A thunderstorm produced severe wind gusts along Interstate 40 near The Painted Desert.
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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 thunderstorm produced severe wind gusts along Interstate 40 near The Painted Desert.
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 Jul 3, 4:10 PM MST, 1 hour 35 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ 410 PM MST FRI JUL 3 2015 .SYNOPSIS...THE MONSOON WILL REMAIN ACTIVE...ESPECIALLY OVER THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS...THROUGH THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND. A DRYING TREND WILL DEVELOP IN THE WESTERN ZONES EARLY NEXT WEEK...WHILE THE EASTERN ZONES REMAIN ACTIVE. && .DISCUSSION... THUS FAR THIS AFTERNOON...THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY HAS BEEN MOST PRONOUNCED OVER THE COCONINO PLATEAU...THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF NORTHEAST ARIZONA...AND THE EASTERN RIM/WHITE MOUNTAINS. WITH FLOW ALOFT BEING SO LIGHT FROM THE EAST...STORM MOTIONS ARE SLOW WHICH WILL MAKE IT A SLOW PROCESS FOR STORMS TO MOVE OFF THE HIGH TERRAIN AND COULD ALSO LEAD TO A LOCALIZED FLOODING THREAT. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE WHERE STORM COVERAGE IS GREATER. THUS FAR...WE HAVE NOT SEEN MUCH ACTIVITY OVER YAVAPAI COUNTY AS MORNING RAINFALL LEFT BEHIND A STABLE LAYER THAT HAS SUPPRESSED CONVECTION. EXPECT CHANCES OF SEEING SOME ACTIVITY THERE TO INCREASE INTO THIS EVENING AS HEATING CONTINUES...ESPECIALLY OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN IN NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE COUNTY. MULTIPLE MODEL SOLUTIONS DEPICT A WEAK DISTURBANCE LIKELY LEFT OVER FROM A CONVECTIVE COMPLEX LAST NIGHT IN NORTHERN SONORA/SOUTHEAST AZ MAKING ITS WAY THROUGH NORTHERN AZ TONIGHT. THIS MAY KEEP RAIN/THUNDERSTORMS GOING OVERNIGHT TO SOME EXTENT. WE INCREASED PRECIP CHANCES OVERNIGHT AND MENTIONED THE POSSIBILITY OF A LIGHTNING THREAT CONTINUING OVERNIGHT AS WELL. AS STORM MOTIONS BECOME MORE SOUTHERLY AND SPEEDS INCREASE ON SATURDAY...EXPECT THE FLOODING THREAT TO DECREASE ACCORDINGLY. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE STILL FORECAST THROUGH THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND AND INTO NEXT WEEK...THOUGH A WESTERLY COMPONENT TO WINDS ALOFT SHOULD RESULT IN SOME NOTABLE DRYING ESPECIALLY IN WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. && .AVIATION...FOR THE 00Z PACKAGE...SCT TSRA/SHRA WILL CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST EARLY EVENING. AS THE EVENING PROGRESSES...STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE TO THE WEST/SOUTHWEST INTO THE LOWER ELEVATIONS. EXPECT MVFR CONDITIONS IN THE STRONGER STORMS WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AND HAIL BEING THE MAIN AVIATION THREATS. THE CHANCE FOR SHRA/TSRA WILL CONTINUE OVERNIGHT. AVIATION DISCUSSION NOT UPDATED FOR TAF AMENDMENTS. && .FIRE WEATHER...HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE OVER ARIZONA THIS WEEKEND KEEPING A MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR MASS IN PLACE ACROSS NORTHERN ARIZONA. EXPECT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS EACH AFTERNOON WITH AN EMPHASIS ACROSS CENTRAL AND EASTERN ARIZONA. TEMPERATURES WILL BE NEAR AVERAGE. MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...LITTLE CHANGE IN THE WEATHER PATTERN IS ANTICIPATED THROUGH MONDAY. BY TUESDAY...SOME DRIER AIR BEGINS MOVING IN FROM THE WEST RESULTING IN A DOWNWARD TREND IN SHOWERS AND STORMS...PARTICULARLY ACROSS WESTERN ARIZONA. CORRESPONDING HUMIDITY VALUES WILL GRADUALLY DECREASE. && .FGZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && PUBLIC...AT AVIATION...MCS FIRE WEATHER...MCS FOR NORTHERN ARIZONA WEATHER INFORMATION VISIT WEATHER.GOV/FLAGSTAFF
