A slow moving low pressure system moving over the Desert Southwest brought strong southwest winds to northern Arizona. The Show Low airport reported the highest wind gust of 58 MPH.
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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 slow moving low pressure system moving over the Desert Southwest brought strong southwest winds to northern Arizona. The Show Low airport reported the highest wind gust of 58 MPH.
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 May 20, 9:52 AM MST, 3 hours 43 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ ISSUED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ 952 AM MST TUE MAY 20 2014 .SYNOPSIS... A SLOW MOVING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. EXPECT STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS AND DRY CONDITIONS AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM TODAY. WEDNESDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND...EXPECT COOLER TEMPERATURES...LESS WIND...AND INCREASING CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AS THE SYSTEM SLOWLY MOVES ACROSS ARIZONA. && .DISCUSSION... MID MORNING WATER VAPOR IMAGERY REVEALS THE UPPER LOW IS OVER CENTRAL CALIFORNIA AS OF 16Z...WITH JUST A FEW HIGH CLOUDS MAKING THEIR WAY INTO NORTHWEST ARIZONA ON THE NOSE OF A 90+KT 25MB JET STREAK. SURFACE WINDS HAVE YET TO INCREASE SUBSTANTIALLY HOWEVER ALL SITES ARE AT LEAST GUSTING INTO THE 20-25KT RANGE. MAIN FORECAST CONCERN IN THE SHORT TERM WILL BE GUSTY WINDS AND ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS. INHERITED WIND FORECAST OF 25KTS WITH HIGHER GUSTS LATER THIS AFTERNOON CERTAINLY LOOKS REASONABLE AND NO CHANGES ARE NECESSARY. LIKEWISE...HUMIDITIES WILL REMAIN SUFFICIENTLY LOW THAT THE RED FLAG WARNING WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT AS-IS. NO CHANGES FORTHCOMING. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BRING STRONG WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY TO THE AREA TODAY...THEN INCREASING CHANCES OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS LATER IN THE WEEK AND INTO THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND. TODAY...THE LOW CENTER WAS LOCATED ALONG THE WEST COAST THIS MORNING AND CONTINUES TO MOVE TO THE SOUTHEAST. AHEAD OF THIS LOW SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL INCREASE WITH GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH EXPECTED BY LATER THIS AFTERNOON. A WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF NRN AZ TODAY. THE STRONG WINDS WILL COMBINE WITH LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY CREATING CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NRN AZ. WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY...THE LOW STALLS OVER THE SRN GREAT BASIN AND WINDS BEGIN TO DIMINISH ACROSS AZ. TEMPS WILL FALL A FEW DEGREES AND HUMIDITY WILL INCREASE. ON THURSDAY...THE LOW DRIFTS TO THE SOUTH TO THE AZ/MX BORDER. THIS WILL RESULT IN A STRONG SOUTHERLY FLOW ALOFT DEVELOPING AND BRINGING SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE NORTHWARD. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BEGIN TO DEVELOP ACROSS NRN AZ BY LATE THURSDAY. FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY...THE LOW STALLS OVER AZ AND THE COLD POOL ALOFT ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW CENTER WILL RESULT IN STEEPENING LAPSE RATES CONDUCIVE TO MODERATE CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY. IN ADDITION...THE SOUTHERLY FLOW ALOFT WILL RESULT IN MODERATE OROGRAPHIC UPSLOPE CONDITIONS ALONG THE SOUTH-FACING ASPECTS OF THE MOGOLLON RIM AND WHITE MTNS. IT IS EXPECTED THAT THE BEST CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON INTO SATURDAY. SHOWER ACTIVITY WILL BEGIN TO DIMINISH ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY WITH THE BEST CHANCES SHIFTING EASTWARD TO THE AZ/NM BORDER. MODELS CONTINUE TO INDICATE THIS SLOW MOVING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BRING