Tornadoes in Arizona, October 13, 2018

Name: Tornadoes in Arizona, October 13, 2018
Start: 2018-10-13T16:59
End: 2018-10-13T17:27
Location: Arizona

October 13, 2018 · NWS PSR · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS PSR wrote it up.

Thunderstorms developed across the southwest deserts during the afternoon hours on October 13th. In addition to the typical weather hazards of heavy rain and gusty winds, the storms produced two tornadoes. One tornado developed about 4 miles north of Quartzsite, the other formed northeast of Yuma and about 10 miles north of the Fortuna Foothills. The tornadoes were both spotted by trained weather spotters and both occurred roughly at 1700MST. Both tornadoes touched down and were on the ground for about 5 minutes; both were weak and neither caused any damage. Tornado warnings were not in effect at the time; tornadoes over the Arizona deserts are very rare.

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 Oct 13, 2:49 PM MST, 2 hours 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 13, 2:49 PM MST, 2 hours 10 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Phoenix AZ
249 PM MST Sat Oct 13 2018

.UPDATE...
The Flash Flood Watch issued for the Lower Colorado River Valley
and most of southwest and south-central Arizona is now in effect
until 5 am MST/PDT Sunday.

&&

.SYNOPSIS...
Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms will continue
across southwest and south-central Arizona through tonight. A
following weather system will become centered over Arizona for
much of next week. However, it will have much less moisture to
work with. Thus, rain chances will tend to be slight and confined
to south-central Arizona. High temperatures will be much cooler
overall and remain well below normal through next week.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Through tomorrow...The center of the upper-level low is over
southeast California with 1 to 1.1 inches of precipitable water
ahead of this system. The entrance region of the jet max is
situated near the southern portion of our CWA (near southern
Maricopa county/Pinal county), with very good divergence ahead of
this maximum. This area continues to serve as an area of focus
for shower re-development and with the steering flow being out of
the southwest, these redeveloped showers continue to move over the
same area again and again. We have seen a lot of rainfall in the
Phoenix area, and due to this, Sky Harbor has now seen it's
rainiest October ever. In addition, numerous alerts were issued
across Maricopa and Pinal counties due to flooding. Out west,
there has been enough clearing to allow the atmosphere to
destabilize and current mesoanalysis shows 1500 J/kg of surface
based CAPE across southwest AZ. In this area, the radar shows more
thunderstorm re-development with this activity expected to fill
in and move eastward providing our southwest and south-central
locations with another chance of showers and embedded
thunderstorms. The HREF is timing the activity that is developing
out west now to reach the Phoenix metro somewhere between 03 and
06Z. The HREF also has continued to show most of the activity
ending by 12Z and because of this we extended the Flash Flood
Watch until 5 am MST. With pretty decent shear remaining over the
southern portions of our forecast area, storms will have the
potential to become strong and produce brief gusty winds and small
hail, and brief spin ups. After 12Z Sunday, the dynamical forcing
will shift into eastern Arizona, with mostly dry conditions
existing through the early afternoon. After 21Z (2 pm MST), areas
across our northeast CWA will have the best potential for showers
and isolated storms. Highs on Sunday will be in the low 80s along
the lower deserts west of the Colorado River and in the 70s
across the lower deserts east of the Colorado River.

Sunday night through Friday...
As one system departs, another moves in from the north. That
trajectory is typically a dry one and models show PWAT values
dropping sharply as the associated cold front advects dry air
southward into our area - most noticeably over southwest AZ and
southeast CA. However, the upper trough quickly becomes a closed
low centered over Arizona by Monday afternoon. It lingers through
Wednesday before shifting north-northeastward by Thursday. This
keeps PoPs going over south- central AZ. But, due to drier air in
place, PoPs are only in the slight category (except for occasional
chance level numbers over higher terrain areas of south-central
AZ). There may be a lingering baggy trough remaining on Friday but
heights/thicknesses will be higher. Anticipate somewhat cooler
temperatures on Monday (mainly over our western areas despite
mostly clear skies there). Very gradual warming from there.

&&

.AVIATION...
South-Central Arizona including KPHX, KIWA, and KSDL:

Widespread shower activity continues this morning across the Phoenix
area. The heaviest rain is impacting the north and west valley where
lower ceilings and visibility can be found, though that activity is
generally moving to the north and east. Expecting cigs/vsby to be
borderline MVFR all day then dipping into MVFR and even briefly down
to IFR with stronger showers. Winds will persist from an E/SE
direction. With all the clouds, threat of convection is decreasing
thus removed from TAFs (though probability is not zero). Expect
activity to decrease later tonight and conditions to improve. Some
potential exists for fog Sunday AM, but too low to include in TAFs
at this time.

Southeast California/Southwest Arizona including KIPL and KBLH:
Improved conditions for the rest of the day as bulk of storm system
edges to the east. Expect persistent wind directions and VFR
conditions.

Aviation Discussion not updated for amended TAFs.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
Tuesday through Saturday: On Tuesday, chances for showers and
storms will exist mainly across southern Gila county with
locations further west remaining mostly dry. Wednesday through
Friday, precipitation chances will be less than 10% area wide. On
Saturday, precipitation chances will rise slightly mainly north
and east of the Phoenix area. The lowest minimum humidities will
be west of the Colorado River, where values in the 15 to 25
percent range will exist. Wind gusts will generally remain below
20 mph. High temperatures will stay well below normal with highs
generally increasing a few degrees each day.

