A strong trough of low pressure moving through the Great Basin and down sloping from the Mogollon Rim brought high winds to the Taylor Airport.
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The episode as NWS FGZ wrote it up.
A strong trough of low pressure moving through the Great Basin and down sloping from the Mogollon Rim brought high winds to the Taylor Airport.
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 21, 9:23 AM MST, 4 hours 52 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Flagstaff AZ 923 AM MST Wed Apr 21 2021 .SYNOPSIS...Expect strong southwest winds and very dry conditions today. A Wind Advisory and a Red Flag Warning are in effect. A few showers and thunderstorms are possible from late Thursday into Friday, along with less wind and slightly below normal temperatures. A warming trend then develops for the weekend. && .DISCUSSION...Gusty southwest winds are already being observed this morning across the area with gusts of 30-40 mph. Expect speeds to continue to increase through the morning and into the afternoon. Red Flag Warning and Wind Advisory products are in effect for much of the area. There are no changes to those products with this forecast update. Winds will weaken in most areas after sunset, but expect gusty winds to persist northeast of the higher terrain features into the overnight hours. This looks to be especially true downslope of the White Mountains in the Springerville area where 700 mb winds are maximized at 40-50 kts between 11pm-2am. No major changes were needed with this forecast update. && .PREV DISCUSSION /410 AM MST/...Expect a windy and dry day today as low pressure moves through southern Nevada. Wind Advisories and a Red Flag Warning are in place for most of the area. The low pressure system shears out through southern Utah heading into Thursday, with a secondary lobe moving into central Arizona late in the day. This will weaken the winds, but enough mid-level instability exists for a few showers/isolated thunderstorms Thursday afternoon into early Friday. Dry and stable northwest flow aloft develops by Friday afternoon. S/wv ridging develops early in the weekend for a warming trend. Strong southwest winds return late in the weekend and early next week, ahead of another tough which brings chances for rain and snow to the region late Monday and into Tuesday. && .AVIATION...For the 18Z package...VFR conditions will prevail through the TAF period. Southwest winds 20-30 kts gusting to 35-45 kts through early this evening. Winds will gradually decrease in most locations after sunset, but remain locally gusty northeast of the higher terrain. Aviation discussion not updated for TAF amendments. && .FIRE WEATHER...Expect strong southwest winds and very low relative humidity today. Gusts 35-45 mph are possible with localized gusts 50+ mph in the LCR. Red Flag Warnings and Wind Advisories are in effect. Look for a chance of showers and isolated storms Thursday with breezy southwest winds. Friday through Sunday...Expect continued afternoon breezes Friday with isolated showers mainly in the White Mountain Region. Expect dry, warm conditions Saturday and Sunday with southwest breezes. && .FGZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...Red Flag Warning until 7 PM MST this evening FOR AZZ104>118- 137>140. Wind Advisory until 7 PM MST this evening FOR AZZ006>008-011>017- 039-040. && PUBLIC...TPS/Peterson AVIATION...TPS FIRE WEATHER...DB 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 Taylor Airport reported a peak wind gust of 68 MPH at 215 PM MST.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arizona in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, April 2021
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: 952176.