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ 124 PM MST FRI JUL 3 2015 AZZ004>018-037>040-040700- 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- 124 PM MST FRI JUL 3 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR APACHE...COCONINO... NORTHERN GILA...NAVAJO...AND YAVAPAI COUNTIES IN NORTHERN ARIZONA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN WILL SLOWLY BE TAKEN IN A WESTERLY DIRECTION THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A WEAK DISTURBANCE MOVING NORTHWARD INTO THE AREA MAY PROMOTE MORE WIDESPREAD STORM DEVELOPMENT LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THIS EVENING. WITH LIMITED INSTABILILTY BUT SLOW STORM MOTION...THE PRIMARY THREATS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WILL BE LOCALIZED HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLOODING...AS WELL AS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING POSSIBLY CONTINUING INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY MONSOONAL FLOW WILL REMAIN OVER NORTHERN ARIZONA WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EACH DAY. THE THREAT OF FLOODING WILL LIKELY DECREASE ON SATURDAY AS STORM MOTION INCREASES. SOME DRYING IS EXPECTED NEXT WEEK...ESPECIALLY OVER WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ 1202 PM MST FRI JUL 3 2015 AZZ004>006-031930- KAIBAB PLATEAU-MARBLE AND GLEN CANYONS-GRAND CANYON COUNTRY- 1202 PM MST FRI JUL 3 2015 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTH CENTRAL COCONINO COUNTY UNTIL 1230 PM MST... AT 1201 PM MST...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES NORTH OF BRIGHT ANGEL POINT...OR 22 MILES NORTHWEST OF DESERT VIEW AT GRAND CANYON...MOVING SOUTH AT 15 MPH. NICKEL SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... BRIGHT ANGEL POINT AND NORTH RIM ENTRANCE STATION. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM...AND MAY LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED ROADWAYS. THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. && LAT...LON 3635 11218 3641 11196 3618 11183 3611 11213 TIME...MOT...LOC 1901Z 341DEG 12KT 3631 11205 AT
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ 205 PM MST FRI JUL 3 2015 AZZ011-032130- CHUSKA MOUNTAINS AND DEFIANCE PLATEAU- 205 PM MST FRI JUL 3 2015 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EAST CENTRAL APACHE COUNTY UNTIL 230 PM MST... AT 205 PM MST...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR RED LAKE CHAPTER HOUSE...OR 33 MILES SOUTHEAST OF CHINLE...MOVING SOUTH AT 20 MPH. NICKEL SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... WINDOW ROCK...RED LAKE CHAPTER HOUSE...FORT DEFIANCE...ST. MICHAELS AND SAWMILL. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM...AND MAY LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED ROADWAYS. && LAT...LON 3564 10932 3593 10921 3591 10905 3561 10905 TIME...MOT...LOC 2105Z 009DEG 15KT 3585 10912 AT
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ 306 PM MST FRI JUL 3 2015 AZZ007-015-032245- COCONINO PLATEAU-WESTERN MOGOLLON RIM- 306 PM MST FRI JUL 3 2015 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL COCONINO COUNTY UNTIL 345 PM MST... AT 304 PM MST...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR VALLE...OR 25 MILES SOUTH OF GRAND CANYON VILLAGE. THIS STORM WAS NEARLY STATIONARY. DIME SIZE HAIL AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... VALLE. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE 15 MILES AWAY FROM A THUNDERSTORM. SEEK A SAFE SHELTER INSIDE A BUILDING OR VEHICLE. && LAT...LON 3560 11202 3549 11219 3561 11238 3578 11212 TIME...MOT...LOC 2204Z 142DEG 2KT 3560 11216 AT
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Arizona Department of Transportation wind sensor along Interstate 40 near The Painted Desert recorded a wind gust of 71 MPH at 545 PM MST.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arizona in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, July 2015
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: 596437.