Arizona, 2017Funnel Cloud in Arizona, July 25, 2017
July 25, 2017 · NWS PSR · 1 event in 1 county or zone
Isolated thunderstorms developed to the southeast of the greater Phoenix metropolitan area during the early afternoon hours on July 25th. The storms did not produce damaging winds or significant flooding, however one of the stronger storms did produce a funnel cloud about 6 miles southeast of the town of Florence Junction.
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- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
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- None recorded
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- None recorded
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- 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.
Isolated thunderstorms developed to the southeast of the greater Phoenix metropolitan area during the early afternoon hours on July 25th. The storms did not produce damaging winds or significant flooding, however one of the stronger storms did produce a funnel cloud about 6 miles southeast of the town of Florence Junction. The funnel cloud did not touch ground but it was seen by many of the public; broadcast media also shared photos and videos of this funnel cloud.
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 Phoenix, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 25, 12:37 PM MST, 33 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jul 25, 12:37 PM MST, 33 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Phoenix AZ
1237 PM MST Tue Jul 25 2017
.UPDATE...Updated aviation discussion.
&&
.SYNOPSIS...
Much drier air begins moving into the region today for a
significant decrease in storm chances. Expect even less storm
activity Wednesday. With less clouds and humidity, temperatures
will increase...climbing a bit above normal by Thursday. The
drying trend will begin to reverse itself on Thursday with storm
chances gradually increasing from east to west through the
weekend. Similarly, high temperatures decrease as well...most
noticeably over south-central Arizona.
&&
Discussion...
Today and Wednesday...
Yesterday's wave feature which aided the convection has now
shifted into the Great Basin. However, there appears to be a weak
trailing short wave over southwest Arizona as evident in the
models. Hard to see in satellite imagery but there looks to be a
very subtle darkening signature in water vapor. It may have also
aided storm development last evening near Gila Bend. This
perturbation may be the reason why multiple runs of the HRRR
depict redevelopment of convection later today focusing on Mohave
and Yavapai Counties (brushing La Paz County). Other hi-res models
are not as aggressive with this idea. There are some indications
that a couple of stray showers will also pass through northern
Maricopa County (including metro Phoenix) this afternoon. However,
not looking at anything remotely close to what we've had the past
couple days. This is due large to decreasing moisture
availability as drier air near and west of the Baja starts getting
advected into the area. With less cloudiness and shower activity
today, highs will be warmer today.
Wednesday looks to be a "low grade" Monsoon day with some
additional drying and less than ideal south-southwesterly steering
flow. Warmer temps as well but very close to normal.
Thursday through Monday...
With less troughing to the northwest, the ridge shifts northward
a little bit during the latter part of the workweek leading to
more of an easterly component to the steering flow which is
climatologically more favorable for moist advection as well as
advection of storms from higher terrain into our forecast area.
Over the weekend and early next week, GFS and ECMWF depict
amplification of the flow pattern over North America such that
steering flow becomes southeasterly (which is also
climatologically favorable) with moisture spreading into southeast
CA. A couple of other factors that may be in the mix are another
inverted trough passing through similarly to what we've just had.
The other item is a tropical storm depicted to track south and
west of Baja which in it's passing could aid moist advection up
the Gulf of California. Looks a bit far south though to have a
classic Gulf surge effect. Otherwise, it looks like it will stay
far away and have no direct impact. So in a nutshell, we resume a
gradual uptrend in PoPs from east to west. Likewise, temps begin
modestly decreasing from east to west on Friday.
&&
.AVIATION...
South-Central Arizona including KPHX, KIWA, and KSDL:
Scattered cumulus clouds have developed this afternoon as low-
level moisture remains rich, but a general drying trend is
occurring with winds aloft exhibiting a stronger westerly
component. Scattered showers and a few thunderstorms have
developed mainly east of the Phoenix area. Cannot rule out one or
two short-lived showers developing over parts of the Phoenix area,
but most should remain over the higher terrain. Otherwise, winds
are expected to be light and diurnal in nature through tomorrow
afternoon, with periods of mid-level clouds and diurnal cumulus
possible.
