Name: Drought in Arizona, July 1 to 31, 2013
Start: 2013-07-01T00:00
End: 2013-07-31T23:59
Location: Arizona

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 6

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS TWC wrote it up.

Monsoon rainfall helped shrink the area of extreme drought (D3) conditions in southeast Arizona toward the end of July. Portions of Graham and Greenlee counties remained dry as the bulk of the rainfall occurred in Cochise County, especially near the international border.

What forecasters said that day

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 Jun 30, 9:15 PM MST, 2 hours 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 30, 9:15 PM MST, 2 hours 45 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
915 PM MST SUN JUN 30 2013

.SYNOPSIS...INCREASING MOISTURE WILL LEAD TO SCATTERED MAINLY
AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS THIS WEEK. THE INCREASED
MOISTURE WILL ALSO PROVIDE A MODERATION IN DAYTIME TEMPERATURES
DURING THE UPCOMING WEEK.

&&

.DISCUSSION...ISOLATED SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS BLOSSOMED
MOSTLY OVER COCHISE COUNTY EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...BUT
WITH THE STEERING FLOW TAKING THESE STORMS TO THE WEST OR
SOUTHWEST...WE EVENTUALLY HAD STRONG THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT IN
NORTHWEST COCHISE COUNTY AT AROUND 520 PM MST NEAR BENSON...AS WELL
AS IN NORTHEAST PIMA COUNTY BETWEEN THE CATALINA AND RINCON
MOUNTAINS. THE STORM EAST OF THE TUCSON METRO MOVED SOUTHWEST...
WHILE THE STORMS NEAR BENSON MOVED DIRECTLY WEST. THESE TWO STORM
CELLS MERGED ALONG INTERSTATE 10 SOUTH OF THE TUCSON METRO AREA AT
APPROXIMATELY 620 PM MST. WE DID HAVE A COUPLE OF STRONG WIND GUSTS
RECORDED AT BOTH DAVIS-MONTHAN AFB AND THE TUCSON INTL AIRPORT...
WITH DM RECORDING A PEAK WIND GUST OF 54 MPH AT 627 PM MST...WHILE
TIA RECORDED A PEAK GUSTS OF 68 MPH AT 656 PM MST. WE DID NOT
RECEIVE ANY REPORTS OF ANY WIND DAMAGE OF ANY KIND WITH THE PASSAGE
OF THESE STORMS AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE MAIN IMPACT FROM THESE STORMS
WAS A LARGE DUST STORM THAT DEVELOPED ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE
TUCSON METRO THAT HEADED WEST ACROSS INTERSTATE 19 AND TOWARD
HIGHWAY 286 IN CENTRAL PIMA COUNTY. REPORTS OF NEAR ZERO
VISIBILITIES OCCURRED ON THE SOUTH SIDE WITH THE DUST STORM.

AS OF 0346Z...RADAR INDICATES THAT ONLY ISOLATED ACTIVITY REMAINS
ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA...SO THE SINGLE DIGIT TO SLIGHT CHANCE POPS
IN THE FORECAST FOR THE REMAINDER OF TONIGHT SEEMS REASONABLE.

AS OF 03Z (8 PM MST)...TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE REGION RANGED FROM
THE LOWER 70S TO THE MID 90S. THESE READINGS ARE 12 TO 20 DEGS
COOLER THAN THIS TIME YESTERDAY DUE TO THE COOL THUNDERSTORM
OUTFLOWS EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. DEWPOINT TEMPERATURES
RANGED FROM THE LOWER 40S TO THE LOWER 60S. THESE READINGS ARE
GENERALLY 15 TO 30 DEGS WARMER/WETTER THAN 24 HOURS AGO. OBVIOUSLY
THESE READINGS ARE NOT REFLECTED IN THE SHORT TERM HOURLY
TEMPERATURE GRIDS AND ARE MUCH TOO WARM. SO...WILL MAKE MAJOR
ADJUSTMENTS TO THE SHORT TERM HOURLY TEMPERATURE GRIDS AND WILL
UPDATE THE PRODUCTS ACCORDINGLY.

FOR DETAILS REGARDING THE FORECAST BEYOND TONIGHT...PLEASE REFER TO
THE PREVIOUS DISCUSSION BELOW.

