Thunderstorms moved west across southeast Arizona during the evening and overnight hours. Lines of storms produced wind damage near Elfrida and McNeal with severe gusts in Tucson and a dust storm in Pinal County that stopped traffic on Interstate 10.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
Thunderstorms moved west across southeast Arizona during the evening and overnight hours. Lines of storms produced wind damage near Elfrida and McNeal with severe gusts in Tucson and a dust storm in Pinal County that stopped traffic on Interstate 10. Heavy rain also produced flash flooding in Nogales.
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 Aug 6, 3:27 PM MST, 2 hours 28 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Tucson AZ 327 PM MST Sat Aug 6 2022 .SYNOPSIS...A more favorable flow pattern for daily thunderstorms will develop Sunday and persist through this coming week as the upper high becomes centered over the Four Corners region. Daytime temperature will remain near seasonable readings. && .DISCUSSION...The upper-pattern is defined by a high pressure area centered over NW Kansas with a ridge axis extending to the southwest into SW Arizona...and an impressive inverted trough (as evidenced with a beautiful swirl on the Water Vapor Satellite imagery) over western portions of Texas. Today/tonight is a transition day as the upper ridge axis continues to lift north...allowing for the inverted trough to move west toward SE Arizona. Although confidence is moderately high that Sunday will be an active day across the entire forecast area, sometimes the transition days can sneak up on us with stronger storms than expected. In this case, the nose of the inverted trough doesn't really begin to impact our neck of the woods until late this evening/overnight...out of phase with peak surface heating. I wouldn't be surprised to see a few storms get a bit frisky this evening along the Arizona/Mexico border but confidence is low with the coverage and intensity of the storms this afternoon/tonight. It may be a situation that the majority of the storm activity occurs after midnight with the increased instability aloft. The more favorable location tonight will be further south in Sonora Mexico where a large complex is expected to develop. This system will be important because it will help initiate a surge of moisture to quickly move northward up the Gulf of California and spill into the lower deserts of Arizona Sunday morning giving us a key ingredient for heavy rainfall Sunday across the western portions of the forecast area. The inverted trough eventually moves into Southeast Arizona Sunday afternoon...and is looking to be quite impactful for the region. The dynamics associated with this feature, along with stronger shear and the overall increase of surface moisture will result in enhanced thunderstorm activity across all of Southeast Arizona, with a more elevated potential for severe thunderstorms and/or flash flooding over the typical Monsoon day. The 12z SPC HREF (High Resolution Ensemble Forecast) has latched onto a strong solution for our neck of the woods with a sustained potential for wind gusts in excess of 50 kts from Tucson west Sunday evening. This helps increase my confidence that we will experience widespread blowing dust issues across Pima and Southeast Pinal counties...including the potential for a Haboob formation. In addition to the wind and blowing dust threat, the 12z SPC HREF 24 hour QPF LPMM or localized probability matched mean for 24 hour QPF amounts indicated a large area between 1 and 2 inches of rainfall tomorrow across Santa Cruz and Pima county. Given the saturated soils across the area, this makes the potential for flash flooding much greater. Ina ny event, tomorrow will be an active and busy day. Otherwise, rain chances will continue to be elevated this coming week as a more favorable flow pattern develops with the upper high becoming centered over the Four Corners region. Daytime temperatures will remain near seasonable readings after today. && .AVIATION...Valid through 08/00Z. SCT-BKN clouds at 7k-10k ft AGL, with the clouds slowing diminishing after midnight MST. SCTD SHRA/TSRA primarily between 06/23Z and 07/05Z. CIGS may briefly lower to 4k-6k ft AGL with the TSRA, along with mountain obscurations and wind gusts to 40+ kts. Otherwise, SFC wind generally less than 12 kts, favoring a NWLY/NLY direction during the afternoon hours and variable in direction at other times. Aviation discussion not updated for TAF amendments. && .FIRE WEATHER...An active monsoon period is expected to continue through the coming week, with daily rounds of scattered showers and thunderstorms. The typical threats of strong gusty winds and heavy rainfall remain, as well as the potential for precipitation outside the normal afternoon/evening cycles. Wind trends are otherwise light following a diurnal pattern. && .TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...None. && Visit us on Facebook...Twitter...YouTube...and at weather.gov/Tucson
The Tucson radar (KEMX), 118 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:56 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood, 1 dust storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Gust to 64 mph was measured by Desert Research Institute sensor in northwest Chiricahua Mountains.
Thunderstorm winds downed or snapped multiple power poles in the Elfrida and McNeal areas. One house, one barn and one garage also suffered substantial roof damage.
Heavy rain in Nogales, Sonora caused a rapid rise in Nogales Wash, causing it to overtop its banks and flood the Doe St. Bridge.
A thunderstorms outflow gust to 60 mph was measured at KTUS at 2110MST. A thunderstorm gust 60 mph was measured in east Tucson at 2123MST.
Thunderstorm outflow winds resulted in a dust storm across south central Pinal County. Traffic on Interstate 10 was halted in both directions due to visibilities less than 100 feet.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arizona in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, August 2022
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: 1053687, 1053686, 1053694, 1053692, 1053696.