An upper level low pressure system moved across the Great Basin bringing strong southwest winds across Cochise, Greenlee and Santa Cruz counties. The winds reduced visibility to between a quarter and a half mile for 3 hours along I-10 from Willcox eastward.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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.
An upper level low pressure system moved across the Great Basin bringing strong southwest winds across Cochise, Greenlee and Santa Cruz counties. The winds reduced visibility to between a quarter and a half mile for 3 hours along I-10 from Willcox eastward. The winds also fanned the flames of a wildfire and destroyed two homes in Cochise County. Farther west, rain fell across Pima and Pinal counties and was followed by temperatures dropping below freezing the morning of February 24. The Pima County Medical Examiner confirmed that hypothermia was the primary cause of death for one male found in the desert.
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 Feb 23, 3:25 AM MST, 7 hours 35 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Tucson AZ 325 AM MST Wed Feb 23 2022 .SYNOPSIS...A winter storm moving into the area will bring strong gusty winds today and a good chance of valley rain and mountain snow. Significant accumulations expected in some mountain locations. Much cooler today and Thursday with temperatures remaining below average through the weekend. Widespread low temperatures below freezing Thursday and Friday morning. && .DISCUSSION...A winter storm located to our NW will bring a variety of weather to southeast Arizona today into Friday as it moves across the area. Initial concern will be strong gusty winds where gusts between 35 and 50 mph are likely today, especially across Cochise county. It has been rather windy across Sierra Vista this morning with gusts up to 45 mph already occurring. Can't rule out gusts up to 55 mph in Sierra Vista and in the mountains. A wind advisory for most of the area will be in effect today from 10 am to 8 pm. The wind will also kick up areas of blowing dust with the main problem area being Interstate 10 from Willcox east of the state line. Went ahead and also issued a blowing dust advisory for most of Cochise county. Early morning surface analysis placed cold front over far western AZ with scattered precipitation along the front and also post frontal moving thru San Diego county. Cloud cover will be increasing thru sunrise west of Tucson with showers developing. These showers and the cold front will be gradually moving east this morning and be approaching Tucson after 12 noon. Since the timing is slower versus the previous forecast we pushed back the start and end of the Winter Weather Advisory about 3 hours. There will be a few hours of moderate snow and blowing snow above 6000 feet for the mountain ranges from Tucson NE toward the White mountains. As the precipitation continues to move east this afternoon, conditions will be improving over western Pima county. Tonight: As the colder air continues to push in and lower the snow levels down to the valley floors east of Tucson rain showers will become mixed with snow or turn completely to snow for a few hours with minor accumulations expected. Overall for this event, liquid amounts will range widely across the area with highest totals over 0.20" from Tucson west and north with around 1" in the mountains. Snow totals for the mountain ranges from Tucson NE to the White mountains mainly 1"-5" between 5k-7k ft, 5"-9" between 7k-8k ft and 8"-12" above 8k ft. Well below normal high temperatures today and tomorrow with most of the area seeing freezing low temperatures Thursday and Friday morning. The usual cold spots in Cochise county will see lows in the teens Friday morning. Much warmer Friday area wide with this warming trend continuing thru the weekend into early next week. && .AVIATION...Valid through 24/12Z. Main concerns in this valid period will be strong gusty winds and precipitation moving west to east across the forecast area. SCT-BKN clouds 4k-8kft west of KTUS thru 23/15z will become BKN-OVC with ISOLD/SCT -SHRA dvlpg. These conds will slowly move east across SE AZ with MVFR conds MTN OBSCD dvlpg. -SHRA bcmg -SHSN in later part of valid pd E and S of KTUS. SFC wind SLY/SWLY 5-15 kts with lclzd gusts to 35 kts near KALK and KFHU thru 23/16z then SLY/SWLY 18-28 kts with gusts btwn 25 kts and 45 kts thru 24/03z before diminishing thru the end of the valid pd. The strongest gusts will be across Cochise county, especially at KALK and KFHU. Areas of BLDU E of KTUS btwn 23/17z and 24/02z. Aviation discussion not updated for TAF amendments. && .FIRE WEATHER...A winter storm will bring breezy to windy conditions today with the strongest winds occurring south and east of Tucson this afternoon out ahead of a cold front. This cold front will also bring scattered precipitation as it moves east across the area with the areas west of a Sierra Vista to Clifton line seeing precipitation amounts in the 0.25" to 0.75" range. As the colder air moves in some of the valleys east and south of Tucson may see some light snow tonight. Drier conditions then return to southeast Arizona Thursday afternoon, with a strong warming trend Friday through this weekend. && .TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory from 1 PM this afternoon to 11 PM MST this evening for AZZ510-511-514. Wind Advisory from 10 AM this morning to 8 PM MST this evening for AZZ503-504-507>509-512-513. Blowing Dust Advisory from 10 AM this morning to 8 PM MST this evening for AZZ507>509. && Visit us on Facebook...Twitter...YouTube...and at weather.gov/Tucson
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 high wind, 1 wildfire, 1 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.
A wind gust to 58 mph was measured at the KOLS ASOS at 1114MST and a peak gust to 61 mph at a private weather station near Patagonia at 1401MST.
A peak wind gust of 67 mph was measured at the KALK ASOS at 1532MST.
Arizona Dept. of Transportation weather stations measured wind gusts of 58 to 62 mph along I-10 between Willcox and the New Mexico state line. Visibilities were reduced to between a quarter and a half mile in blowing dust.
A peak wind gust of 66 mph was measured at Guthrie RAWS.
The human caused Hope Fire was spread across 25 acres of grass and brush by wind gusts over 50 mph. One house and one mobile home were destroyed by the fire in the community of Cochise near the intersection of Apache Way and Quarterhorse Lane.
Temperatures in the upper 20 to lower 30s were observed during the early morning hours of February 24, and were preceded by a quarter inch of rain that fell on the 23rd. The Pima County Medical Examiner confirmed that hypothermia was the primary cause of death for one adult male in the desert in the Ironwood National Forest northwest of Tucson.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cold/Wind Chill, Tucson Metro Area | 2022-02-24 | 24 | Male | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
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, February 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: 1010849, 1010850, 1010851, 1010852, 1010853, 1010856.