO BE WEST OF THE TIP OF SRN BAJA CALIFORNIA...OR NEAR 22N/115W...SAT MORNING. SYSTEM IS THEN PROGGED TO MOVE ESSENTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE BAJA CALIFORNIA COAST TO NEAR THE BAJA SPUR SUN AFTERNOON. SCATTERED SHOWERS/TSTMS SHOULD OCCUR ACROSS SE AZ SAT AFTERNOON AND SAT EVENING. POPS WERE INCREASED TO DEPICT THE BEST CHANCE OF PRECIP TO OCCUR SAT NIGHT THRU SUN EVENING. PRECIP CHANCES TO DECREASE SUN NIGHT-MON AS THE REMNANT CIRCULATION MOVES NWD INTO SRN CALIFORNIA AND EVENTUALLY DISSIPATES. THERE WILL BE ENOUGH MOISTURE TO MAINTAIN CHANCE-CATEGORY POPS SUN NIGHT-MON. TUE-THUR... BROAD SCALE PATTERN TO EXHIBIT LITTLE CHANGE THIS PERIOD...WITH UPPER HIGH TO BE CENTERED OVER THE CENTRAL CONUS PLAINS AND UPPER TROUGH OVER THE PACIFIC NW. GENERALLY SELY FLOW ALOFT IN COMBINATION WITH ADEQUATE MOISTURE SHOULD PROVIDE SCATTERED MOSTLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS/TSTMS. HIGH TEMPS FRI WILL GENERALLY BE A FEW DEGS ABOVE NORMAL FOLLOWED BY A COOLING TREND THIS WEEKEND. OPTED TO UNDER-CUT VARIOUS GUIDANCE TEMPS SEVERAL DEGS SUN. WARMER MON-TUE THEN NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN DAYTIME TEMPS FOR WED-THUR. && .AVIATION...SCT TSRA/SHRA THRU THIS EVENING THEN ISOLD -TSRA/-SHRA LATE TONIGHT. THE STRONGER TSRA WILL PRODUCE MVFR CIGS/VSBYS...AND POTENTIALLY WIND GUSTS TO AROUND 45 KTS. OTHERWISE...CLOUD DECKS 7-11K FT AGL AND SURFACE WIND GENERALLY LESS THAN 10 KTS THRU FRIDAY MORNING OR 23/18Z. AVIATION DISCUSSION NOT UPDATED FOR TAF AMENDMENTS. && .FIRE WEATHER...EXPECT ISOLATED TO SCATTERED MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH FRIDAY. MOISTURE WILL THEN BE ON THE INCREASE THIS WEEKEND...RESULTING IN MORE WIDESPREAD SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. ABOVE NORMAL DAYTIME TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY...WITH COOLER TEMPERATURES THIS WEEKEND. && .TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && VISIT US ON FACEBOOK...TWITTER...YOUTUBE...AND AT WEATHER.GOV/TUCSON BF/GZ
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ 158 PM MST THU AUG 22 2013 AZZ503-513-222145- DRAGOON/MULE/HUACHUCA AND SANTA RITA MOUNTAINS INCLUDING BISBEE/CANELO HILLS/MADERA CANYON AZ-UPPER SANTA CRUZ RIVER AND ALTAR VALLEYS INCLUDING NOGALES AZ- 158 PM MST THU AUG 22 2013 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL SANTA CRUZ COUNTY UNTIL 245 PM MST... AT 148 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ABOUT 9 MILES EAST THROUGH SOUTHEAST OF TUBAC AND EAST OF INTERSTATE 19. WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN. AREAS AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...TUBAC...RIO RICO...TUMACACORI...AMADO AND PENA BLANCA LAKE. AS WELL AS INTERSTATE 19. THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. LAT...LON 3134 11108 3171 11115 3173 11077 3132 11073 TIME...MOT...LOC 2057Z 117DEG 3KT 3158 11090
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ 343 PM MST THU AUG 22 2013 AZZ504-514-222330- SANTA CATALINA AND RINCON MOUNTAINS INCLUDING MOUNT LEMMON/SUMMERHAVEN AZ-TUCSON METRO AREA INCLUDING TUCSON/GREEN VALLEY/MARANA/VAIL AZ- 343 PM MST THU AUG 22 2013 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EASTERN PIMA COUNTY UNTIL 430 PM MST... AT 333 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 15 MILES EAST OF TUCSON...MOVING WEST AT 10 MPH. WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN. AREAS AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK EAST AND THE FAR EAST SIDE OF THE GREATER TUCSON AREA FROM HOUGHTON ROAD EAST TO BETWEEN TANQUE VERDE ROAD AND IRVINGTON. LAT...LON 3213 11086 3230 11086 3230 11064 3213 11063 TIME...MOT...LOC 2241Z 087DEG 7KT 3222 11071
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ 359 PM MST THU AUG 22 2013 AZZ502>504-515-222345- BABOQUIVARI MOUNTAINS INCLUDING KITT PEAK AZ-TOHONO O'ODHAM NATION INCLUDING SELLS AZ-TUCSON METRO AREA INCLUDING TUCSON/GREEN VALLEY/MARANA/VAIL AZ-UPPER SANTA CRUZ RIVER AND ALTAR VALLEYS INCLUDING NOGALES AZ- 359 PM MST THU AUG 22 2013 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHERN PIMA COUNTY UNTIL 445 PM MST... AT 354 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 11 MILES SOUTH OF THREE POINTS TO 25 MILES SOUTH OF KITT PEAK...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 10 MPH. HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN. LAT...LON 3197 11112 3149 11142 3156 11167 3198 11152 TIME...MOT...LOC 2259Z 296DEG 7KT 3190 11127 3159 11152
The Tucson radar (KEMX), 33 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:14 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind, 1 heavy rain, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorms produced gusty winds at Saguaro National Park East with a 63 mph gust measured near Old Spanish Trail and Freeman Road.
Thunderstorm winds downed several trees on Tucson's northwest side. In addition, an adobe chimney was toppled onto its side.
Thunderstorm winds downed several trees on Tucson's northwest side. One tree branch damaged three cars when it fell. Additionally, a small greenhouse was damaged by the wind.
A thunderstorm dropped nearly an inch of rain in 20 minutes. The heavy rain caused drain spouts on the roof of a supermarket to break, sending water into the attic, which collapsed the ceiling. The store was evacuated but no one was injured.
Heavy rain filled many normally dry washes in parts of northwest Tucson. Orange Grove Road had 2 feet of water flowing across it near Interstate 10.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arizona in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, August 2013
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: 475683, 475653, 475658, 475645, 475648.