An upper level disturbance combined with abundant moisture of nearly 2 inches of precipitable water caused thunderstorms to dump heavy rain that resulted in flash flooding.
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.
An upper level disturbance combined with abundant moisture of nearly 2 inches of precipitable water caused thunderstorms to dump heavy rain that resulted in flash flooding.
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 Jul 25, 9:55 AM MST, 3 hours 10 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ 955 AM MST THU JUL 25 2013 .SYNOPSIS...A DISTURBANCE ALOFT ACROSS THE AREA WILL ENHANCE THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE AND INTENSITY ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA TODAY. SOME STORMS WILL GENERATE HEAVY RAINFALL. OTHERWISE...PLENTY OF MOISTURE ACROSS THE REGION TO PROVIDE A CHANCE OF MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS INTO THE WEEKEND. A DECREASE IN MOISTURE MAY LEAD TO LESS THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .UPDATE...HAVE GONE AHEAD AND ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL OF SOUTHEAST ARIZONA EXCEPT WESTERN PIMA COUNTY. LATEST VIS SATELLITE SHOWING A GOOD AMOUNT OF CLEARING WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SOUTHERN GRAHAM AND NORTHERN COCHISE COUNTY. ALREADY SEEING GOOD CU BUILDUPS ON AREA MOUNTAINS AS WELL. CONFIDENCE IS HIGH THAT THERE WILL BE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINFALL AND THINK THE CENTRAL CWA FROM SANTA CRUZ COUNTY NORTHWARD INTO EASTERN PINAL COUNTY HAS THE HIGHEST THREAT INITIALLY BUT CONFIDENCE IN EXACT LOCATIONS IS A BIT LOWER. .DISCUSSION...THE 12Z KTWC SOUNDING IS DEPICTING A VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE. PWAT OF 1.96" IS IN THE 99TH PERCENTILE AND ABOUT 160 PERCENT OF NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. MEANWHILE...THERE IS CONSIDERABLY MORE MID LEVEL COOLING COMPARED TO 24 HOURS AGO WITH THE STUBBORN INVERSION AT ABOUT 500 MB GONE. MODIFIED SOUNDING WITH T=95 AND TD=61 YIELDS ABOUT 1800 J/KG OF CAPE. THE STEERING FLOW IS GENERALLY FROM THE EAST AT ABOUT 10 MPH. CURRENT SATELLITE AND RADAR IMAGERY DEPICT CONVECTIVE SHOWERS MAINLY OVER THE CENTRAL AND WESTERN DESERTS PUSHING WEST WITH PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES MAINLY FROM DEBRIS CLOUDINESS FROM TUCSON EASTWARD. THERE IS A WELL DEFINED SHEAR AXIS/DEFORMATION ZONE IN THE MID TO UPPER LEVELS LYING RIGHT ACROSS THE CENTER OF THE FORECAST AREA TODAY WITH THE REMNANTS OF AN INVERTED TROUGH. THE BIG QUESTION FOR TODAY IS HOW MUCH CLEARING WILL WE SEE TO GENERATE SUSTAINED CONVECTION. AFTER REVIEWING LATEST GUIDANCE...TEND TO FAVOR THE HRRR WHICH IS HANDLING THE CURRENT CLOUD COVERAGE REALLY WELL ALONG WITH THE LIGHT SHOWERS WEST OF TUCSON. THE HRRR IS MOST ORGANIZED WITH CONVECTION THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING ALONG WITH THE 12Z NAM FROM CENTRAL PIMA COUNTY EASTWARD. MEANWHILE...THE EARLY 06Z UOFA WRF-GFS AND 12Z WRF-NAM HAVE CLEARED THINGS OUT TOO QUICKLY. WITH THAT SAID...HAVE GONE AHEAD AND RAISED POPS AREAWIDE FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. WE THINK THE BEST CHANCE FOR HEAVIEST RAINFALL WILL BE FROM THE TUCSON AREA EASTWARD. AS THE MORNING PROGRESSES AND SHOULD SKIES CLEAR AND CONFIDENCE INCREASE...WILL CONSIDER A SHORTER FUSE FLASH FLOOD WATCH. && .AVIATION...SCT SHRA / ISOLD TSRA THRU FRIDAY MORNING OR 26/17Z. MVFR CIGS/VSBYS WITH WIND GUSTS APPROACHING 45 KTS WITH THE STRONGEST TSRA. TSRA COVERAGE INCREASING AFTER 26/17Z. OTHERWISE...CLOUD DECKS MAINLY 6-10K FT AGL AND SURFACE WIND GENERALLY LESS THAN 10 KTS THRU THURSDAY EVENING. AVIATION DISCUSSION NOT UPDATED FOR TAF AMENDMENTS. && .FIRE WEATHER...ENHANCED MOISTURE WILL PROVIDE A BETTER CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THIS EVENING. OTHERWISE... THERE WILL BE ENOUGH MOISTURE FOR SCATTERED MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS TO PREVAIL INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && VISIT US ON FACEBOOK...TWITTER...YOUTUBE...AND AT WEATHER.GOV/TUCSON GL
