An unusually strong low pressure system continued to move through the Great Basin and Northern Rockies on June 17. This produced windy to very windy conditions over northern Arizona.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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.
An unusually strong low pressure system continued to move through the Great Basin and Northern Rockies on June 17. This produced windy to very windy conditions over northern 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 Jun 17, 9:11 AM MST, 2 hours 9 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ 911 AM MST TUE JUN 17 2014 .SYNOPSIS... A LARGE AREA OF LOW PRESSURE OVER THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST WILL BRING WINDY AND VERY DRY CONDITIONS AGAIN TODAY. THE AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL BEGIN TO MOVE EAST ON WEDNESDAY WITH WIND SPEEDS DECREASING. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL BEGIN TO INCREASE ON THURSDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE MOVES OVER ARIZONA. && .DISCUSSION...LOW PRESSURE IS CENTERED OVER IDAHO THIS MORNING WITH A TROUGH EXTENDING INTO THE SOUTHWEST U.S. STRONG WINDS ALOFT WERE NOTED THIS MORNING IN THE FGZ SOUNDING AS WELL AS THE VAD WIND PROFILE WHICH BOTH SHOW 40-50 KTS AROUND 10-11 KFT MSL. ALSO NOTED IN THE MORNING SOUNDING IS A WELL MIXED BOUNDARY LAYER WITH LITTLE DECOUPLING OCCURRING OVERNIGHT. SOME HIGHER TERRAIN AREAS HAVE ALREADY SEEN WIND GUSTS NEAR AND ABOVE 40 MPH THIS MORNING. WINDS WILL INCREASE FURTHER WITH GUSTS FROM 40 TO 55 MPH EXPECTED OVER A LARGE PORTION OF NORTHERN ARIZONA. A FEW LOCALLY STRONG GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF COCONINO COUNTY. CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL DEVELOP AS THE WINDS COMBINE WITH VERY LOW HUMIDITY. RED FLAG WARNINGS AND WIND ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING. && .PREVIOUS DISCUSSION (410 AM MST)... AN UNSEASONABLY DEEP LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND GREAT BASIN WILL PRODUCE STRONG AND GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS AGAIN TODAY ACROSS NORTHERN ARIZONA. SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 20 TO 35 MPH WITH GUST FROM 40 TO 57 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP LATER THIS MORNING INTO EARLY THIS EVENING. THE ATMOSPHERE WILL REMAIN FAIRLY DRY WITH AFTERNOON RH VALUES IN THE SINGLE DIGITS TO LOW TEENS. FOR THIS REASON A RED FLAG WARNING AND A WIND ADVISORY WILL BE IN EFFECT FOR TODAY. SEE PHXRFWFGZ AND PHXNPWFGZ FOR MORE DETAILS AT OUR WEB SITE WWW.WEATHER.GOV/FLAGSTAFF. THERE MAY BE ENOUGH MOISTURE OVER THE WHITE MOUNTAINS TODAY FOR A HIGH BASED NEARLY DRY ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON. THE DEEP LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL PUSH EASTWARD ACROSS THE NORTHERN ROCKIES INTO THE HIGH PLAINS ON WEDNESDAY WITH DECREASING WINDS SPEEDS ACROSS NORTHERN AZ...THE STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS ON WEDNESDAY WILL BE OVER PORTIONS OF NAVAJO AND APACHE COUNTIES. SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS AROUND 35 TO 45 MPH ARE FORECAST FROM LATE WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY EVENING. WEAK HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION FROM THURSDAY INTO THE COMING WEEKEND BRINGING LESS WIND...WARMER TEMPERATURES...AND VERY DRY CONDITIONS. ALTHOUGH THE PROBABILITY OF ANY SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE AFFECTING EASTERN AZ THIS WEEKEND AND EARLY NEXT WEEK IS LOW...IT IS WORTH WATCHING BECAUSE THE SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE WILL NOT BE THAT FAR FROM NORTHERN ARIZONA AND WOULD NOT TAKE A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE FLOW TO BRING MOISTURE INTO THE EASTERN RIM AND WHITE MOUNTAINS AT LEAST. && .AVIATION...FOR THE 18Z PACKAGE...VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS 20-30 KTS GUSTING TO 45 KTS THROUGH 02Z. WINDS WILL GRADUALLY DECREASE THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. AVIATION DISCUSSION NOT UPDATED FOR AMENDMENTS. && .FIRE WEATHER...EXPECT ANOTHER DAY OF CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WITH STRONG SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS. OVERNIGHT WIND SPEEDS WILL REMAIN ELEVATED AND GRADUALLY DECREASE FROM LATE TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...MUCH LIGHTER WINDS ARE EXPECTED...THOUGH THE HUMIDITY LEVELS WILL REMAIN VERY DRY. && .FGZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 9 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR AZZ104>118- 137>140. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR AZZ004>017- 038>040. && PUBLIC.........MCS AVIATION.......MCCOLLUM FIRE WEATHER...MCCOLLUM FOR NORTHERN ARIZONA WEATHER INFORMATION VISIT WEATHER.GOV/FLAGSTAFF
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ 350 AM MST TUE JUN 17 2014 AZZ004>018-037>040-180745- 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- 350 AM MST TUE JUN 17 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR APACHE...COCONINO... NORTHERN GILA...NAVAJO...AND YAVAPAI COUNTIES IN NORTHERN ARIZONA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AND TROUGH ACROSS THE NORTHERN ROCKIES AND GREAT BASIN WILL HELP PRODUCE STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS TODAY. SOUTHWEST WINDS 20 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS AROUND 40 TO 57 MPH ARE EXPECTED DEVELOP ONCE AGAIN TODAY. A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF NORTHERN ARIZONA...AND A WIND ADVISORY IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR AREAS FROM THE YAVAPAI COUNTY MOUNTAINS...MOGOLLON RIM...AND WHITE MOUNTAINS NORTHWARD TO THE UTAH BORDER. AREAS OF BLOWING DUST ARE POSSIBLE AS WELL ACROSS NORTHEAST ARIZONA. SEE PHXRFWFGZ AND PHXNPWFGZ FOR MORE DETAILS ON THE RED FLAG WARNING AND THE WIND ADVISORY RESPECTIVELY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY ON WEDNESDAY THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AND TROUGH IS FORECAST TO MOVE EAST OF THE REGION WITH DECREASING WIND SPEEDS. SOUTHWEST WINDS 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS AROUND 35 TO 45 MPH ARE EXPECTED WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. WARM AND DRY WEATHER WITH LIGHTER WINDS ARE FORECAST THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A Mesonet wind sensor in Leupp reported a peak wind gust of 60 MPH.
The Flagstaff ASOS recorded a peak wind gust of 61 MPH. A wind gust of 72 MPH was recorded by an anemometer mounted on a roof top in Doney Park. Several dozen large trees were blown down in the forest east of Schultz Pass to Old Caves Crater. The trees ranged from 8 inches in diameter to over 18 inches in diameter. Some trees snapped off several yards off the ground while others were blown over at the roots.
The Winslow ASOS reported strong winds from around noon to mid afternoon. The peak wind gust was 72 MPH.
The Grand Canyon Airport ASOS reported a peak wind gust of 59 MPH at 219 PM MST. Wind gusts above 50 MPH were recorded between noon and 400 PM MST.
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, June 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: 519457, 519455, 519458, 519459.