High Wind in Arizona, January 27 to 28, 2022

Name: High Wind in Arizona, January 27 to 28, 2022
Start: 2022-01-27T18:00
End: 2022-01-28T02:30
Location: Arizona

January 27 to 28, 2022 · NWS FGZ · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A strong area of low pressure moving through the Four Corners brought high winds to parts of northern Arizona overnight.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $100,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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 FGZ wrote it up.

A strong area of low pressure moving through the Four Corners brought high winds to parts of northern Arizona overnight.

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 Flagstaff, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 27, 2:51 PM MST, 3 hours 9 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 27, 2:51 PM MST, 3 hours 9 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Flagstaff AZ
251 PM MST Thu Jan 27 2022

.SYNOPSIS...Windy conditions develop tonight and continue into
early Friday as a dry cold front crosses the region. Highest
gusts are expected along and just southwest of the higher terrain.
Isolated damaging wind gusts are possible near the San Francisco
Peaks. Dry and calmer conditions return for the weekend with a
chance for some flurries or sprinkles on Sunday. Another chance
for some light snow is possible on Tuesday.

.DISCUSSION...A dry cold front will cross the region overnight as
the parent low pushes southeastward through New Mexico. The biggest
impact across our area remains to be the strong northeast winds.
Models continue to hit the strong winds pretty hard across the
Mogollon Rim and higher terrain with some guidance showing 10m
winds in excess of 50-60 knots along the highest peaks. The Wind
Advisory looks to be well placed and no changes were made to the
current headline.

Behind the front, the air will be a bit chillier as cooler air
pushes into northern Arizona. Areas to the south of Mogollon Rim
will remain warmer amd closer to normal temperatures for late
January.

Weak ridging through the weekend indicates that temperatures will
rebound a bit and we should warm to near normal temps across the
area. A low pressure system will push onshore in southern
California later in the weekend and models are mixed on whether or
not there will be enough moisture to have snow/rain showers fall
in the forecast area. Most guidance is on the drier side but still
feel that there could be some flurries or sprinkles on Sunday.

A return to more zonal flow on Monday into Tuesday before another
cold front drops southward into the area. Again, this front may be
dry as it crosses the region but models show that there may be
enough moisture for precipitation across north and east areas
Tuesday night into Wednesday.

.AVIATION...For the 00Z package...VFR conditions expected through
the TAF forecast period. Increasing north to northeast winds
around 10 to 20 knots with gusts up to 35 knots overnight. Locally
higher gusts along the southwest facing slopes of higher terrain
features. Areas of LLWS developing this evening and lasting into
the early morning. Aviation discussion not updated for TAF
amendments.

.FIRE WEATHER...Gusty northeast winds tonight and Friday. Winds
may become locally strong just southwest of higher terrain overnight.
Cooler temperatures expected Friday, especially along and northeast
of the Mogollon Rim.

Saturday through Tuesday...Dry and seasonable weather expected through
most of this period. A weak system may bring a chance of flurries
or sprinkles Sunday, but wetting precipitation is not expected.
Another chance for precipitation is possible Tuesday night, mainly
across eastern areas. Mainly light winds through the period.

.FGZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...Wind Advisory from 6 PM this evening to 6 AM MST Friday FOR
AZZ015-016.

PUBLIC...Meola
AVIATION...Meola
FIRE WEATHER...Meola

For Northern Arizona weather information visit
weather.gov/flagstaff

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Western Mogollon Rim

When: January 27, 6:00 PM MST to January 28, 2:30 AM MST
Where: Western Mogollon Rim forecast zone
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 35.839, -111.770 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The weather station at 11,555 feet on Agassiz Peak (ASBTP) reported a peak wind gust of 69 MPH at 1100 PM with frequent winds gust of 58 MPH or higher between 600 PM and 130 AM. The station at 10767 feet (WX7FGZ-6) had peak wind gusts of 64 MPH between 700 and 715 PM with frequent wind gust of 58 MPH or higher between 445 PM and 1145 PM. The weather station at 9379 feet (ASBLS-Little Spruce) had a peak wind gust of 64 MPH at midnight. Wind gust over 58 MPH were observed between 715 PM and 1230 AM. Power outages were reported in parts of Flagstaff to Munds Park.

High Wind, Northern Gila County

When: January 27, 8:00 PM MST to January 28, 12:30 AM MST
Where: Northern Gila County forecast zone
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: Newspaper
Coordinates: 33.800, -110.812 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A newspaper reported that large ponderosa pine trees were uprooted and snapped off and damaged RVs and the Lodge 5 miles east of Kohls Ranch at 1100 PM. A utility company reported that power poles were down about 4 miles north-northwest of Kohls Ranch around 1151 PM. Power outages were reported in the communities of Woods Canyon Lake, Young, Christopher Creek, and Forest Lakes. A driver on Highway 260 between Payson and Forest Lakes reported strong winds blowing debris onto roadway. They had to slow down to maintain control. Wind gusts estimated at 55 MPH.

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 2022 Every state in 2022 This day in weather history Warnings in Arizona, January 2022

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: 1005133, 1005132.