&&

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
Spotters should follow standard reporting procedures.

&&

.PSR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AZ...Flash Flood Watch through tonight for AZZ530>534-536>555-
557>559.

CA...Flash Flood Watch through tonight for CAZ569.

&&

DISCUSSION...Hernandez/AJ
AVIATION...Iniguez
FIRE WEATHER...Hernandez

In the hours before

Local storm report, Oct 13, 12:39 PM MST, 4 hours 20 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
1239 PM MST SAT OCT 13 2018

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1234 PM     FLASH FLOOD      2 NW GOODYEAR           33.46N 112.44W
10/13/2018                   MARICOPA           AZ   EMERGENCY MNGR

            CITY OF GOODYEAR REPORTS CITRUS RD BETWEEN
            MCDOWELL RD AND VAN BUREN RD IS CLOSED IN
            BOTH DIRECTIONS DUE TO FLOODING.

&&

PI

Local storm report, Oct 13, 12:42 PM MST, 4 hours 17 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
1242 PM MST SAT OCT 13 2018

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1230 PM     FLASH FLOOD      8 W BEARDSLEY           33.66N 112.53W
10/13/2018                   MARICOPA           AZ   EMERGENCY MNGR

            CITY OF SURPRISE REPORTS 219TH AVE NORTH OF
            SUN VALLEY PARKWAY IS CLOSED DUE TO
            FLOODING.

&&

PI

Local storm report, Oct 13, 1:09 PM MST, 3 hours 50 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
109 PM MST SAT OCT 13 2018

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0100 PM     FLASH FLOOD      15 SSW BUCKEYE          33.19N 112.70W
10/13/2018                   MARICOPA           AZ   DEPT OF HIGHWAYS

            MCDOT REPORTS OLD US 80 CLOSED FOR
            NORTHBOUND TRAVEL AT PATTERSON RD DUE TO
            FLOODING.

&&

PI

Local storm report, Oct 13, 1:11 PM MST, 3 hours 48 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
111 PM MST SAT OCT 13 2018

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0104 PM     FLASH FLOOD      3 SSW GUADALUPE         33.33N 111.98W
10/13/2018                   MARICOPA           AZ   EMERGENCY MNGR

            PHOENIX PD REPORTS SOUTH 48TH STREET IS
            CLOSED DUE TO FLOODING FROM EAST WARNER ROAD
            TO EAST HOH WAY.

&&

PI

Local storm report, Oct 13, 1:15 PM MST, 3 hours 44 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
115 PM MST SAT OCT 13 2018

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0111 PM     FLASH FLOOD      6 ESE BUCKEYE           33.33N 112.50W
10/13/2018                   MARICOPA           AZ   EMERGENCY MNGR

            MCDOT REPORTS NARRAMORE RD CLOSED WEST OF
            AIRPORT RD DUE TO FLOODING.

&&

PI

Local storm report, Oct 13, 1:28 PM MST, 3 hours 31 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
128 PM MST SAT OCT 13 2018

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0123 PM     FLASH FLOOD      5 NNW BEARDSLEY         33.74N 112.41W
10/13/2018                   MARICOPA           AZ   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            SURPRISE PD REPORTS 163RD AND DALE LANE
            CLOSED DUE TO FLOODING.

&&

PI

The radar

The Yuma radar (KYUX), 142 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:58 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, La Paz

When: October 13, 4:59 PM MST to 5:05 PM MST
Where: La Paz County, 3.6 mi NE of Quartzsite Arpt to 3.59 mi NE of Quartzsite Arpt
Rating: EF0
Path length: 0.01 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 33.710, -114.180

Thunderstorms developed across portions of La Paz County during the afternoon hours on October 13th. In addition to the typical weather hazards such as gusty winds and heavy rain, one of the thunderstorms generated a weak tornado near the town of Quartzsite. According to a trained spotter 4 miles north of Quartzsite, a weak landspout tornado touched down at 1659MST and remained on the ground for about 5 minutes. The weak tornado produced no damage or injuries. Due to the short lived and rare nature of the tornado, a Tornado Warning was not issued for this event.

Tornado, Yuma

When: October 13, 5:22 PM MST to 5:27 PM MST
Where: Yuma County, 7.62 mi N of Dome to 7.75 mi N of Dome
Rating: EF0
Path length: 0.14 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 32.860, -114.360

Thunderstorms developed across portions of the southwest deserts during the afternoon hours on October 13th, and in addition to typical threats such as gusty wind, hail and heavy rain, one of the stronger storms generated a weak and short lived tornado near the community of Yuma. The tornado was spotted by a trained spotter, and it touched down at 1722MST. The weak tornado touched down about 10 miles north of the Fortuna Foothills, near Highway 95, and it only remained on the ground for 5 minutes. No damage or injuries were reported from this tornado. Typically, tornadoes are very rare across the lower Arizona deserts and when they do form, they are typically small, weak and short lived, as this one was.

What these are

Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Arizona in 2018 Every state in 2018 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Arizona, 2018 Warnings in Arizona, October 2018

Sources

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 781500, 781630.