&&

.AVIATION...VALID THROUGH 02/00Z. ISOLD -TSRA/-SHRA ARE EXPECTED
MAINLY CENTRAL AND WESTERN ZONES THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THIS
EVENING...OR AROUND 01/06Z. EXTENSIVE DEBRIS CLOUDS THIS EVENING AND
OVERNIGHT WITH CIGS AROUND 09-10K FT. FOR MONDAY ISOLD TO SCT
-TSRA/-SHRA...MAINLY FROM KTUS EASTWARD MONDAY AFTERNOON. MOVEMENT
WILL GENERALLY BE NE-SW. WIND GUSTS TO 50-60 KTS ALONG WITH MVFR
VSBYS IN BLDU ARE POSSIBLE AGAIN LATE MONDAY AFTERNOON AND INTO THE
EVENING HOURS. OTHERWISE VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITH NORMAL
DIURNAL WIND DIRECTIONS FROM THE SE DURING THE AM HOURS AND NW
DURING THE PM HOURS. SPEEDS WILL GENERALLY RANGE FROM 8-15 KTS WITH
LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING GUSTS 20-25 KTS. AVIATION DISCUSSION
NOT UPDATED FOR TAF AMENDMENTS.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED OVER THE GREAT BASIN WILL
MAINTAIN A NORTHEASTERLY UPPER FLOW THIS WEEK. EXPECT SCATTERED
MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH FRIDAY. STRONG...
GUSTY AND ERRATIC WINDS ARE QUITE LIKELY WITH STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS.
THE CHANCES FOR WETTING RAIN WILL INCREASE ESPECIALLY DURING THE
LATTER PART OF THE WEEK AS MOISTURE INCREASES ACROSS THE AREA.
INCREASING MOISTURE WILL ALSO RESULT IN A MODERATION OF DAYTIME
TEMPERATURES.

&&

.PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...30/12Z GFS/ECMWF WERE SIMILAR WITH DEPICTING
STRONG HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT TO REMAIN CENTERED GENERALLY OVER THE
GREAT BASIN REGION THIS WEEK. THIS PATTERN WILL PROVIDE A GRADUAL
INCREASE OF MOISTURE ACROSS SE AZ. HAVE NOTED THAT THE 30/12Z
GFS/ECMWF QPF/S THRU WED WERE FAIRLY LOW. HOWEVER...THERE APPEARS TO
BE ENOUGH MOISTURE TO JUSTIFY CHANCE-CATEGORY POPS FROM TUCSON
EWD/SWD WITH LESSER CHANCES ACROSS WRN SECTIONS.

THE UPPER HIGH IS PROGGED TO MOVE INTO THE LOWER COLORADO RIVER
VALLEY BY FRI. UPPER HIGH IS THEN PROGGED TO REMAIN QUASI-STATIONARY
OVER WRN AZ NEXT WEEKEND. HAVE NOTED FAIRLY PRONOUNCED DIFFERENCES
BETWEEN THE GFS/ECMWF QPF/S ESPECIALLY FRI-SUN. THE ECWMF WAS
MARKEDLY WETTER VERSUS THE GFS THIS PERIOD. FOR NOW HAVE MAINTAINED
A FAIRLY LOW-GRADE MONSOON CONVECTIVE PATTERN DURING THE LATTER PART
OF THE WEEK AND NEXT WEEKEND. WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE POPS
INCREASED FRI-SUN PARTICULARLY IF THE ECMWF MAINTAINS RUN-TO-RUN
CONTINUITY.

AS FOR TEMPS...EXPECT A GRADUAL MODERATION IN DAYTIME TEMPS THIS
WEEK IN RESPONSE TO INCREASED MOISTURE ACROSS THE AREA.

&&

.TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE.

&&

VISIT US ON FACEBOOK...TWITTER...YOUTUBE...AND AT WEATHER.GOV/TUCSON

CURRENT DISCUSSION...GM
PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...BF
AVIATION/FIRE WEATHER...KD

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jun 30, 7:00 PM MST, 5 hours before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
700 PM MST SUN JUN 30 2013

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0639 PM     TSTM WND GST     2 SSE TUCSON            32.21N 110.93W
06/30/2013  M61 MPH          PIMA               AZ   ASOS

&&

EVENT NUMBER TWC1300013

MOLLERE

Local storm report, Jun 30, 8:41 PM MST, 3 hours 19 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
841 PM MST SUN JUN 30 2013

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0656 PM     TSTM WND GST     2 SSE TUCSON            32.21N 110.93W
06/30/2013  M68 MPH          PIMA               AZ   ASOS

&&

EVENT NUMBER TWC1300014

MOLLERE

Local storm report, Jun 30, 9:56 PM MST, 2 hours 4 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
956 PM MST SUN JUN 30 2013

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0820 PM     TSTM WND DMG     THREE POINTS            32.07N 111.28W
06/30/2013                   PIMA               AZ   SOCIAL MEDIA

            20 FOOT FLAG POLE DOWN

&&

EVENT NUMBER TWC1300015

CWR

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Upper San Pedro River Valley

When: July 1, 12:00 AM MST to July 23, 4:00 AM MST
Where: Upper San Pedro River Valley forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 32.109, -110.569 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought eased markedly across Cochise County during July as monsoon rainfall of mounts of 3 to 10 inches, representing 125 to 250 percent of normal, fell across the region. By July 23rd, all extreme drought (D3) was removed from Cochise county. The northern third of the county improved to the severe drought (D2) category while the remainder of Cochise County, where the heaviest rain fell, improved to either the D0 or D1 drought category. The Bisbee-Douglas International Airport recorded 10.12 inches of rain, the most ever measured there in one calendar month.

