A strong cold front brought high and damaging winds to northern Arizona overnight April 16th to April 17th.
Every event with a place to put it; 5 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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 strong cold front brought high and damaging winds to northern Arizona overnight April 16th to April 17th.
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 Apr 16, 3:40 PM MST, 3 hours 43 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Flagstaff AZ 340 PM MST Mon Apr 16 2018 .SYNOPSIS...A cold front will bring strong winds and dangerous fire weather conditions to the area through Tuesday. A slight cool down follows the front for Tuesday, with a warming trend Wednesday. Strong winds and a chance of rain and snow showers make another appearance later next week, on Thursday and Friday. && .DISCUSSION...Extensive middle and high cloud cover has held down wind speeds in many areas so far this afternoon. Although many areas have hit Wind Advisory criteria, High Wind Warning speeds have not developed yet. The highest wind speeds aloft are just west of the cloud band, of course where the best mixing is as well. We expect this clearing line to work eastward through the remainder of the High Wind Warning period and some higher gusts should develop. The remainder of the area is under Wind Advisories and Red Flag Warnings. The target areas will slowly shift east overnight and into Tuesday, with advisories and warnings tracking east as well. The trough and cold front responsible for all this wind will move east of the area Tuesday afternoon and winds will slowly come down with some minor cooling of the airmass. A s/wv ridge moves across Arizona on Wednesday, for a warming trend and less wind. This is ahead of another cold trough due Thursday and Friday. This next system will bring another round of strong winds Thursday, followed by instability showers producing rain and snow Thursday night and Friday. The current track of this trough is much farther south compared to the last few, so this our best shot at some moisture in awhile. Finally, ridging returns next weekend, for a prolonged period of dry and warm conditions. && .AVIATION...For the 00Z package...VFR conditions will persist through the forecast period. Southwest winds 20-30kts with gusts from 30-40kts continuing through much of the period. Winds slowly decreasing west and south of the Mogollon Rim by 06Z. Higher gusts possible lee of higher terrain features, winds switching to westerly by Tuesday afternoon. Aviation discussion not updated for TAF amendments. && .FIRE WEATHER...Strong southwest winds will continue into the night along the passage of a dry cold front. Winds will then shift to the west-northwest Tuesday morning behind the cold front, with critical fire weather conditions likely for eastern Arizona Tuesday afternoon. Wednesday, winds will be light and out of the south. Thursday through Saturday...A deep trough of low pressure will bring gusty southwest winds Thursday into Friday. This system could bring scattered snow and rain showers, mainly north of the Mogollon Rim. Drying and warming returns Saturday. && .FGZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... High Wind Warning until 11 PM MST this evening for AZ Public Zones 004-006-007-015. Red Flag Warning until 11 PM MST this evening for AZ FWX Zones 104>118-137>140. Wind Advisory until 11 PM MST this evening for AZ Public Zones 005-008-018-037-038. Wind Advisory until 8 AM MST Tuesday for AZ Public Zones 009-010-012-016-039. Fire Weather Watch from Tuesday morning through Tuesday afternoon for AZ FWX Zones 111-113-114-117-140. Wind Advisory until 6 PM MST Tuesday for AZ Public Zones 011-013-014-017-040. && PUBLIC...Peterson AVIATION...ET FIRE WEATHER...ET For Northern Arizona weather information visit weather.gov/flagstaff
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The ADOT wind sensor at Two Guns reported a peak wind gust of 59 MPH at 723 PM on April 16.
The Mesonet station 4 miles north of House Rock (Four Springs RAWS) reported a peak wind gust of 60 MPH at 119 AM on April 17th. Paria Point RAWS (7235 feet) reported a peak wind gust of 62 MPH a 1100 PM.
The peak wind gust at Springerville Airport ASOS was 73 MPH at 735 AM. The AWOS at the airport had a peak wind gust of 76 MPH at 655 AM. The wind gusted over 58 MPH from 1135 PM to 1120 AM on the 17th. The sustained winds were above 40 MPH for much of the time between and 1130 PM and 120 PM. The sustained winds in St Johns was above 40 MPH for much of the time between 720 AM and 1115 AM. The wind gusts were above 58 MPH from 735 AM to 900 AM with a peak wind gust of 69 MPH at 743 AM. Power and phone lines were reported blown down in St Johns and Springerville between 805 and 809 AM. The Concho RAWS reported wind gusts of 58 MPH or higher from 800 AM to 915 AM with a peak wind gust of 59 MPH at 854 AM.
The RAWS at Limestone Canyon showed that the wind gusted over 40 MPH from around 620 AM to 850 AM. The peak wind gust was 61 MPH at 824 AM. An ADOT wind sensor at the junction of SR-277 and SR-377 had a peak wind gust of 61 MPH at 923 AM. The winds gusted over 58 MPH between 920 AM and 1000 AM.
The peak wind gust at the Greer RAWS was 59 MPH at 0835 AM. The peak wind gust at the Show Low Airport was 58 MPH at 855 AM and 955 AM.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arizona in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, April 2018
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: 743951, 743953, 744078, 744229, 744231.