Arizona, 2023Hail and Damaging Winds in Arizona, July 28, 2023
July 28, 2023 · NWS TWC · 3 events in 1 county or zone
Scattered thunderstorms moved developed and moved west across Graham, Pinal and Pima counties during the late afternoon and evening. The Tucson Metro was hit hard by large hail and damaging winds.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
Open the live radar over this ground
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $705,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 3
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.
Scattered thunderstorms moved developed and moved west across Graham, Pinal and Pima counties during the late afternoon and evening. The Tucson Metro was hit hard by large hail and damaging winds. Numerous power poles were downed resulting in the loss of power for more than 50,000 customers.
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 Tucson, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 28, 2:02 PM MST, 3 hours 54 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jul 28, 2:02 PM MST, 3 hours 54 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
202 PM MST Fri Jul 28 2023
.SYNOPSIS...
An excessive heat warning remains in effect across portions of
the region through this evening. Isolated to scattered mainly
afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms today, then an
increase in moisture this weekend into early next week should
result in cooler afternoon temperatures and more numerous and
wetter showers and thunderstorms.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Another excessively hot day across many of the lower deserts today
with the strong upper ridge centered over western New Mexico. As
of this writing, the majority of the convective activity remains
over the Mogollon Rim and toward Mount Graham. This activity
should slowly start to shift southwestward as convection becomes
more outflow dominant. We are also expecting activity to start up
near Santa Cruz County in the next few hours. With the west to
southwest flow in place, we could see another day of convective
activity impacting the Tucson metro around and after sunset.
We continue to track a tropical wave currently evident on
satellite imagery in the western Gulf of Mexico. The forecast is
for this wave to track west across Mexico, round the base of the
upper ridge, and eventually track northward across western Arizona
early next week. At the very least, this system should bring about
increased shower/thunderstorm coverage and modestly cooler
temperatures. The best potential for more widespread thunderstorms
appears to be Sunday, but everyday Saturday through Monday should
resemble more closely to what we would normally expect this time
of year with respect to thunderstorm activity.
Atmospheric moisture decreases in the wake of the easterly wave.
While daily chances of thunderstorms will persist, the coverage
won't be as high as it will be over the weekend.
&&
.AVIATION...valid through 29/12Z.
SCT-BKN mid and high-level clouds developing this afternoon.
Isolated to scattered SHRA/TSRA are expected potentially
impacting KTUS, KDUG, and KOLS through 29/06Z. Gusty outflow winds
to 40+ kts along with VSBY reductions to 3SM or less are possible
with TSRA. Outside of thunderstorm outflows, afternoon SFC winds
will be NWLY around 15 kts. Aviation discussion not updated for
TAF amendments.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
Isolated to scattered afternoon and evening showers and
thunderstorms are expected across portions of southeast Arizona
this afternoon before an increase in coverage and rainfall
potential is expected this weekend. Storms will be capable of
producing strong, gusty and erratic outflow winds of 45 mph or
more. Although sustained 20-foot winds will generally be less than
15 mph today, afternoon gusts to around 25 mph may occur. Much
above normal temperatures are expected again today with high
temperatures lowering a few degrees over the weekend and into the
middle of next week. Valley min RH readings will generally range
between 15-25% today and Saturday, then 20-30% for Monday and
Tuesday before drying out to 15-25% on Wednesday and 10-20% for
Thursday and Friday.
&&
.TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Excessive Heat Warning until 10 PM MST this evening for
AZZ504>506-509.
&&
Public...Dang
Aviation...Dang
Fire Weather....Dang
Visit us on Facebook...Twitter...YouTube...and at weather.gov/Tucson
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Jul 28, 3:34 PM MST, 2 hours 22 minutes before
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</html>Special weather statement, Jul 28, 5:35 PM MST, 21 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
535 PM MST Fri Jul 28 2023
AZZ503-504-507-513-290100-
Upper San Pedro River Valley including Sierra
Vista/Benson-Dragoon/Mule/Huachuca and Santa Rita Mountains including
Bisbee/Canelo Hills/Madera Canyon-Upper Santa Cruz River and Altar
Valleys including Nogales-Tucson Metro Area including Tucson/Green
Valley/Marana/Vail-
535 PM MST Fri Jul 28 2023
...Strong thunderstorms will impact portions of east central Pima,
west central Cochise and northeastern Santa Cruz Counties through 600
PM MST...
At 535 PM MST, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from Kartchner Caverns State Park to 7 miles
northeast of Elgin. Movement was was located along a line southwest
at 10 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and half inch 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...
Benson, St. David, Sonoita, Elgin, Kartchner Caverns State Park and
Mescal.
This includes the following highways...
