A winter storm moved through southeast Arizona resulting in heavy snow and strong winds across some of the higher elevations.
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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.
A winter storm moved through southeast Arizona resulting in heavy snow and strong winds across some of the higher elevations.
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 14, 3:13 AM MST, 7 hours 47 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Tucson AZ 313 AM MST Tue Feb 14 2023 .SYNOPSIS...An approaching storm will result in strong, potentially damaging winds developing this afternoon and continuing through tonight. Blowing dust is a possibility across the lower elevations with blowing snow over the higher terrain. Precipitation will move south over the area tonight and continue into Wednesday morning with snow levels dropping to around 2,500 feet. Then cold air behind the storm will result in very cold low temperatures Thursday morning. A gradual warming trend is expected into the weekend with another storm expected late in the weekend into early next week. && .DISCUSSION...A strong upper level trough over Oregon and Idaho will drop south through the day and sweep across the area late tonight and early Wednesday. As it does, very strong winds will develop this afternoon and continue into tonight, peaking just ahead of the associated surface front. This will be a high end wind advisory event for the lower elevations with a few spots reaching high wind criteria. One location noted for that in this pattern is the Sierra Vista area (KFHU, KALK) and have added them to the High Wind Warning which already covers the mountain areas. Overall, it will be one of the windiest winter systems we have seen in a few years. This wind will bring up some dust issues here and there, however recent rains and and areas of greenup starting will mitigate this to some degree. Mention of blowing dust is currently in the Wind Advisory messaging. Also, blowing snow will be a problem across higher elevations. Precipitation with the system will begin to settle southward this evening, continue overnight and exit to the east Wednesday morning. The snow level will start out around 6,000 feet then crash late tonight behind the surface front. The bulk of the precipitation will occur before the front so the majority of the snow will be across the higher elevations with significant accumulations likely in the Winter Storm Warning area. Note, a Winter Storm Warning also accounts for High winds so a separate High Wind Warning is not needed where Winter Storm Warnings are posted. For the low elevations we expect some overlap of the precipitation tapering and snow levels low enough to result in valley snow. At this time, it looks like less than an inch most low elevations locations Tucson east and south with a bit more in the now slightly expanded snow advisory area, primarily Cochise county. That said we will need to watch for the potential for the snow to linger another hour or two for more accumulation. To early to pin that kind of detail down. Cold and dry air will invade the area behind the storm setting us up for a very cold (for mid February) Thursday morning. Lows will be pushing close to record some locations. Then beyond that temperatures will gradually moderate with upper level ridging moving over the region. This will last through Saturday then another, slow moving storm system looks to take aim at the region Sunday into the middle of next week. Model systems agree on a system of some sort however there is a fair amount of variance on the structure/movement and timing at this time. && .AVIATION...Valid through 15/12Z. Areas of MVFR CIGS through 14/18Z otherwise mainly VFR until 15/03Z. After 15/03Z SHRA increasing in coverage with MVFR CIGS/VSBYS. ISOLD TSRA mainly N of KTUS. Snow levels dropping markedly after 15/11Z with SHRA/SHSN with local IFR CIGS/VSBYS east of KTUS/KOLS. SW winds increasing to 25-35kts with gusts 40-50kts after 14/19Z. Aviation discussion not updated for TAF amendments. && .FIRE WEATHER...A strong storm will move south into tonight. As it does, very strong winds will develop this afternoon and peak overnight tonight as the front sweeps southeast across the area. Precipitation will develop this evening and continue into Wednesday morning. Snow levels will start around 6,000 ft this evening and drop below 3,000 ft by dawn Wednesday with heavy accumulations across the mountain tops and light accumulations as low as 2,800 ft. Dry and cold Thursday with a gradual warming trend into the weekend. Another storm system will approach the region late in the weekend with increasing winds and a chance of precipitation Sunday into early next week. && .CLIMATE...Active week ahead with a couple winter storms moving across the area. A rather cold air mass will accompany the 2nd system midweek with near record low temperatures Thursday morning February 16th. && .TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Wind Advisory from noon today to 2 AM MST Wednesday for AZZ503>506-513. High Wind Warning from noon today to 5 AM MST Wednesday for AZZ512-513. Wind Advisory from noon today to 5 AM MST Wednesday for AZZ507>509. Winter Storm Warning from noon today to 5 AM MST Wednesday for AZZ510-511-514. Winter Weather Advisory from 5 AM to 11 AM MST Wednesday for AZZ507-508-512-513. Wind Advisory from noon today to 11 PM MST this evening for AZZ501-502. High Wind Warning from 5 PM this afternoon to 5 AM MST Wednesday for AZZ507. High Wind Warning from noon today to 11 PM MST this evening for AZZ515. && Public...Cerniglia Aviation...Drozd Fire Weather....Cerniglia Visit us on Facebook...Twitter...YouTube...and at weather.gov/Tucson
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 winter storm, 2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Sustained winds were measured at 40 mph in the Sierra Vista area with the KALK ASOS reporting 40 mph at 1156MST.
Strong wind gusts of 30 to 50 mph combined with snowfall totals of 6 to 12 inches occurred over the White Mountains of Graham and Greenlee Counties.
Strong wind gusts of 30 to 50 mph combined with snowfall totals of 6 to 12 inches occurred over the White Mountains of Graham and Greenlee Counties.
Strong wind gusts of 30 to 50 mph combined with snowfall totals of 6 to 12 inches occurred over the Santa Catalina Mountains including Summerhaven and Mount Lemmon.
A wind gust to 67 mph was measured at a site near Patagonia at 6200 feet MSL at 2345MST.
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, February 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: 1083987, 1071298, 1071299, 1071300, 1083990.