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
823 AM MST THU JUL 25 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0830 PM FLASH FLOOD CHIRICAHUA NATIONAL MON 32.01N 109.36W
07/23/2013 COCHISE AZ FOREST SERVICE
FLASH FLOODING OCCURRED DOWN BONITA CREEK IN THE
CHIRICAHUA NATIONAL MONUMENT. BONITA CANYON DRIVE AND
THE CAMPGROUNDS IN BONITA CANYON WERE CLOSED SO NO
PEOPLE WERE INJURED. DEBRIS WAS PUSHED DOWN THE CREEK
AND TREE MATERIAL PILED UP ALONG A WALKING BRIDGE. WATER
AND DEBRIS ALSO DAMAGED A RESTROOM IN THE CAMPING AREA.
&&
EVENT NUMBER TWC1300075
BROSTSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ 1229 PM MST THU JUL 25 2013 AZZ502>504-252015- 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- 1229 PM MST THU JUL 25 2013 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL PIMA COUNTY UNTIL 115 PM MST... AT 1221 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR THREE POINTS...OR 21 MILES NORTHWEST OF GREEN VALLEY...MOVING WEST AT 5 MPH. WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN. AREAS AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF CENTRAL PIMA COUNTY. LAT...LON 3199 11147 3219 11138 3206 11108 3187 11115 TIME...MOT...LOC 1930Z 111DEG 4KT 3204 11130
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ 1244 PM MST THU JUL 25 2013 AZZ503-504-252030- TUCSON METRO AREA INCLUDING TUCSON/GREEN VALLEY/MARANA/VAIL AZ-UPPER SANTA CRUZ RIVER AND ALTAR VALLEYS INCLUDING NOGALES AZ- 1244 PM MST THU JUL 25 2013 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHERN PIMA AND EXTREME NORTHWESTERN SANTA CRUZ COUNTIES UNTIL 130 PM MST... AT 1240 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF TUBAC...OR 13 MILES SOUTHWEST OF GREEN VALLEY...MOVING NORTHWEST AT 10 MPH. HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAINFALL. AREAS AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF SOUTHERN PIMA COUNTY AND EXTREME NORTHWEST SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. LAT...LON 3179 11137 3191 11118 3171 11109 3165 11117 TIME...MOT...LOC 1943Z 143DEG 9KT 3171 11117 JJB
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
105 PM MST THU JUL 25 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0105 PM FLASH FLOOD 3 N CORONA DE TUCSON 31.99N 110.77W
07/25/2013 PIMA AZ TRAINED SPOTTER
TRAINED SPOTTER REPORTED FLASH FLOODING ON SOUTH
HOUGHTON ROAD NEAR CORONA DE TUCSON.
&&
EVENT NUMBER TWC1300076
BROSTThe Tucson radar (KEMX), 13 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:03 UTC.
4 flash flood, 1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy rain flooded Houghton and Wilmot Roads between Tucson and Corona De Tucson.
A funnel cloud extended briefly from a thunderstorm southeast of Sonoita.
Heavy rain on and downstream from Sierrita Road caused flooding of washes flowing northwest toward Three Points. Sierrita Mountain Road was flooded near Guy St.
Heavy rain caused flash flooding on the west side of Tucson. Four people were rescued from a vehicle in 2 to 3 feet of water flowing across Manville Road near Anway Road in Picture Rocks.
Sabino Creek rose 1 to 2 feet as it flowed through Sabino Canyon Recreation Area.
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, July 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: 467593, 467635, 467633, 468796, 467594.