Arizona, 2015Strong Wind in Arizona, March 2, 2015
March 2, 2015 · NWS TWC · 1 event in 1 county or zone
A low pressure system located off the southern coast of California brought strong gradient winds and showers to southeastern Arizona. Wind speeds of 25 to 35 mph were common, along with a few gusts in excess of 45 mph.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
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- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $1,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
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.
A low pressure system located off the southern coast of California brought strong gradient winds and showers to southeastern Arizona. Wind speeds of 25 to 35 mph were common, along with a few gusts in excess of 45 mph. A few trees were downed as a result of this wind.
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 Mar 2, 9:25 AM MST, 3 hours 50 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Mar 2, 9:25 AM MST, 3 hours 50 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
925 AM MST MON MAR 2 2015
.SYNOPSIS...A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM NEAR CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA WILL BRING WINDY CONDITIONS AS WELL AS PERIODS OF VALLEY
RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW BY MID DAY TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT.
PRECIPITATION CHANCES WILL LESSEN CONSIDERABLY FOR MIDWEEK WITH DRY
CONDITIONS AREAWIDE AND WARMER TEMPERATURES BY THE END OF THE WEEK.
&&
.DISCUSSION...9 AM WATER VAPOR IMAGERY THIS MORNING SHOWED THE UPPER
LOW JUST OFF THE SRN CA COAST. BASED ON TRENDS THE CENTER HAS
STOPPED DIGGING S AND IS MOVING ENE. IT WILL OPEN UP AS IT MOVES ENE
ACROSS SRN CA THIS MORNING AND UP INTO NRN AZ THIS AFTERNOON.
REGIONAL DOPPLER RADARS PAINTED SHOWERS ACROSS WRN AZ MOVING SLOWLY
TO THE E. AREAS OF MODERATE RAIN ARE IN THIS BAND WITH AJO RECORDING
0.35" BETWEEN 8 AND 9 AM. BASED ON CURRENT MOVEMENT AND HRRR DATA
THE LEADING EDGE OF THIS BAND OF SHOWERS WILL BE MOVING INTO SE
PINAL/ERN PIMA/SANTA CRUZ COUNTY BETWEEN 1 AND 3 PM...GIVE OR TAKE
AN HOUR. THE CENTRAL TO NE MOUNTAINS WILL START A LITTLE EARLIER DUE
TO THE STRONG UPSLOPE FLOW. SNOW LEVELS WILL BE CRASHING THIS
AFTERNOON...DOWN TO AROUND 6500 FEET WITH SNOW PICKING UP IN
INTENSITY. WILL MAINTAIN CURRENT WINTER STORM FOR THE WHITES AND
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES PINALENO/CATALINA/RINCON MTNS THAT GO INTO
EFFECT AFTER 11 AM. WIND ALSO AN ISSUE TODAY ESPECIALLY IN THE
MOUNTAINS AND COCHISE COUNTY WHERE A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT.
HAVE SEE SOME WIND GUSTS IN THE MOUNTAINS IN THE 30-45 MPH RANGE
THIS MORNING. SHOWER ACTIVITY CONTINUING THIS EVENING ACROSS ERN
ZONES BEFORE ENDING EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. MORE ON THE REST OF THE
FORECAST IN THE AFTERNOON DISCUSSION.
&&
.AVIATION...VALID THRU 03/12Z.
AN APPROACHING STORM SYSTEM WILL BE IMPACTING THE AREA THRU THIS
EVENING. EXPECT SCT CUMULUS NEAR 4-6K FT AGL WITH BKN-OVC LAYERS ABV
THROUGH 25K FT...THEN AFT 02/18Z BECOMING BKN-OVC 4-6K FT WITH
MULTIPLE LAYERS ABV AND IFR/MVFR CONDS OVER MTNS AND NEAR SHOWERS.
ISOLD SHOWERS THIS MORNING WILL BECOME WIDESPREAD THIS AFTERNOON.
CLOUDS AND SHOWERS DIMINISHING FROM THE WEST BEHIND THE COLD FRONT
WHICH WILL BE NEAR KTUS 02/23Z AND KDUG NEAR 03/05Z. SFC WINDS S
8-16 KTS THEN INCREASING TO 15-25 KTS WITH HIGHER GUSTS TO 40 KTS IN
ADVANCE OF APPROACHING COLD FRONT. STRONG SOUTHERLY JET TODAY WITH
WINDS 30-50 KTS 5-10K FT MSL. AVIATION DISCUSSION NOT UPDATED FOR
TAF AMENDMENTS.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...ESPECIALLY IN THE MOUNTAINS AND
THE LOWER ELEVATIONS S AND E OF TUCSON...WILL CONTINUE INTO THIS
EVENING BEFORE DIMINISHING. SHOWERS OVER WESTERN PIMA COUNTY THIS
MORNING WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH EAST ACROSS SE AZ AS A COLD FRONT
MOVES EAST. THE SHOWERS WILL DIMINISH TONIGHT AS THE COLD FRONT
MOVES INTO NEW MEXICO. ANOTHER WEATHER SYSTEM WILL IMPACT THE AREA
ON WEDNESDAY FOR ANOTHER CHANCE OF SHOWERS. DRY AND WARMER THURSDAY
ONWARD.
&&
.TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WINTER STORM WARNING 11 AM MST THIS MORNING TO 1 AM MST TUESDAY
ABOVE 6500 FEET FOR AZZ510-511.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY 11 AM MST THIS MORNING TO 1 AM MST
TUESDAY ABOVE 6500 FEET FOR AZZ514.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM MST THIS EVENING ABOVE 5000 FEET FOR
AZZ512>515.
&&
VISIT US ON FACEBOOK...TWITTER...YOUTUBE...AND AT WEATHER.GOV/TUCSON
Strong Wind, Tucson Metro Area
- When
- March 2, 1:15 PM MST to 4:00 PM MST
- Where
- Tucson Metro Area forecast zone
- Measured
- 48 kt (55 mph) estimated gust
- Property damage
- $1,000
- Reported by
- Social Media
- Coordinates
- 32.097, -111.790 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Sustained south and southwest winds of 25 to 35 mph affected much of Tucson metro area during the afternoon hours of March 2nd. Higher gusts were associated with light rain showers and virga. Tree damage occurred at Speedway and Tucson Boulevard, and in Three Points area. Ryan Airfield reported a maximum wind gust of 43 mph between 1:45 MST and 3:45 pm MST, while Davis-Monthan AFB recorded a maximum gust of 46 mph. Two other locations, reported gusts to 47 mph, including Tucson International Airport at 1:20 pm MST.
- Strong Wind
- Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
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- Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in Montana, March 2 to 3, 20151 injured · 6 events
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in South Dakota, March 2 to 3, 201514 events
- Dense Fog in Virginia, March 2, 20155 events
- Winter Storm in Wyoming, March 2 to 3, 20155 events
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Colorado, March 2 to 4, 20154 events
- Winter Storm in Montana, March 2 to 3, 20153 events
- Dense Fog in District of Columbia, March 2, 20151 event
- Dense Fog in Maryland, March 2, 20151 event
- Heavy Rain in Utah, March 2, 20151 event
- High Wind in New Mexico, March 2, 201560 kt wind · 1 event
- Winter Storm in Wyoming, March 2 to 3, 20151 event
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: 554850.