The lightning caused Homestead Fire started on July 13 and burned 1,835 acres on the southwest side of the Pinaleno Mountains in southern Graham County before becoming contained on July 16. Fire suppression costs tallied $765,000.
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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.
The lightning caused Homestead Fire started on July 13 and burned 1,835 acres on the southwest side of the Pinaleno Mountains in southern Graham County before becoming contained on July 16. Fire suppression costs tallied $765,000.
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 Jul 13, 7:45 AM MST, 6 hours 15 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Tucson AZ 745 AM MST Thu Jul 13 2023 .SYNOPSIS...The favorable Monsoon flow that finally brought deeper moisture and a daily chance of thunderstorms to the area will waver as high pressure shifts overhead and northwest of the area. Expect fewer storms as a result, along with hotter temperatures bringing a possible return of excessive heat by this weekend. && .DISCUSSION...Some weak showers developed overnight and have since dissipated, so development of storms could be delayed just a tad this afternoon. Otherwise looking at the 12Z sounding, there is a minimal amount of CAPE, limiting the deep convection for this morning. Also in the sounding, there is a fair amount of warm air aloft that will inhibit any deeper convection as well. Moisture is still around with 1.76 inches of precipitable water in the sounding as well as surface dew points in the upper 50s and lower 60s, so that will aid in storm development. The upper level high is currently located over the Arizona/New Mexico border. The main question mark for the day is where that high shifts to. If the high shifts eastward more into New Mexico, there will be more difluence aloft and allow for some cooler temperatures aloft as well, so some deeper convection could be possible for areas east of Tucson in mainly the evening hours. However, if the high stays in place or begins to shift westward, deeper convection will be hard to get with the current dynamics in place. && .AVIATION...valid through 14/12Z SCT-BKN clouds AOA 10-15k ft MSL. SCT -SHRA/TSRA after 13/19Z. SFC winds less than 10kts this morning, becoming WLY/NWLY this afternoon 10 to 15 kts and gusty at times. Strong erratic thunderstorm outflows possible in the afternoon and evening hours. Aviation discussion not updated for TAF amendments. && .FIRE WEATHER...Afternoon thunderstorm activity diminishes as we head into the weekend, with hotter temperatures returning. An Excessive Heat Warning is in effect Saturday through Monday. Looking into next week, a more favorable pattern for thunderstorm activity moves into the area, resulting in an increase in thunderstorm coverage and intensity by Monday. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 237 AM MST Thu Jul 13 2023/ Deep moisture still in place as our pattern change leads to a broad area of upper level diffluence this morning. A few morning showers around the area. Scattered showers with isolated embedded thunderstorms possible in the morning hours. We'll pick up a weak easterly steering component to our flow today that could bring some outflow from the higher terrain later in the afternoon and evening hours. Otherwise we will start to fight some warming aloft that will eat into our convective potential today. Overall a slow drying trend will become apparent as well. Fewer thunderstorms into the weekend with strong high pressure bringing near record heat to the area Saturday and Sunday. Positive height anomalies build back east of the area early next week, with a strong thunderstorm upswing likely Monday and/or Tuesday. Next week looking particularly interesting with the potential of an inverted trough rotating under the ridge the second half of the week. && && .TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Excessive Heat Warning from 6 AM Saturday to 11 PM MST Monday for AZZ501>509. && Tetrault Visit us on Facebook...Twitter...YouTube...and at weather.gov/Tucson
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
126 PM MST Thu Jul 13 2023
AZZ503-132100-
Upper Santa Cruz River and Altar Valleys including Nogales-
126 PM MST Thu Jul 13 2023
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of central Santa Cruz
County through 200 PM MST...
At 125 PM MST, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over
Rio Rico, or 9 miles northwest of Nogales, moving northeast at 10
mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and pea size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Rio Rico.
This includes Interstate 19 between mile markers 8 and 17.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 3140 11106 3152 11111 3158 11094 3144 11090
TIME...MOT...LOC 2025Z 246DEG 8KT 3148 11101
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH
AWHThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
The lightning caused Homestead Fire started on July 13 and burned 1,835 acres on the southwest side of the Pinaleno Mountains in southern Graham County before becoming contained on July 16. Fire suppression costs tallied $765,000.
The lightning caused Homestead Fire started on July 13 and burned 1,835 acres on the southwest side of the Pinaleno Mountains in southern Graham County before becoming contained on July 16. Fire suppression costs tallied $765,000.
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, July 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: 1125384, 1125385.