High Wind in Arizona, October 11 to 12, 2021

Name: High Wind in Arizona, October 11 to 12, 2021
Start: 2021-10-11T21:30
End: 2021-10-12T10:00
Location: Arizona

October 11 to 12, 2021 · NWS TWC · 3 events in 3 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.

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: $80,000
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 TWC wrote it up.

An upper level low across northern Arizona and an associated mid level wind maximum across southeast Arizona resulted in high winds, especially downwind of the highest mountains in Cochise County. The most significant damage was to power poles in the Sierra Vista area east of the Huachuca Mountains. A wildfire started by downed power lines near Fort Huachuca was fanned by the winds and spread to over 1800 acres before becoming contained.

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 Tucson, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 11, 1:50 PM MST, 7 hours 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 11, 1:50 PM MST, 7 hours 40 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
150 PM MST Mon Oct 11 2021

.SYNOPSIS...Expect breezy to windy conditions through Tuesday as
a weather system moves through. There will also be a chance of
showers as a weak cold front moves through early Tuesday morning.
Temperatures will also plunge to well below normal with freezing
temperatures possible in colder valleys early Wednesday morning.
Then expect a warming trend Thursday into the weekend.

&&

.DISCUSSION...Gusty southwest winds area wide this afternoon with
highest gusts so far being in the 25-30 mph range. Looking further
west across SE CA, gusts have been in the 40-60 mph range
associated with approaching cold front.

The main concern over the next 18 hours will be wind and blowing
dust as the cold front sweeps across the forecast area tonight
into Tuesday morning. The wind advisory tonight into Tuesday
morning has been expanded to include the entire forecast area
after starting off in the mountains with the initial issuance
yesterday. The strongest gusts of 35 to 55 mph will likely occur
just in advance of the cold front. Again not everybody will be
gusts as high as 55 mph but there is the potential. Will have to
watch the Sierra Vista area later tonight into early Tuesday
morning could see briefly see warning type wind speeds/gusts
near/along the front as the air is squeezed through the Huachuca
mountains. The gusty winds will kick up the dust at times but
don't think it will be widespread enough of a blowing dust
advisory.

Moisture is limited so any shower activity later tonight into
Tuesday morning will be light with very light snow accumulation
above 8000 feet.

Frontal passage Tuesday will bring sharply colder temperatures to
the area with highs 15-20 degrees below normal. A few locals will
be close to coldest high temperature on record for October 12th.

With a rather cold air mass for October in place our normally
coldest valleys of Cochise, Graham and Santa Cruz county will
likely see their first freeze of the season. Thus have upgraded
the Freeze Watch to Freeze Warning for those areas. A few micro-
climate spots in the Sulphur Spring Valley got down to 32 this
morning which means it will be much colder Wednesday morning,
probably in the 25-28 degrees range. However the area is not
large enough for a Hard Freeze warning.

The low quickly exits Arizona Wednesday and heads into the Great
Plains. Another weaker trough passes to the north Thursday then
ensembles show the upper air pattern changing to weak ridging or
zonal flow. Temperatures will follow a warming trend after Wednesday
but remain below normal through Friday then return to normal over
the weekend into early next week.

&&

.AVIATION...Valid through 12/12Z.
SKC conditions through this evening then a band of clouds at BKN120-
150 ft MSL associated with a cold front will move east across the
area with SCT SHRA between 12/03Z and 12/11Z. Occasional mountain
obscuration in clouds/SHRA as that moves through. Light surface
winds becoming SWLY 15-20 kts with gusts to 30 kts in the afternoon
into the evening. Higher wind speeds across higher terrain. Winds
easing tonight behind the cold front. Aviation not updated for TAF
amendments.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...A strong weather system will bring a chance of
showers late tonight into early Tuesday along with much colder
temperatures. Winds will be fairly strong this afternoon through
Tuesday coming from the southwest 15-25 mph with higher gusts,
maintaining strong speeds at night across the higher mountain
elevations and briefly in the valleys right with the cold front.
Winds will ease shortly after the cold front passes. More typical
fall winds return Wednesday onward. RH values remain above critical
thresholds during this period.

