Arizona, 2013

Heavy Rain in Arizona, July 20, 2013

July 20, 2013 · NWS PSR · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

The atmosphere across south central Arizona remained very moist and unstable, and as a result scattered thunderstorms developed across portions of south central Arizona during the late afternoon and evening hours on July 20th. The storms generated locally heavy rain with rain rates in excess of 1 inch per hour, sufficient to cause local flooding of streams, washes and low lying areas.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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
2

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 PSR wrote it up.

The atmosphere across south central Arizona remained very moist and unstable, and as a result scattered thunderstorms developed across portions of south central Arizona during the late afternoon and evening hours on July 20th. The storms generated locally heavy rain with rain rates in excess of 1 inch per hour, sufficient to cause local flooding of streams, washes and low lying areas. Heavy rain affected southern Gila county, especially the area around Miami. The heavy rain led to the issuance of multiple small stream flood advisories.

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 Phoenix, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 20, 4:20 PM MST, 1 hour 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 20, 4:20 PM MST, 1 hour 10 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 20, 4:40 AM MST, 12 hours 50 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 20, 11:43 AM MST, 5 hours 47 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 20, 1:48 PM MST, 3 hours 42 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 20, 4:39 PM MST, 51 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 20, 5:00 PM MST, 30 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 20, 5:16 PM MST, 14 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 20, 5:28 PM MST, 2 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Rain, Gila

When
July 20, 5:30 PM MST to 7:30 PM MST
Where
Gila County, 4.03 mi WSW of Miami to 0.84 mi SSW of Claypool
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
33.370, -110.930

Scattered thunderstorms developed across southern Gila county during the late afternoon and evening hours on July 20th, and they generated locally heavy rain with rainfall rates in excess of 1 inch per hour. Some of the heavier rain fell in the area around Globe and Miami. According to a trained weather spotter about 4 miles southwest of Miami, 1.61 inches of rain was measured between 530 pm and 6 pm. The heavy rain led to some flooding of area roads and washes; at 605 pm another trained spotter reported that the Miami wash in Miami was running bank to bank. The heavy rain and flooding led to the issuance of a Small Stream Flood Advisory for southern Gila county; it was issued at 545 pm and ran through 745 pm.

Heavy Rain, Pinal

When
July 20, 6:45 PM MST to 8:30 PM MST
Where
Pinal County, 6.74 mi ENE of Dock to 4.2 mi WNW of Magma
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
33.200, -111.650

Scattered thunderstorms developed across portions of the south central deserts during the afternoon and early evening hours on July 20th. The storms produced locally heavy rainfall with rain rates in excess of one inch per hour. The rainfall affected the southeast portion of the greater Phoenix metropolitan area, including communities such as Chandler Heights and San Tan Valley. A trained weather spotter 2 miles southeast of Chandler Heights measured one inch of rain between about 645 pm and 720 pm. At about 7 pm, another trained spotter 1 mile northwest of San Tan Valley measured 0.60 inches of rain which fell in 30 minutes. The heavy rain led to local flooding of area streets and washes and led to the issuance of an Urban and Small Stream Flood Advisory. The advisory was issued at 640 pm and continued until 830 pm. No injuries were reported due to the heavy rain and local flooding.

What these are

Heavy Rain
Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Arizona in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings 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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 466254, 466613.