A trough of low pressure brought windy conditions to northern Arizona on March 26. The strongest winds were felt downwind of the White Mountains.
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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 FGZ wrote it up.
A trough of low pressure brought windy conditions to northern Arizona on March 26. The strongest winds were felt downwind of the White Mountains.
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 Mar 26, 4:06 AM MST, 4 hours 9 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Flagstaff AZ 406 AM MST Thu Mar 26 2020 .SYNOPSIS...Expect strong and gusty southwest winds through this afternoon. Isolated showers will continue, mainly across the White Mountains. On Friday, a cold front will bring scattered rain and high elevation snow showers and very cold temperatures. Dry weather returns for Saturday through next Wednesday. && .DISCUSSION... A trough pushing down from our northwest will cause strong and gusty winds today (especially for areas downstream of higher terrain features), with daytime temps decreasing each day through Friday. Chances for showers will continue across the White Mountains today, but will become more numerous over all of northern AZ from Thursday night and into Friday as the cold front pushes across the state. Moisture does not look to be very abundant with the storms passage however, and accumulations should be light for most locations. Temperatures are forecast to warm up this weekend and into next week, though some potential for showers will develop from Sunday into Monday. && .AVIATION...For the 12Z package...VFR conditions will prevail across northern Arizona over the next 24 hours. Areas of low level wind shear are being observed and will continue until 15Z. Southwest winds generally between 10-20 knots will increase after 16Z. Wind gusts of 35-45 knots are likely near and northeast of a line from KGCN-KFLG-KSOW-KJTC between 16Z Thursday and 01Z Friday. Expect gradually decreasing winds after 01Z Friday. Ceilings will fall between 00Z and 06Z Friday as chances for showers increase across the region. Aviation discussion not updated for TAF amendments. && .FIRE WEATHER...Breezy and windy conditions will prevail through Friday. Temperatures will cool today and Friday. Chances for rain and snow showers return from tonight into Friday. Saturday through Monday...Cool temperatures will slowly warm through the weekend. A slight chance for showers exists near the Utah border from Sunday afternoon into Monday. && .FGZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...Wind Advisory from 8 AM this morning to 5 PM MST this afternoon FOR AZZ010>013-016-039-040. Wind Advisory until 5 PM MST this afternoon FOR AZZ014-017. && PUBLIC...KD AVIATION...NL FIRE WEATHER...NL For Northern Arizona weather information visit weather.gov/flagstaff
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The wind sensor at the Springerville Airport measured sustained winds of 40 MPH or higher between 815 AM and Noon MST. The peak wind gust of 58 MPH was measured at 955 AM.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arizona in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, March 2020
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: 877314.