&&

.CLIMATE...Early season chill for southeast Arizona where near
record low high temperatures are possible Tuesday and near record
low temperatures are possible Wednesday.

Selected locations that will be set or be near record low high
temperatures Tuesday October 12th.

LOCATION        FCST RCD/YEAR
Ajo              68   69/1924
Organ Pipe       70   71/1957
Tucson Intl      67   67/1997
Picacho Peak     67   70/2008
Nogales          67   65/2000
Sierra Vista     66   65/1986
Safford          66   65/2000

Selected locations that will set or be near record lows Wednesday
October 13th

LOCATION        FCST RCD/YEAR
Ajo              47   45/2008
Tucson Intl      40   38/2008
Picacho Peak     32   39/2008
Sierra Vista     37   34/2008
Tombstone        34   41/1997
Willcox          29   26/1969

The most recent time Tucson recorded a low temperature of...
49 degrees or colder...March 31 (49)
45 degrees or colder...March 28 (43)
40 degrees or colder...March 17 (35)

&&

.TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
 Wind Advisory from 8 PM this evening to 5 AM MST Tuesday for
  AZZ510>515.

 Freeze Warning from late Tuesday night through Wednesday morning
  for AZZ503-507>509.

&&

Visit us on Facebook...Twitter...YouTube...and at weather.gov/Tucson

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Upper San Pedro River Valley

When: October 11, 9:30 PM MST to October 12, 5:30 AM MST
Where: Upper San Pedro River Valley forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $75,000
Reported by: Utility Company
Coordinates: 32.109, -110.569 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High winds buffeted eastern Santa Cruz and southwest Cochise counties during the late night hours of October 11 and early morning hours of October 12. Sustained winds over 40 mph and wind gusts of 50 to 70 mph were measured at a number of observing sites for several hours. The highest gust recorded was 70 mph at the Libby Field ASOS at 0017MST. High winds downed or damaged 16 power poles in the Sierra Vista, Fort Huachuca and Hereford areas and other damage was reported to roofs, windows, fences, vehicles and trees. Downed power lines near Fort Huachuca sparked the Site Maverick wildfire that consumed over 1800 acres of grassland before firefighters achieved containment. Power lines were also downed in the Sonoita area.

High Wind, Dragoon/Mule/Huachuca and Santa Rita Mountains

When: October 11, 9:30 PM MST to October 12, 10:00 AM MST
Where: Dragoon/Mule/Huachuca and Santa Rita Mountains forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 31.834, -110.796 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High winds buffeted eastern Santa Cruz and southwest Cochise counties during the late night hours of October 11 and early morning hours of October 12. Sustained winds over 40 mph and wind gusts of 50 to 70 mph were measured at a number of observing sites for several hours. The highest gust recorded was 70 mph at the Libby Field ASOS at 0017MST. While observations were limited above 5000 feet, one CWOP site in Bisbee recorded a gust to 61 mph at 0935MST. High winds downed or damaged 16 power poles in the Sierra Vista, Fort Huachuca and Hereford areas and other damage was reported to roofs, windows, fences, vehicles and trees. Downed power lines near Fort Huachuca sparked the Site Maverick wildfire that consumed over 1800 acres of grassland before firefighters achieved containment. Power lines were also downed in the Sonoita area.

High Wind, Eastern Cochise County Below 5000 Feet

When: October 11, 11:00 PM MST to October 12, 4:00 AM MST
Where: Eastern Cochise County Below 5000 Feet forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: Utility Company
Coordinates: 31.880, -109.751 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High winds buffeted northeast Cochise county during the late night hours of October 11 and early morning hours of October 12. Sustained winds over 40 mph and wind gusts of 50 to 65 mph were measured at state DOT sites along Interstate 10 downwind of Dos Cabezas and the Chiricahua Mountains. The highest gust recorded was 65 mph at San Simon at 0243MST. High winds downed 2 power poles in the Elfrida area.

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Arizona in 2021 Every state in 2021 This day in weather history Warnings in Arizona, October 2021

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: 989137, 989175, 989363.