Arizona, 2017Wildfire in Arizona, May 1 to 4, 2017
May 1 to 4, 2017 · NWS TWC · 1 event in 1 county or zone
The human caused Sawmill fire started on April 23rd and burned tall grass, chaparral and oak brush of southeast Pima County. The wildfire spread rapidly due to several days of strong winds over 30 mph and gusts over 50 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.
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- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- 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.
The human caused Sawmill fire started on April 23rd and burned tall grass, chaparral and oak brush of southeast Pima County. The wildfire spread rapidly due to several days of strong winds over 30 mph and gusts over 50 mph. The fire burned nearly 47,000 acres before containment was achieved on May 4th.
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 Apr 30, 9:15 PM MST, 2 hours 45 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 30, 9:15 PM MST, 2 hours 45 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
915 PM MST Sun Apr 30 2017
.SYNOPSIS...Strong high pressure aloft over the eastern Pacific will
expand eastward into the desert southwest later this week. Expect
dry conditions through Friday, and high temperatures Wednesday into
Friday will be well above normal. The high temperature at Tucson
Friday should approach 100 degrees. Some increase in moisture may
produce a few showers and thunderstorms east of Tucson next weekend.
&&
.DISCUSSION...Generally northwesterly flow aloft across southeast
Arizona this evening with deep low pressure centered over eastern
Kansas, and strong high pressure aloft centered west of the central
California coast near 33N/133W. The flow regime has resulted in
clear skies at this time, and surface winds were westerly to
northerly at less than 15 mph.
Clear skies and light winds will occur the rest of tonight, with low
temperatures around daybreak Monday to be about 3-10 degrees or so
warmer versus temperatures achieved early this morning. High
temperatures Monday are forecast to be generally 3-8 degrees warmer
versus temperatures recorded this afternoon. A gradual daily warming
trend will then continue Tuesday into Friday, and the first official
occurrence of 100 degrees may occur Friday at the Tucson
International Airport.
At any rate, there are no updates necessary at this time. Please
refer to the additional sections for further detail.
&&
.AVIATION...Valid through 02/06Z.
Clear skies will prevail into Monday evening. Surface wind will be
variable in direction mainly less than 12 kts into Monday morning,
then surface wind Monday afternoon and evening will be wly/nwly 8-18
kts with gusts to near 25 kts. Aviation discussion not updated for
TAF amendments.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...Dry conditions will prevail through Friday. Daytime
minimum relative humidity will be in the single digits at lower
elevations and the teens in the mountains. Generally light terrain
driven wind will occur through Wednesday, although afternoon west to
northwest gusts will occur due to strong daytime heating. A somewhat
tight surface pressure gradient Thursday into Friday should produce
some gusty east to southeast winds at times. Thereafter, increased
moisture will lead to a slight chance of showers and perhaps
thunderstorms next weekend.
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION /230 PM MST/...Clear skies continue this afternoon
for much of Arizona as a rather large and mature low pressure system
is spinning its way across the Central Plains, bringing severe
weather to parts of the southeast. We'll generally remain under
northwest flow aloft into Wednesday as strong ridging gradually
builds in from the west. The result will be mostly clear skies with
a few passing cirrus, a warming trend and a much-needed break in the
winds. By late week, the ridge axis passes overhead with heights and
thicknesses supporting the potentially-first 100 degree day of 2017
at KTUS on Friday. Next weekend, we'll watch as a deep trough tries
to dive southward along the coastline and cutoff to our west under
the synoptic ridge. This would signal another round of gusty winds
along with a few showers and perhaps thunderstorms depending on the
track. With such low confidence at this time, have kept PoPs fairly
low with just slight chance values across the eastern/northeastern
mountains next Saturday and Sunday.
&&
.TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...None.
&&
Francis
PREV DISCUSSION...French
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Wildfire, Tucson Metro Area
- When
- May 1, 12:00 AM MST to May 4, 2:25 PM MST
- Where
- Tucson Metro Area forecast zone
- Reported by
- Park/Forest Service
- Coordinates
- 32.097, -111.790 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The human caused Sawmill Fire started 10 miles southeast of Green Valley near Box Canyon and quickly spread east northeast for 20 miles across southeast Pima County and burned 28 percent of the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area. As it crossed State Route 83, two miles of guard rails and supporting posts were destroyed along with several power poles and road signs. While no structures were damaged, about a hundred residents of rural communities such as Singing Valley were evacuated for a day or two, including nuns from the Santa Rita Abbey. The road was closed for 3 days because of the wildfire. The fire was 94 percent contained by the end of April after burning 46,991 acres. No additional acreage was burned before the fire was fully contained on May 4th.
- Wildfire
- A fire burning in wildland vegetation, with its acreage and damage where known.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Flooding in Idaho, May 1 to 31, 20171 death · $14 million · 10 events
- Flooding in Missouri, May 1 to 6, 20171 death · $18 million · 4 events
- Flooding in Illinois, May 1 to 31, 20171 death · $850,000 · 14 events
- Tornado and Hail in Pennsylvania, May 1, 2017$360,000 · EF2 · 59 events
- Tornadoes and Hail in Pennsylvania, May 1, 2017$191,000 · EF2 · 50 events
- Flooding in Arkansas, May 1 to 31, 2017$24 million · 18 events
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Arkansas, May 1 to 5, 2017$26 million · 6 events
- Flooding and Damaging Winds in New York, May 1, 2017$608,000 · 68 kt wind · 48 events
- Flooding in Missouri, May 1 to 31, 2017$2.9 million · 7 events
- Flooding in Idaho, May 1 to 31, 2017$2.8 million · 2 events
- Tornado in Pennsylvania, May 1, 20171 injured · $200,000 · EF1 · 1 event
- Damaging Winds and Lightning Strike in New York, May 1, 2017$256,000 · 88 kt wind · 25 events
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: 696781.