Arizona, 2024

Strong Wind in Arizona, April 26, 2024

April 26, 2024 · NWS PSR · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A strong upper-level trough moved from the Great Basin and through the Desert Southwest. This feature combined with anomalously high moisture content for late April resulted an area of showers moving from southern Nevada through the Lower Colorado River Valley while weakening during the early to mid-afternoon hours.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$4,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS PSR wrote it up.

A strong upper-level trough moved from the Great Basin and through the Desert Southwest. This feature combined with anomalously high moisture content for late April resulted an area of showers moving from southern Nevada through the Lower Colorado River Valley while weakening during the early to mid-afternoon hours. A strong outflow resulting from these weakening showers caused strong winds, destroying some sheds in the Parker Strip area. The SPC mesoanalysis showed DCAPE values of around 1000 J/Kg, which was favorable for the strong wind generation from the outflow boundary that moved through. Based on the magnitude of the damage observed, wind gusts were estimated to be upwards of 50 mph.

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 Phoenix, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 25, 4:20 PM MST, 23 hours 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 25, 4:20 PM MST, 23 hours 20 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Strong Wind, Parker Valley

When
April 26, 3:40 PM MST
Where
Parker Valley forecast zone
Measured
43 kt (49 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$4,000
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
33.729, -113.981 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A strong outflow from collapsing showers moving through the area resulted in strong winds across Parker Strip. The strong winds destroyed some sheds, with the metal roofing becoming entangled around a power pole, knocking power out. Based on the magnitude of the damage observed, wind gusts were estimated to be upwards of 50 mph. No injuries were reported.

What these are

Strong Wind
Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Arizona in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, April 2024

Sources

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1176275.