Scattered thunderstorms developed and moved northwest across southeast Arizona during the afternoon and evening. Wind damage took place in Whetstone and also at Saguaro National Park West where hundreds of saguaros were downed or damaged.
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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 TWC wrote it up.
Scattered thunderstorms developed and moved northwest across southeast Arizona during the afternoon and evening. Wind damage took place in Whetstone and also at Saguaro National Park West where hundreds of saguaros were downed or damaged. Large hail occurred in south and central Tucson, damaging an elementary school. Moderate rain from a subsequent thunderstorm leaked into the building, causing ceiling tile damage.
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 21, 1:32 PM MST, 1 hour 29 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Tucson AZ 132 PM MST Mon Aug 21 2023 .SYNOPSIS...Daily rounds of scattered showers and thunderstorms this week. Cooler than normal temperatures Wednesday then warming to above normal next weekend. && .DISCUSSION...Latest satellite imagery shows a small cumulus field developing over Cochise County and a little bit in Pima County. There is mid level clouds that is inhibiting some of the development of the cumulus clouds over Pima County and to the west. There is plenty of moisture in the air and instability within the region. The better instability is closer to Cochise County which there are a few cumulus are starting to build more into towers. The mid level clouds are taking a little longer to clear out for the cumulus clouds to really build and the better access for surface heating. The latest 19z HRRR run still shows thunderstorms developing this afternoon, starting around 2 pm MST. That may get delayed a bit more if there is still higher cloud cover to limit growth, but the eastern edge of the cloud field (western Cochise County) will likely to be the first action item of the afternoon. Especially when the CAPE values are in the 2000 J/kg range which is higher than in Pima or Santa Cruz County. SPC still has the area under a marginal risk for thunderstorms with the threat of wind and hail. The upper level does support strong thunderstorm potential and it can make the storms move fairly quickly due to the 30kt steering flow at the 700mb. 12Z HREF has a strong signal for strong gusty winds that can lead to blowing dust along the high traffic corridor. Plus, there is plenty of moisture to create brief heavy rainfall within a short amount of time. Expect flows in washes and localized significant ponding of water and other localized flooding challenges. Later in the evening, there could be another quick round of showers and thunderstorms based on the latest HRRR. Showers and thunderstorms will taper off through the rest of the night. Tomorrow, temperatures will be around normal with breezy conditions for mainly in the eastern counties of the CWA. The better chances for thunderstorms will be west of Tucson in the afternoon. By Wednesday, a trof or a tropical wave from the Gulf of Mexico that will bring more moisture and upper level dynamics. This will increase the chances for showers and thunderstorms as well as keep temperatures slightly below normal. Rest of the week, there will be a daily chance of showers and thunderstorms due to the lingering moisture. The moisture will slowly erode away through the weekend. Temperatures will warm up to a few-several degrees above normal through the weekend. && .AVIATION...valid through 23/00z. SCT SHRA/TSRA with bases SCT-BKN 9-12k ft MSL, ISOLD MVFR CIGS/VSBYS, MT obscurations and gusts 35-45kts through 22/02z. Areas of BLDU from KAVQ to KCGZ. SHRA/TSRA diminishing overnight then redeveloping Tuesday afternoon mainly W of KTUS/KOLS. Outside of thunderstorms SFC winds mainly SE-ly 8-18 kts. Gusts to 25 kts this evening and Tuesday afternoon VCNTY KDUG and KSAD. Aviation discussion not updated for TAF amendments. && .FIRE WEATHER...Scattered afternoon and evening showers for much of the work week with day-to-day variability in areal coverage of storms. Gusty southeast winds into this evening and again Tuesday, especially east of Tucson. Later this week through the weekend, it looks like we could see two or three consecutive days of warmer temperatures/lower humidities and limited thunderstorm coverage. && .TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && Visit us on Facebook...Twitter...YouTube...and at weather.gov/Tucson
The Tucson radar (KEMX), 39 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:59 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A swath of large hail from 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter fell from near the Tucson Airport northwest to the campus of the University of Arizona, including at the NWS Tucson WFO. Hail damaged cars, skylights and roofs, including the roof at Rivera Elementary School.
A spotter reported 60 mph wind gusts near Sierra Vista.
Thunderstorm winds blew the corrugated metal roof off a machine shed in Whetstone.
A gust to 59 mph was recorded at the Hopkins RAWS at 1833MST.
Thunderstorm winds downed 400 saguaro cacti and damaged 800 others at Saguaro National Park West.
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, August 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: 1129886, 1129887, 1129888, 1129889, 1131359.