Strong Wind in Arizona, April 29, 2019

Name: Strong Wind in Arizona, April 29, 2019
Start: 2019-04-29T13:00
End: 2019-04-29T16:30
Location: Arizona

April 29, 2019 · NWS PSR · 3 events in 2 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 1
Property damage: $6,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

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.

An unseasonably strong area of low pressure moved east and into Arizona during the day on April 29; during the morning hours showers developed across the lower deserts and by early afternoon, stronger convective cells formed over portions of the greater Phoenix area. A line of showers and isolated thunderstorms moved through the Phoenix area during the afternoon and a few of the stronger convective cells/storms produced gusty winds in excess of 40 mph. The winds may not have reached severe levels but were sufficient to cause tree damage in the community of Sun Lakes at about 1450MST. Additionally, a gust over 40 mph blew a beehive out of a tree in Tempe; the falling beehive landed on a woman's head and caused her to be stung over 30 times. She was taken to a local hospital but survived the numerous stings.

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 Apr 29, 12:15 PM MST, 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 29, 12:15 PM MST, 45 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Phoenix AZ
1215 PM MST Mon Apr 29 2019

.UPDATE...Updated aviation discussion.

&&

.SYNOPSIS...
Cooler temperatures can be expected early this week as a low
pressure system moves through the region. Windy conditions and
chances of showers and thunderstorms will also affect southwest
and south-central Arizona today. In the wake of the system,
the continued cooler conditions on Tuesday will give way to a
warming trend through the end of the week with temperatures
increasing back above seasonal normals.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
A fairly deep closed low centered just off the southern
California coast continues to track to the east northeast early
this morning. Water vapor imagery and current mid and upper level
analysis show decent moisture advection east of the low center
throughout the bulk of Arizona. However, this moisture will
remain well above the boundary layer with model soundings showing
the moisture layer down to around 10k. Latest radar imagery shows
scattered light showers moving northward mainly through southeast
California and southwest Arizona. A few lightning strikes have
been noted with earlier cells across southern California closer to
the low center and in an area of higher CAPE.

Showers are forecast to increase across mainly southwest Arizona
through mid morning, but a dry sub-cloud layer will mostly lead to
virga to very light rainfall amounts. Hi-res models are in good
agreement showing a line of showers developing across southwest
Arizona by around sunrise with a few virga showers to the east
over the Phoenix area. This line should hold together through the
rest of the morning, moving eastward into Maricopa County by late
morning. The line of showers should end up being the main light
rainfall producer today, though most areas should only see a few
hundredths of an inch. The best timeframe for rainfall in the
Phoenix area looks to be from around 11 AM to 3 PM. PoPs have been
raised considerably from earlier forecasts with highest
probabilities from Phoenix northward. As the low center shifts
northeastward into west-central Arizona late this afternoon, the
enhanced instability from the cold core should produce some weak
thunderstorms mainly across the central Arizona high terrain.
Winds will likely be the biggest forecast concern today as strong
height falls leads to breezy to windy southwesterly gradient
winds. Additionally, evaporative cooling from showers and
thunderstorms should also bring gusty sub-severe winds with gusts
possibly above 40mph.

Temperatures today will not rise much from the warm start this
morning as much cooler air filters in from the west and clouds
inhibit strong insolation. Forecast highs today are only in the
lower to middle 80s, or 5-10 degrees below normals. In the wake of
the exiting low on Tuesday, highs will be very similar to today's
readings.

Dry westerly flow will take over through the middle of the week
with a gradual rise in heights aloft and temperatures. Another
closed low is forecast to develop well off the California coast
later this week and as it slowly approaches from the west,
shortwave ridging will build across the Southwestern U.S. This
should result in daytime highs warming into the middle 90s by
Friday and likely remaining there through the coming weekend.
Eventually this closed low should move over our region sometime
during the first half of next week allowing for cooler
temperatures and possibly another chance of scattered light
rainfall.

&&

.AVIATION...Updated at 1900 UTC.

South-Central Arizona including KPHX, KIWA, KSDL, and KDVT:

Another round of scattered virga and light showers is expected to
push through the Phoenix metro area between 19Z and 22Z. Light
southerly winds ahead of the showers may then become erratic in
direction within the showers with gusts up to 25-30 kts also
possible. Dry air from the west will help clouds rapidly scatter
out after 22Z and winds will steadily become breezy out of the SW
through this evening. Late afternoon surface heating will support
a few isolated thunderstorms across western and northern Maricopa
county between 2Z-6Z. Not enough confidence in the proximity of
storms to terminals to mention VCTS in the TAFs yet. Diurnal
conditions will return by Tuesday morning.