Southeast California/Southwest Arizona including KIPL and KBLH:
The only potential weather concern will be thunderstorms
developing northward across far western Imperial County, and any
associated eastward-moving outflows across the Imperial Valley.
While KIPL is not expected to be affected by precipitation, low
confidence in areas of blowing dust exists this afternoon which
could affect visibilities. Otherwise, quiet conditions with
periods of mid-high level clouds.
Aviation discussion not updated for amended TAFs.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
Thursday through Monday:
Humidities and storm chances begin to increase Thursday with
chances reaching southeast California by Saturday. Temperatures
will be near normal Wednesday and Thursday (a bit above normal
near and west of the Lower Colorado River Valley) before beginning
to decrease late this week. Apart from thunderstorms, winds will
follow familiar warm season patterns.
&&
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
Spotters should follow standard reporting procedures.
&&
.PSR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AZ...None.
CA...None.
&&
Visit us on Facebook, Twitter, and at weather.gov/phoenix
DISCUSSION...AJ
AVIATION...Rogers
FIRE WEATHER...AJ
In the hours before
Local storm report, Jul 25, 9:14 AM MST, 3 hours 56 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
914 AM MST TUE JUL 25 2017
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1228 PM FLASH FLOOD 3 S TONOPAH 33.46N 112.94W
07/24/2017 MARICOPA AZ MESONET
DELANEY WASH AT 411TH AVENUE IMPASSIBLE DUE
TO FLOOD WATERS. SOURCE OF DATA MARICOPA
COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL STREAM GAGE LOCATED 3
MILES UPSTREAM. DELAYED REPORT.
&&
MSLocal storm report, Jul 25, 9:21 AM MST, 3 hours 49 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
921 AM MST TUE JUL 25 2017
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0103 PM FLASH FLOOD 3 WNW WINTERSBURG 33.45N 112.92W
07/24/2017 MARICOPA AZ MESONET
DELANEY WASH AT SALOME HIGHWAY IMPASSIBLE
DUE TO FLOOD WATERS. SOURCE OF DATA MARICOPA
COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL STREAM LOCATED 5 MILES
UPSTREAM. DELAYED REPORT.
&&
MSLocal storm report, Jul 25, 9:37 AM MST, 3 hours 33 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
937 AM MST TUE JUL 25 2017
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0750 PM FLASH FLOOD 2 E MOBILE 33.06N 112.25W
07/23/2017 MARICOPA AZ DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
HIGHWAY 238 NEAR MOBILE CLOSED DUE TO
FLOODING. DELAYED REPORT.
&&
MSFunnel Cloud, Pinal
- When
- July 25, 1:10 PM MST
- Where
- Pinal County, 6.32 mi S of Florence Jct
- Reported by
- Emergency Manager
- Coordinates
- 33.180, -111.350
Isolated thunderstorms developed around the community of Florence Junction during the early afternoon hours on July 25th. The storms were not damaging and did not produce flooding however one of the stronger storms did produce a funnel cloud. At 1310MST an emergency manager sent a picture of the funnel cloud which was located about 6 miles south of the town of Florence Junction. The public and various broadcast media also shared similar photos and videos of this funnel cloud, which did not touch the ground.
- Funnel Cloud
- A rotating column of cloud extending from a thunderstorm that did not reach the ground.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
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- Lightning Strike in Michigan, July 25, 2017$500,000 · 1 event
- Flash Flooding in Arizona, July 25, 2017$111,000 · 7 events
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- Tornado and Hail in South Dakota, July 25, 2017$20,000 · EF0 · 14 events
- Excessive Heat and Heat in Arkansas, July 25 to 27, 201721 events
- Excessive Heat and Heat in Tennessee, July 25 to 27, 201718 events
- Wildfire in Idaho, July 25 to 30, 2017$15,000 · 1 event
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- Hail and Damaging Winds in Minnesota, July 25 to 26, 20171.75 in hail · 7 events
- Flash Flooding and Debris Flows in Utah, July 25 to 26, 2017$3,000 · 6 events
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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: 709845.