A strong area of low pressure moved across the Western States and brought strong winds and areas of blowing dust to portions of northeast Arizona.
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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 strong area of low pressure moved across the Western States and brought strong winds and areas of blowing dust to portions of northeast Arizona.
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 Apr 1, 9:45 AM MST, 3 hours 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ 945 AM MST TUE APR 1 2014 .SYNOPSIS...EXPECT WINDY CONDITIONS TODAY AS A PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM MOVES INTO THE WESTERN UNITED STATES. THE STORM WILL BRING A CHANCE OF SHOWERS FROM WEDNESDAY INTO EARLY THURSDAY ALONG WITH BREEZY AND COOL CONDITIONS. ANOTHER WEATHER SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS THE STATE ON SATURDAY WITH ANOTHER CHANCE OF SHOWERS. && .DISCUSSION...AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WAS LOCATED OFF THE CENTRAL CALIF COAST THIS MORNING AND CONTINUES TO MOVE TO THE SOUTHEAST. THIS SYSTEM WILL BRING STRONG WINDS TO THE AREA TODAY FOLLOWED BY A PERIOD OF SHOWERS ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. CURRENT FCST HANDLES THIS WELL AND NO SHORT TERM UPDATES REQUIRED. && .PREV DISCUSSION (230 AM)..FOR TODAY...THE MAIN IMPACT WILL BE STRONG WINDS ALOFT WHICH WILL MIX DOWN TO THE SURFACE AS DAYTIME HEATING PROGRESSES. EXPECT SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 20-35 MPH HOUR OVER MUCH OF THE AREA WITH WIND GUSTS 40-55 MPH FROM THE MOGOLLON RIM NORTHWARD. A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF THE AREA FROM THE MOGOLLON RIM NORTHWARD WITH AREAS OF BLOWING DUST LIKELY. LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY WILL ALSO RESULT IN CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS OVER NORTHEAST ARIZONA WITH A RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FOR SOME AREAS. UPWARD MOTION ASSOCIATED WITH THE APPROACHING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL RESULT IN AN INCREASING CHANCE OF SHOWERS LATE TONIGHT. ON WEDNESDAY...THE MAIN BODY OF THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS ARIZONA. WIDESPREAD UPWARD MOTION WILL COMBINE WITH MOISTURE AND DAYTIME HEATING TO PRODUCE SHOWERS ACROSS NORTHERN ARIZONA. THERE WILL EVEN BE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. COOLER TEMPERATURES ALOFT WILL DELIVER A SNOW LEVEL OF 5000-6000 FEET WITH SNOW SHOWERS IN THE MOUNTAINS AREAS. EXPECT MUCH BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES WITH BREEZY CONDITIONS CONTINUING. FROM THURSDAY INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK...A SHORT-WAVE RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL PUSH THE THREAT OF SHOWERS EAST OF ARIZONA BY EARLY THURSDAY. EXPECT GENERALLY FAIR WEATHER WITH WARMER TEMPERATURES AND BREEZY DAYTIME WINDS THROUGH FRIDAY. FOR THE SATURDAY INTO MONDAY PERIOD...BOTH THE GFS AND THE EUROPEAN MODELS SHOW A CHANCE OF SHOWERS ON SATURDAY AS ANOTHER SYSTEM MOVES ACROSS ARIZONA. AFTER THAT...THE GFS BUILDS HIGH PRESSURE OVER ARIZONA BRINGING WARM AND FAIR WEATHER TO THE AREA. HOWEVER...THE EUROPEAN IS SHOWING THAT A SERIES OF WEAK WEATHER DISTURBANCES WILL RESULT IN A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND COOL CONDITIONS INTO MONDAY. && .AVIATION...FOR THE 18Z PACKAGE...UNTIL 15/03Z...EXPECT MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS WITH WINDS SW15-30G30-45 KTS. ISOLATED -SHSN OVER THE KAIBAB PLATEAU IN NW AZ MAY BRING MVFR CONDITIONS IN THAT AREA. AREAS BLDU IN THE VALLEYS OF NE AZ...LOCALLY REDUCING TO IFR/MVFR VISIBILITIES. AFTER 03Z...EXPECT INCREASING COVERAGE OF -SHRA/-SHSN ACROSS NORTHERN AZ...MAINLY UPWIND/SOUTHWEST OF HIGHER TERRAIN FEATURES RESULTING IN ISOLD-SCT MVFR CONDITIONS...ESPECIALLY NW AZ. WINDS DECREASING TO SW10-20G30 KTS. AVIATION DISCUSSION NOT UPDATED FOR AMENDMENTS. && .FIRE WEATHER...AN APPROACHING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BRING DRY AND WINDY CONDITIONS TO NORTHERN AZ TODAY. A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF EAST CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST ARIZONA UNTIL THIS EVENING FOR THESE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. AS THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES ACROSS THE STATE TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT...AN INCREASE IN MOISTURE AND GRADUALLY DECREASING WINDS WILL BRING CHANCES FOR RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS AND AN END TO CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...SHOWERS WILL END THURSDAY MORNING AS THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES EAST...BUT MORE SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE SATURDAY AS ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE TROUGH MOVES ACROSS THE REGION. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN BELOW NORMAL THROUGH THE PERIOD. LIGHT WEST TO SOUTHWESTERLY BREEZES ARE EXPECTED EACH AFTERNOON. && .FGZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR AZZ010>017-039- 040. RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 7 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR AZZ110>114- 117-140. && PUBLIC.........DB/MCCOLLUM AVIATION.......DJO FOR NORTHERN ARIZONA WEATHER INFORMATION VISIT WEATHER.GOV/FLAGSTAFF
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ 316 AM MST TUE APR 1 2014 AZZ004>018-037>040-020315- 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- 316 AM MST TUE APR 1 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR APACHE...COCONINO... NORTHERN GILA...NAVAJO...AND YAVAPAI COUNTIES IN NORTHERN ARIZONA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT AN APPROACHING PACIFIC LOW WILL BRING WINDY CONDITIONS WITH LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY. A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT TODAY FOR SOUTHWEST WINDS FROM 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 55 MPH FOR LOCATION ALONG AND NORTH OF THE MOGOLLON RIM INCLUDING THE WHITE MOUNTAINS REGION. SEE PHXNPWFGZ FOR DETAILS. A RED FLAG WARNING IS ALSO IN EFFECT MAINLY FOR LOCATIONS NORTH AND EAST OF THE MOGOLLON RIM. SEE PHXRFWFGZ FOR DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY WEDNESDAY INTO EARLY THURSDAY...THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH ARIZONA BRINGING A CHANCE FOR LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS TO MOUNTAIN AREAS ABOVE 6500 FEET ELEVATION. BREEZY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 high wind, 2 dust storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Police in Kykotsmovi reported blowing dust with visibility down to 1/8 of a mile at times.
Police in Kykotsmovi reported blowing dust with visibility down to 1/8 of a mile at times.
The ASOS at the Winslow Airport reported peak wind gust of 58 MPH.
The ASOS at the Winslow Airport reported peak wind gust of 58 MPH just two miles east in Navajo County.
The Petrified Forest National Park reported a peak wind gust of 60 MPH.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arizona in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, April 2014
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: 515319, 515320, 515325, 515328, 515432.