Interstate 10 between mile markers 285 and 302.
Route 80 between mile markers 296 and 298.
Route 82 between mile markers 28 and 48.
Route 83 between mile markers 25 and 54.
Route 90 between mile markers 290 and 302.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 3208 11062 3166 11078 3160 11048 3192 11024
TIME...MOT...LOC 0035Z 063DEG 7KT 3184 11036 3173 11047
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH
KGDSpecial weather statement, Jul 28, 5:47 PM MST, 9 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
547 PM MST Fri Jul 28 2023
AZZ504-507-514-290115-
Santa Catalina and Rincon Mountains including Mount
Lemmon/Summerhaven-Upper San Pedro River Valley including Sierra
Vista/Benson-Tucson Metro Area including Tucson/Green
Valley/Marana/Vail-
547 PM MST Fri Jul 28 2023
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northeastern Pima
County through 615 PM MST...
At 546 PM MST, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Tanque Verde, or 12 miles northeast of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base,
moving south at 15 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and half inch 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...
Tucson, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Tanque Verde, Mount
Lemmon/Summerhaven, Sabino Canyon Recreation Area, Catalina
Foothills, Saguaro National Park East and Seven Falls.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 3246 11080 3238 11049 3211 11076 3227 11098
TIME...MOT...LOC 0046Z 021DEG 12KT 3231 11075
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH
KGDThunderstorm Wind, Pima
- When
- July 28, 5:56 PM MST to 6:25 PM MST
- Where
- Pima County, 0.56 mi NE of Sabino to 0.38 mi WNW of Emery Park
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
- Property damage
- $600,000
- Reported by
- Broadcast Media
- Coordinates
- 32.305, -110.813
Thunderstorm winds caused extensive damage from the northeast to the south side of Tucson, from near Sabino High School southwestward to the Tucson International Airport. At least 40 power poles were downed or damaged, dozens of large trees were downed or uprooted, and several homes had portions of roofs peeled off by the winds. Apartment complexes near Broadway and Camino Seco and 22nd and Kolb were especially hard hit as falling trees damaged a number of units, car shelters, and vehicles. Just south of this area along Golf Links Rd between Kolb and Wilmot and on Davis-Monthan AFB, numerous power poles were downed or damaged. Around 50,000 customers lost power as a result of the storms. A wind gusts to 62 mph was recorded at KDMA ASOS at 1818MST and 64 mph at KTUS ASOS at 1825MST.
Hail, Pima
- When
- July 28, 6:04 PM MST to 6:35 PM MST
- Where
- Pima County, 4.15 mi E of Tucson to 0.91 mi WSW of Tucson
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 32.240, -110.860
Hail ranging from the size of quarters to golf balls fell from Speedway and Wilmot to Broadway and Campbell. There were sporadic reports of damage to car windows and skylights.
Thunderstorm Wind, Pima
- When
- July 28, 6:32 PM MST to 7:10 PM MST
- Where
- Pima County, 2.34 mi NNE of Tucson to 3.26 mi E of Tuscon Ryan Fld Arpt
- Measured
- 56 kt (64 mph) estimated gust
- Property damage
- $100,000
- Reported by
- Broadcast Media
- Coordinates
- 32.259, -110.910
Thunderstorm winds downed trees, power poles and caused structural damage from midtown to Tucson's southwest side. Downed trees damaged car shelters near Glenn and Alvernon and a house in Winterhaven. An exotic animal farm near I-10 and Wetmore sustained major damage to its shelters and fencing. Sporadic, mainly minor, wind damage also occurred near Valencia and Camino Verde.
- Thunderstorm Wind
- Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
- Hail
- Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Flash Flooding in Indiana, July 28, 20232 deaths · $552,000 · 5 events
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Ohio, July 28 to 29, 20231 death · $230,000 · EF1 · 13 events
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Nebraska, July 28, 2023$29 million · 4 in hail · 13 events
- Damaging Winds in Maryland, July 28, 2023$6.9 million · 70 kt wind · 40 events
- Rip Current in Michigan, July 28, 20231 death · 1 event
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, July 28, 2023$1.3 million · 4 in hail · 43 events
- Hail in Kansas, July 28, 2023$8.3 million · 2 in hail · 3 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Virginia, July 28, 20231 injured · $786,000 · 1.25 in hail · 32 events
- Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Wisconsin, July 28, 2023$169,000 · EF1 · 40 events
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Montana, July 28 to 30, 2023$1.0 million · 2.5 in hail · 13 events
- Tornadoes and Hail in Illinois, July 28, 2023EF1 · 77 events
- Tornadoes and Hail in Iowa, July 28, 2023$133,000 · EF1 · 21 events
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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1124328, 1124323, 1124329.