Southeast California/Southwest Arizona including KIPL and KBLH:

A strong gradient will continue to produce wind gusts up to 35-40
kts out of the west and southwest at both terminals through this
afternoon. Patchy blowing dust will be possible with the strong
gusts, but confidence is not high enough to mention in the TAF.
Gusts will gradually subside this evening after 3Z with sustained
speeds dropping to 7-12 kts. Only FEW-SCT clouds are expected
through this evening and will be followed by clear skies through the
remainder of the TAF period.

Aviation Discussion not updated for amended TAFs.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
Wednesday through Sunday:
High pressure will predominate through the period, with temperatures
warming back into the 90s each day with no rain expected. Light
winds can also be expected area-wide through Saturday. Look for
locally breezy southwest winds this weekend especially over far
southeast California. Minimum RH values will be rather low during
the period; initially values across the deserts will be in the teens
but as the week wears on they will fall, lowering into the single
digits over much of the desert by Friday.

&&

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
Spotter activation is not expected for the next 7 days.

&&

.PSR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AZ...None.
CA...Wind Advisory until 11 PM PDT this evening for CAZ562.

     Wind Advisory until 7 PM PDT this evening for CAZ566-567.

&&

DISCUSSION...Kuhlman
AVIATION...Benedict
FIRE WEATHER...Rogers/Hirsch/CB

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 29, 9:56 AM MST, 3 hours 4 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
956 AM MST MON APR 29 2019

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

0915 AM     NON-TSTM WND DMG 2 SW IMPERIAL           32.82N 115.59W
04/29/2019                   IMPERIAL           CA   PUBLIC

            LARGE MESQUITE TREE BRANCHES BLOWN DOWN FROM
            STRONG WINDS. NEARBY OBSERVATIONS SUGGEST
            E45 MPH GUSTS.

&&

JR

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Strong Wind, East Valley

When: April 29, 1:00 PM MST
Where: East Valley forecast zone
Measured: 39 kt (45 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Bands of convective showers developed across portions of the greater Phoenix area, including the community of Tempe, during the early afternoon hours on April 29th. The showers developed ahead of an approaching unseasonably strong low pressure system. Some of the more intense showers produced gusty outflow winds in excess of 40 mph. According to a report from the public, at about 1300MST gusty outflow winds up to 45 mph in strength damaged a number of trees in north Tempe, near the intersection of Broadway Road and McClintock Drive.

Strong Wind, Southeast Valley/Queen Creek

When: April 29, 3:50 PM MST
Where: Southeast Valley/Queen Creek forecast zone
Measured: 39 kt (45 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Bands of convective showers and isolated thunderstorms developed across the greater Phoenix area during the afternoon hours on April 29th; the convection developed ahead of an approaching and unseasonably strong upper level low pressure system. Some of the showers and thunderstorms affected the community of Sun Lakes. The stronger convective cells produced gusty outflow winds estimated to be at least 45 mph in strength and according to a trained weather spotter located about 3 miles northeast of Sun Lakes, a strong wind gust damaged a tree with a diameter of 10 inches. The tree trunk was snapped in half. The damage occurred at approximately 1550MST.

Strong Wind, East Valley

When: April 29, 4:30 PM MST
Where: East Valley forecast zone
Measured: 39 kt (45 mph) estimated gust
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

During the afternoon hours on April 29th, bands of convective showers with isolated thunderstorms developed and moved across portions of the greater Phoenix area. Some of the stronger convective cells produced very gusty outflow winds that impacted the community of Tempe. According to local broadcast media, at 1630MST a strong gust of wind estimated to be as high as 45 mph blew a beehive out of a tree in Tempe, near the intersection of Scottsdale Road and Highway 60. The falling beehive landed on the head of a woman resulting in her being stung at least 30 times. She was taken to a local hospital but fortunately survived the bee attack.

What these are

Strong Wind: Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Arizona in 2019 Every state in 2019 This day in weather history Warnings in Arizona, April 2019

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 810977, 810975, 810976.