Scattered thunderstorms moved west across southeast Arizona. Storms produced flash flooding and a swath of damaging winds across the Tucson Metro area, and a landspout was also observed.
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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 moved west across southeast Arizona. Storms produced flash flooding and a swath of damaging winds across the Tucson Metro area, and a landspout was also observed. A swift water rescue with two injuries occurred in Cornfield Canyon in western Cochise County.
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 2, 9:13 AM MST, 5 hours 44 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Tucson AZ 913 AM MST Fri Jul 2 2021 .SYNOPSIS...We'll have plenty of moisture for a daily chance of showers and thunderstorms through the weekend. Some drying is expected early next week, with fewer storms by the middle of the week. As this happens, temperatures will climb a few degrees. && .DISCUSSION...Satellite imagery shows abundant cloud cover across much of southeast Arizona this morning, with a small amount of clearing along the NM/AZ border. Might even be a few sprinkles mixed in as evident on radar, but nothing of great consequence. Our 12Z sounding was wet, setting a daily record for PW with 1.75". Decent instability as well, but this is where things get tricky as too much moisture can inhibit development. We need enough solar insolation to help break the low-level cap. An inverted trough over northern Sonora will help enhance vertical motion. HREF and other convective allowing models are quite active with widespread showers and thunderstorms today. It's possible for more organization due to a better wind profile with easterly steering flow between 700-500mb. Due to the abundant moisture, storms will be capable of putting down decent rainfall rates. WPC has a portion of our forecast area in a slight risk of excessive rainfall. Early initiation should be out east where there's more blue sky, propagating west from there. && .AVIATION...Valid through 03/18Z. SCT-BKN clouds 10k-14k ft MSL through the period with layers above at times. Expect another round of scattered SHRA/TSRA this afternoon and evening with the possibility of some storms overnight. In the vicnity of thunderstorms wind gusts to 45 mph will be possible. Otherwise expect wind speeds 5-10 kts out of the west/southwest this afternoon and east/southeast at other times. Aviation discussion not updated for TAF amendments. && .FIRE WEATHER...Monsoonal moisture will remain across the area allowing for varying amounts of daily showers and thunderstorms into next week. Humidity levels will remain elevated with afternoon mins about 25-35% in the valleys and 45-55% in the mountains with very good overnight recoveries. General winds will be light through the week and following normal daily trends when not influenced by storms. Any thunderstorm from here forward, especially during the afternoon or early evening hours will have the potential to produce strong, gusty outflows. && .PREV DISCUSSION...Deep moisture is in place across most of the area with a weak high over west Texas and a fully engaged Monsoon through Mexico and into our area. An impulse on the western flank of the high is located over northern Sonora and far southern Arizona this morning, and should help focus thunderstorm development today and Saturday. Watch for some organization with strong outflows. Precipitable water values will generally range between 1.35 to 1.45 inches east, to 1.50 to 1.65 inches west. More moisture is not always better, as we tend to inhibit insolation and keep these areas of elevated convective potential waiting until the push from an outflow. At any rate, locally heavy rainfall a concern with storms, as steering level flow remains modest. Ensembles are consistently building the ridge northward back into the southern Great Basin with our mid level flow backing around to the northeast once again early next week. With less upstream moisture around the high, that will tend to dry things out a bit. Ensemble means suggest we drop PW toward the 1.10 to 1.35 range next Tuesday and Wednesday, with correspondingly lower thunderstorm coverage. With a bit less moisture and cloud cover, and the ridge strengthening just north of us that should bring several degrees of heating for the second half of the week. We'll keep bringing in lower level moisture from the south with periodic shallow surge activity, but it will probably lose ground until the ridge shifts back a little to the east. When the high center is over the Great Basin instead of 4 corners or New Mexico/Texas, it isn't good for the short term, but it does tend to focus easterly wave activity across Mexico for a very quick increase in storms when the high breaks. Bottom line is we should have an active convective period through the weekend before temporarily backing off a little by the middle of next week. && .TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && Discussion...Howlett Previous Discussion...Meyer/Hardin Visit us on Facebook...Twitter...YouTube...and at weather.gov/Tucson
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Tucson AZ 134 PM MST Fri Jul 2 2021 AZZ509-022100- Upper Gila River and Aravaipa Valleys including Clifton/Safford- 134 PM MST Fri Jul 2 2021 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EAST CENTRAL GRAHAM AND SOUTHERN GREENLEE COUNTIES UNTIL 200 PM MST... At 132 PM MST, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 17 miles east of Solomon, or 18 miles south of Clifton, moving northwest at 5 to 10 mph. Pea size hail and wind gusts up to 50 mph will be possible with this storm. This still will cross United States Highway 70 between Duncan and Solomon. 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. Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe shelter inside a building or vehicle. && LAT...LON 3274 10922 3267 10929 3274 10951 3289 10939 TIME...MOT...LOC 2032Z 132DEG 6KT 3276 10932 JRM
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Tucson AZ 227 PM MST Fri Jul 2 2021 AZZ504-506-507-514-022200- Santa Catalina and Rincon Mountains including Mount Lemmon/Summerhaven-Upper San Pedro River Valley including Sierra Vista/Benson-Southeast Pinal County including Kearny/Mammoth/Oracle-Tucson Metro Area including Tucson/Green Valley/Marana/Vail- 227 PM MST Fri Jul 2 2021 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN PIMA AND SOUTHEASTERN PINAL COUNTIES UNTIL 300 PM MST... At 226 PM MST, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over Oracle, moving northwest at 10 mph. Winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Oracle, Saddlebrooke, San Manuel, Campo Bonito, Biosphere 2 and Oracle Junction. LAT...LON 3267 11061 3249 11069 3255 11101 3283 11087 TIME...MOT...LOC 2126Z 120DEG 8KT 3259 11074 RH
The Tucson radar (KEMX), 50 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:55 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind, 3 flash flood, 1 tornado, 1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.
Photo showed a landspout in northeast Tucson around Skyline and Kolb. No damage occurred.
A trained spotter estimated 70 mph wind gusts in Catalina.
A storm chaser observed a funnel cloud for 3 minutes in northeast Tucson around Swan and Sunrise.
Thunderstorm winds downed or uprooted numerous trees in midtown Tucson including several at a cemetery on Prince Rd and Oracle Blvd. One tree fell on a house near Pima St. and Columbus Blvd. and another damaged a car at River Rd. and 1st Ave. Winds also damaged a house under construction near Prince and Country Club Rd. and downed large |power poles near Tucson Mall causing the closure of 1st Ave between River and Wetmore Rds. About 6000 customers lost electricity service.
Thunderstorm winds blew a metal utility shed into a utility pole at Magee Rd. and La Ca ada Dr.
Heavy rain of 1 to 1.5 fell in less that 1 hour in the Catalina Foothills. Ventana Wash rose and flowed up to 18 deep across Snyder Rd, causing its closure.
Black Hills RAWS measured a wind gust of 58 mph.
Heavy rain of 1-2 in less than 1 hour from Tucson Mt Park to Highway 86 caused the flooding and closure of Bopp Rd closed in several locations from Lead Flower Ave west past San Joaquin Rd.
One to three inches of rain in 90 minutes in the Cornfield Canyon watershed caused flash flooding. As two females, who had exited their vehicle, were viewing the stream at Ocatillo Road, an additional rise in water levels swept them downstream. One was rescued about three quarters of a mile away while the other was finally located in the San Pedro River the next morning. Both sustained minor injuries.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arizona in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Arizona, 2021Warnings in Arizona, July 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: 975170, 975203, 975173, 975201, 975209, 975211, 975210, 975212, 975437.