An upper level low moved southeast from the Salt Lake City area through the Four Corners on April 25. This brought showers, thunderstorms, and strong winds across northern Arizona.
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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 FGZ wrote it up.
An upper level low moved southeast from the Salt Lake City area through the Four Corners on April 25. This brought showers, thunderstorms, and strong winds across northern Arizona.
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 Apr 25, 8:31 AM MST, 4 hours 22 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Flagstaff AZ 831 AM MST Tue Apr 25 2023 .SYNOPSIS...Seasonably warm and mainly dry weather is expected across northern Arizona through mid week. A passing disturbance will bring breezy winds today with scattered showers and storms, mainly over far east Arizona. Dry and much warmer weather is forecast late in the week and into the weekend, with high temperatures 10 to 15 degrees above normal. && .UPDATE...The current forecast is on track with a generally windy day and showers/storms toward the Arizona/New Mexico border. Wind gusts in the vicinity of storms could approach 50 mph this afternoon. Otherwise, the outlook is for fair and warmer weather heading into the weekend. && .PREV DISCUSSION /257 AM MST/...Upper level low pressure is situated over the Salt Lake City area early this morning, and is forecast to track southeast through the Four Corners today. The two main impacts from this trough passage will be increased wind and a chance for showers and thunderstorms across eastern Arizona. Westerly winds will increase through the afternoon and gradually shift to the northwest by this evening. The strongest winds will develop across mainly Navajo and Apache counties, which will experience the greatest pressure gradients in response to the passing trough. Areas from Winslow to Window Rock south to the White Mountains will see gusts from 40 to 50 mph, and a Wind Advisory remains in effect here through this evening. As daytime instability increases this afternoon and a cool front boundary moves through, the chance (20-40%) for showers and thunderstorms will develop across southern Navajo/Apache counties. Dry lightning will be a concern as most precipitation will remain <0.10". This convection could also lead to further enhancement of wind gusts in any stronger cells. Elsewhere across the forecast area, a breezy and mild day is in store. Temperatures will remain above normal from the Rim southward and slightly below normal north of the Rim thanks to the trough. Wednesday will see a shift to north/northeast winds in the wake of the trough passage. Temperatures will be similar to today, with a few degrees of warming expected across the far north. A much more tranquil pattern develops late this week as a high amplitude ridge builds over the West Coast. Expect a period of dry weather and warming temperatures through the weekend. By Sunday, temperatures are forecast to reach about 15 degrees warmer than normal. Other than a brief increase in winds on Friday, light winds are expected through this period. Forecast guidance favors a deepening Pacific low to move into the western states by the middle of next week. This will likely lead to an increase in winds for northern Arizona, perhaps as early as Monday. Considerable spread regarding the depth/timing of this feature gives us low confidence in any details at this time. && .AVIATION...For the 18Z TAF package...Expect mainly VFR conditions over the next 24 hours. There will be scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms east of a KRQE-KINW-KSOW line through the early evening producing brief downpours and local wind gusts to near 45 kts. Otherwise, look for general west to southwest winds at 10-20 kts with gusts to 35 kts, especially east of KFLG. Aviation discussion not updated for TAF amendments. && .FIRE WEATHER...Gusty southwest to west winds 20 to 30 MPH with gusts up to 40 MPH developing this morning with humidity below 15%. Slight chances for rain showers and isolated thunder for locations along the New Mexico border and into the White Mountains during this time. Drier conditions with northerly winds are likely on Wednesday. Thursday through Saturday...Breezy northerly winds persist through the period with afternoon humidity below 15%. A warming trend is expected with temperatures reaching 10 to 15 degrees above average by Saturday. && .FGZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Wind Advisory until 8 PM MST /9 PM MDT/ this evening for AZZ011>014-016-017-040-111>114-116-117-140. && PUBLIC...McCollum/MCT AVIATION...McCollum/MAS FIRE WEATHER...McCollum/MAS For Northern Arizona weather information visit weather.gov/flagstaff
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The wind sensor on Interstate 40 at the Painted Desert intersection (MP 312) reported a peak wind gust of 59 MPH (sustain at 42 MPH) at 1253 PM MST.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arizona in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, April 2023
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: 1098474.