Scattered thunderstorms drifted east across southeast Arizona. One storm produced wind damage and resulted in a power outage in southeast Tucson.
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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 TWC wrote it up.
Scattered thunderstorms drifted east across southeast Arizona. One storm produced wind damage and resulted in a power outage in southeast Tucson.
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 Jul 12, 3:20 PM MST, 6 hours 5 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Tucson AZ 320 PM MST Thu Jul 12 2018 .SYNOPSIS...Abundant moisture, instability and light flow will add up to slow moving thunderstorms this afternoon, with some producing heavy rain. Friday into next week, moisture will remain high enough for isolated to scattered thunderstorms mainly from the Tucson area east during the afternoon and evening hours. Overall, temperatures will remain below normal into early next week. && .DISCUSSION...Slow-moving showers and thunderstorms carrying the potential for heavy rain and flash flooding were this afternoon, with the majority of activity occuring east of Tucson. Storm motions are slow as expected, but generally toward the E or NE at 5 to 10 mph. The exception here was for storms developing across the White Mtns, which were generally rolling toward the S or SE. Some training has been observed, with QPE amounts under the stronger cores registering between 0.50 and 1" in an hour and a few locally higher amounts measured by gauges on the ground. A few stronger thunderstorms have been able to organize, but nothing of the severe variety. With some drier air trying to infiltrate the area in the mid levels from the SW, cu fields across the western halves of Pima and Pinal Counties have been pretty tame, and confidence in convective development for those areas this afternoon is low. As mentioned above, SW flow aloft was providing some mid-level drying. This is evident on satellite PWAT estimates ranging from 1.2" across Graham and Greenlee Counties, to 1.5" near KTUS, which are down about 1/3 of an inch from 12Z this morning. This decrease in moisture from near-record levels won't be able to completely eliminate the thunderstorm threat on Friday, but it should limit development just slightly. Additionally, we'll closely watch a developing MCS across NE Sonora, MX. This feature has been picked up by both the 18Z NAM/GFS which push moisture and precip into Cochise County through the overnight hours. Should this come to fruition, remnant debris clouds could help shape much of Friday's weather. Regardless, still think best chance for rain Friday will occur near the Int'l and NM borders and across the sky islands. Mid-level SW flow will persist into Saturday before turning toward the NW on Sunday and back to the east early next week as high pressure meanders around to our west and northwest. This will result in varying degrees of shower and thunderstorm activity throughout the next week and no sign of a pattern change resulting in a reprieve. Additionally, we'll see surface dewpoints remaining in the upper 50s to upper 60s which should help to keep daytime highs, in conjunction with cloud cover, around 3 to 5 degrees below normal. As is typical this time of year, each day's forecast is highly dependent on the previous 12 to 24 hours, so some changes to the forecast over the next few days are likely to occur. && .AVIATION...Valid through 14/00Z. SCT +TSRA/+SHRA this afternoon and early this evening with cloud bases generally 5-10k ft AGL. Surface winds mainly SWLY-NWLY this afternoon at 8-12 kts. A few wind gusts up to 40 kts may occur near TS with brief MVFR cigs/vsbys due to +RA. Rain chances decrease slightly overnight, but SCT TSRA/SHRA are possible again Friday afternoon mainly S and E of KTUS. Aviation discussion not updated for TAF amendments. && .FIRE WEATHER...Favorable conditions remain in place through the forecast period for daily shower and thunderstorm development, primarily during the afternoon and early evening hours. 20-ft winds will generally remain less than 15 mph aside from gusty outflows around thunderstorm activity. && .TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...None. && Carpenter Visit us on Facebook...Twitter...YouTube...and at weather.gov/Tucson
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Tucson AZ 438 PM MST THU JUL 12 2018 AZZ504-130000- Tucson Metro Area including Tucson/Green Valley/Marana/Vail- 438 PM MST THU JUL 12 2018 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EASTERN PIMA COUNTY UNTIL 500 PM MST... At 436 PM MST, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm west of the Tucson International Airport, moving slowly to the east. Winds in excess of 40 mph and heavy rain will be possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Tucson, Drexel-Alvernon, Summit, Drexel Heights, San Xavier Mission and Tucson International Airport. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Heavy rainfall is also occurring with this storm, and may lead to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. && LAT...LON 3206 11101 3217 11101 3217 11090 3206 11091 TIME...MOT...LOC 2336Z 278DEG 3KT 3211 11097
The Tucson radar (KEMX), 32 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 04:26 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm winds downed power lines near Irvington and Houghton Roads, which resulted in over 2,500 customers losing power for two hours.
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, July 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: 776786.