Arizona, 2014

Wildfire in Arizona, April 19 to 30, 2014

April 19 to 30, 2014 · NWS TWC · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

The Skunk Fire was started around 1415 MST on Saturday April 19, 2014 by lightning, approximately 14 miles east of San Carlos in northern Graham County. The fire had little growth throughout the remainder of the month of April, mostly toward the northwest on the San Carlos Apache Reservation.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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  • Hail
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  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
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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 TWC wrote it up.

The Skunk Fire was started around 1415 MST on Saturday April 19, 2014 by lightning, approximately 14 miles east of San Carlos in northern Graham County. The fire had little growth throughout the remainder of the month of April, mostly toward the northwest on the San Carlos Apache Reservation. Although total fire acreage on April 30, 2014 was only 63 acres, most of the fire growth occurred in May. No injuries, fatalities, or damage were reported in April. The fire was contained in mid-June.

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 Apr 19, 9:30 AM MST, 4 hours 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 19, 9:30 AM MST, 4 hours 45 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
930 AM MST SAT APR 19 2014

.SYNOPSIS...A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM JUST EAST OF ROCKY POINT MEXICO
THIS MORNING WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA TODAY INTO EARLY SUNDAY. THIS
SYSTEM WILL BRING A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO THE AREA.
AFTER SEASONAL TEMPERATURES TODAY...A STRONG WARMING TREND WILL
BEGIN SUNDAY AND CONTINUE INTO THE FIRST PART OF THE NEW WORK WEEK.

&&

.DISCUSSION...RAN OUT A QUICK UP TO THE FORECAST AROUND 8 AM TO
INCREASE POPS AND MADE SOME MODIFICATIONS TO THE QPF VALUES FOR
TODAY. RADAR SHOWED SCATTERED SHOWERS/ISOLATED THUNDER FROM TUCSON
WEST...WHICH IS CLOSER TO THE UPPER LOW..WITH ISOLATED COVERAGE
ACROSS EASTERN ZONES. EXPECTED AREAL COVERAGE EAST TO INCREASE THIS
AFTERNOON. ALL OF THIS IS ASSOCIATED WITH AN UPPER LOW THAT WAS
CENTERED JUST E OF ROCKY POINT AS OF 9 AM. PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES
WERE IN 0.65"-0.80" RANGE WHICH IS 2 STANDARD DEVIATIONS ABOVE
NORMAL FOR APRIL. SO THERE IS THE THREAT FOR BRIEF LOCALIZED
MODERATE RAINERS WITH STRONGEST STORMS ALONG WITH WIND GUSTS UP TO
35-40 MPH. HIGHS TODAY WILL BE TRICKY DEPENDING ON IF AN AREA
GETS RAIN VERSUS NOT. THE OFFICIAL FORECAST HIGHS FOR TODAY MAY BE A
DEGREE OR TWO TOO WARM BUT FOR NOW WILL LEAVE THEM AS IS.

UPPER LOW TO PULL OUT OF THE AREA LATE TONIGHT WITH SHOWERS ENDING
FROM WEST TO EAST. HOWEVER...THERE WILL BE A FEW LINGERING SHOWERS
NEAR AZ/NM BORDER AROUND SUNRISE.

RESIDUAL MOISTURE ON EASTER SUNDAY COMBINED WITH DAYTIME HEATING
WILL RESULT IN A SLIGHT CHANCE OF MAINLY MOUNTAIN SHOWERS.

&&

.AVIATION...AN UPPER LEVEL LOW JUST E OF ROCKY POINT MEXICO WILL
MOVE ACROSS SRN AZ/NRN SONORA MX TODAY INTO TONIGHT. THIS SYSTEM
WILL PRODUCE SCTD -SHRA/ISOLD -TRSA WITH CLOUD DECKS MAINLY ABV
10KFT AGL. SOME OF THE STRONGEST STORMS MAY PRODUCE WIND GUSTS UP TO
35 KTS AND LCLZD NR MVFR CONDS. AWAY FROM STORMS...EXPECT NORMAL
DIURNAL WIND PATTERNS WITH SPEEDS MOSTLY LESS THAN 10 KTS.
AVIATION DISCUSSION NOT UPDATED FOR TAF AMENDMENTS.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...AN UPPER LEVEL LOW JUST EAST OF ROCKY POINT MEXICO
WILL MOVE ACROSS SOUTHERN ARIZONA TODAY THROUGH EARLY SUNDAY. ENOUGH
MOISTURE IS PRESENT WITH THIS SYSTEM FOR SCATTERED SHOWERS WITH
ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS...WITH THE BEST THREAT FOR THE MOUNTAINS.
RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE LIGHT FOR MOST VALLEY AND DESERT
LOCATIONS. MOUNTAIN PRECIPITATION GENERALLY AROUND A QUARTER TO
PERHAPS A THIRD OF AN INCH. THE MAIN CONCERN WILL BE THE POTENTIAL
FOR GUSTY AND ERRATIC WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS. A FEW SHOWERS COULD LINGER NEAR THE NEW MEXICO BORDER
ON SUNDAY WITH A RETURN TO DRY CONDITIONS EARLY NEXT WEEK.

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

&&

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

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 19, 2:15 PM MST, 0 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
215 PM MST SAT APR 19 2014

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

0214 PM     HAIL             1 ENE DOUGLAS           31.35N 109.52W
04/19/2014  E1.00 INCH       COCHISE            AZ   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

EVENT NUMBER TWC1400010

JRG

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Wildfire, Upper Gila River and Aravaipa Valleys

When
April 19, 2:15 PM MST to April 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Upper Gila River and Aravaipa Valleys forecast zone
Reported by
Park/Forest Service
Coordinates
33.074, -109.563 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Skunk Fire was started around 1415 MST on Saturday April 19, 2014 by lightning, approximately 14 miles east of San Carlos. The fire had little growth throughout the remainder of the month of April, mostly toward the northwest on the San Carlos Apache Reservation. Total burned area on April 30, 2014 was 63 acres. No injuries, fatalities, or damage were reported in April.

Wildfire, White Mountains of Graham and Greenlee Counties

When
April 19, 2:15 PM MST to April 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where
White Mountains of Graham and Greenlee Counties forecast zone
Reported by
Park/Forest Service
Coordinates
33.074, -109.563 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Skunk Fire was started around 1415 MST on Saturday April 19, 2014 by lightning, approximately 14 miles east of San Carlos. The fire had little growth throughout the remainder of the month of April, mostly toward the northwest on the San Carlos Apache Reservation. Total burned area on April 30, 2014 was 63 acres. No injuries, fatalities, or damage were reported in April.

What these are

Wildfire
A fire burning in wildland vegetation, with its acreage and damage where known.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Arizona in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, April 2014

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: 513109, 528872.