LIGHT TO MODERATE RAINFALL AMOUNTS TO MANY LOCALES...WITH THE BEST CHANCES FOR HEAVIER RAIN OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN. && .AVIATION... FOR THE 12Z PACKAGE...VFR CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE 24 HR PERIOD WITH SKC-SCT CIRRUS. WINDS 15 KTS OR LESS THROUGH 15Z...BECOMING SW 20-25KT GUSTS 35-45KT THROUGH 03Z WEDS. AVIATION DISCUSSION NOT UPDATED FOR AMENDMENTS. && .FIRE WEATHER... FOR TODAY VERY DRY SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL BRING CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS TO ALL OF NORTHERN ARIZONA. POOR HUMIDITY RECOVERY OCCURRED OVERNIGHT...AND 20 FOOT WIND SPEEDS SHOULD BE INCREASING BY MID MORNING. WINDS TONIGHT TO SLOW BUT NOT GO INTO THE DOWNSLOPE REGIME AS AN UPPER LEVEL LOW MOVES INTO THE GREAT BASIN. ON WEDNESDAY...STILL VERY DRY HERE AS THE UPPER LOW CENTER SITS OVER SOUTHERN NEVADA. THIS WILL BRING DECREASING WIND SPEEDS TO MOST AREAS...HOWEVER THE SOUTHERN HALVES OF NAVAJO AND APACHE COUNTIES COULD FLIRT WITH CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...THE LOW PRESSURE CENTER IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THEN SLOWLY EASTWARD ACROSS ARIZONA DURING THIS TIME. LOOK FOR INCREASING CHANCES OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AS MOISTURE INCREASES AND WORKS WITH INSTABILITY FROM THE UPPER LOW. IT DOES APPEAR THAT FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT MAY BRING WETTING PRECIPITATION TO MUCH OF THE AREA EAST OF A PAGE TO PRESCOTT LINE. && .FGZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 8 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR AZZ104>118-137>140. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR AZZ004>017-038>040. && PUBLIC.........WFO PSR/DB AVIATION.......DL FIRE WEATHER...DL FOR NORTHERN ARIZONA WEATHER INFORMATION VISIT WEATHER.GOV/FLAGSTAFF
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ 430 AM MST TUE MAY 20 2014 AZZ004>018-037>040-210700- WESTERN MOGOLLON RIM-GRAND CANYON COUNTRY-YAVAPAI COUNTY MOUNTAINS- YAVAPAI COUNTY VALLEYS AND BASINS-OAK CREEK AND SYCAMORE CANYONS- MARBLE AND GLEN CANYONS-KAIBAB PLATEAU-COCONINO PLATEAU- NORTHEAST PLATEAU AND MESAS HWY 264 NORTHWARD- NORTHEAST PLATEAU AND MESAS SOUTH OF HWY 264- CHINLE VALLEY-CHUSKA MOUNTAINS AND DEFIANCE PLATEAU- BLACK MESA AREA-LITTLE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY IN COCONINO COUNTY- LITTLE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY IN NAVAJO COUNTY- LITTLE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY IN APACHE COUNTY- EASTERN MOGOLLON RIM-WHITE MOUNTAINS-NORTHERN GILA COUNTY- 430 AM MST TUE MAY 20 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR APACHE...COCONINO...NORTHERN GILA...NAVAJO...AND YAVAPAI COUNTIES IN NORTHERN ARIZONA. .DAY ONE...TODAY A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BRING STRONG AND GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS TO NORTHERN ARIZONA TODAY. EXPECT WIND GUSTS OF 45 TO 50 MPH TO DEVELOP BY THIS AFTERNOON. AREAS OF BLOWING DUST ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS NORTHEASTERN ARIZONA. A WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR TODAY. LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY WILL COMBINE WITH THE STRONG WINDS TO PRODUCE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS TODAY. A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR TODAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .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.
3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Show Low Airport ASOS reported a wind gust of 58 MPH.
The Show Low Airport ASOS reported a wind gust of 58 MPH...just 3 miles away from the AZ-Z013 zone line.
The Show Low Airport ASOS reported a wind gust of 58 MPH...just 2 miles away from the AZ-Z016 zone line.
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, May 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: 519403, 519405, 519407.