Drought, Eastern Cochise County Below 5000 Feet

When: July 1, 12:00 AM MST to July 23, 4:00 AM MST
Where: Eastern Cochise County Below 5000 Feet forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 31.880, -109.751 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought eased markedly across Cochise County during July as monsoon rainfall of mounts of 3 to 10 inches, representing 125 to 250 percent of normal, fell across the region. By July 23rd, all extreme drought (D3) was removed from Cochise county. The northern third of the county improved to the severe drought (D2) category while the remainder of Cochise County, where the heaviest rain fell, improved to either the D0 or D1 drought category. The Bisbee-Douglas International Airport recorded 10.12 inches of rain, the most ever measured there in one calendar month.

Drought, Chiricahua Mountains

When: July 1, 12:00 AM MST to July 23, 4:00 AM MST
Where: Chiricahua Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 31.880, -109.751 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought eased markedly across Cochise County during July as monsoon rainfall of mounts of 3 to 10 inches, representing 125 to 250 percent of normal, fell across the region. By July 23rd, all extreme drought (D3) was removed from Cochise county. The northern third of the county improved to the severe drought (D2) category while the remainder of Cochise County, where the heaviest rain fell, improved to either the D0 or D1 drought category. The Bisbee-Douglas International Airport recorded 10.12 inches of rain, the most ever measured there in one calendar month.

Drought, Dragoon/Mule/Huachuca and Santa Rita Mountains

When: July 1, 12:00 AM MST to July 23, 4:00 AM MST
Where: Dragoon/Mule/Huachuca and Santa Rita Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 31.834, -110.796 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought eased markedly across Cochise County during July as monsoon rainfall of mounts of 3 to 10 inches, representing 125 to 250 percent of normal, fell across the region. By July 23rd, all extreme drought (D3) was removed from Cochise county. The northern third of the county improved to the severe drought (D2) category while the remainder of Cochise County, where the heaviest rain fell, improved to either the D0 or D1 drought category. The Bisbee-Douglas International Airport recorded 10.12 inches of rain, the most ever measured there in one calendar month.

Drought, Upper Gila River and Aravaipa Valleys

When: July 1, 12:00 AM MST to July 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Upper Gila River and Aravaipa Valleys forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 33.074, -109.563 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The area under extreme drought (D3) conditions shrank only slightly in southern Graham and Greenlee counties as the bulk of monsoon rain fell both to the north and south of the Gila River Valley. Most locations received between 1.5 and 2.5 inches of rain during July, which is near or slightly below normal. The Safford airport received just 1.49 inches of rain. Some of the effects on the cotton crop have been mitigated by farmers leaving half of their fields idle this season. Mandatory water restrictions adopted by the City of Safford in August of 2012 have helped mitigate the city's supply to some extent, but due to the prolonged drought, the low water table caused the city to shut off four of the city's eleven wells. This in turn prompted the city to approve higher water rates to fund the drilling of new wells and building of pipelines. In nearby Thatcher, mandatory water restrictions were ordered and stricter water conservation standards have been adopted for new construction.

Drought, Galiuro and Pinaleno Mountains

When: July 1, 12:00 AM MST to July 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Galiuro and Pinaleno Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 32.572, -110.328 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The area under extreme drought (D3) conditions shrank only slightly in southern Graham and Greenlee counties as the bulk of monsoon rain fell both to the north and south of the Gila River Valley. Most locations received between 1.5 and 2.5 inches of rain during July, which is near or slightly below normal. The Safford airport received just 1.49 inches of rain. Some of the effects on the cotton crop have been mitigated by farmers leaving half of their fields idle this season. Mandatory water restrictions adopted by the City of Safford in August of 2012 have helped mitigate the city's supply to some extent, but due to the prolonged drought, the low water table caused the city to shut off four of the city's eleven wells. This in turn prompted the city to approve higher water rates to fund the drilling of new wells and building of pipelines. In nearby Thatcher, mandatory water restrictions were ordered and stricter water conservation standards have been adopted for new construction.

What these are

Drought: A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Arizona in 2013 Every state in 2013 This day in weather history Warnings in Arizona, July 2013

Sources

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: 458531, 458532, 458533, 458534, 458539, 458540.