A dry cold front move from north to south over northern Arizona. This brought increasing pressure gradients and locally high winds.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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 FGZ wrote it up.
A dry cold front move from north to south over northern Arizona. This brought increasing pressure gradients and locally high winds.
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 Flagstaff, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 9, 10:12 PM MST, 2 hours 36 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Flagstaff AZ 1012 PM MST Mon Dec 9 2024 .SYNOPSIS...Expect breezy conditions overnight with very cold temperatures. Locations south of the Mogollon Rim and Bradshaw mountains could be quite windy tonight through Tuesday morning, with gusts in excess of 35 mph. Cold temperatures on Tuesday will warm through the week, with dry conditions forecast through the weekend. && .UPDATE...Nothing has changed or needs to be updated. The main thing to be on the lookout for is Tuesday morning wind chills dropping below zero in locations above 6500 feet and single digits down to 5000 feet where gusty north to northeast winds develop. It will be the coldest morning this season especially with the added wind, plan to dress accordingly. && .PREV DISCUSSION /353 PM MST/...The oft-discussed dry cold front is about halfway through Arizona, currently moving southward over the Mogollon Rim. Behind (north) of the front it has become quite windy, with winds gusting 25-30mph in many areas (strongest in NE AZ). We expect the front to continue progressing rapidly southward through the rest of the forecast area in the next couple hours. As the high pressure and cold pool behind the front deepens overnight, strong north to northeast surface winds will develop over and downstream (southwest) of the higher terrain. Winds in excess 35 mph are possible downwind of the Mogollon Rim and Bradshaw mountains overnight, with 50-65mph expected atop the San Francisco Peaks. These winds will slowly decrease on Tuesday. The cold temperatures and winds will lead to some hazardous wind chills on Tuesday morning, with some locations experiencing wind chills below zero. Weak ridging and innocuous westerly flow will develop across the Southwest on Wednesday, which will usher in several days of dry and occasionally breezy conditions with a return to above normal temperatures. A weak trough (now resolved in most of the models) will sweep through the area on Thursday, bringing locally breezy conditions once again. However, temperatures will remain 3-7 degrees above normal Thursday through the weekend with no precipitation in sight. && .AVIATION...Tuesday 10/06Z through Wednesday 11/06Z...VFR conditions are forecast. Winds north to northeast at 10-20 kts through Tuesday afternoon. Localized gusts of 25-35 kts downwind of terrain features. Winds diminishing Tuesday evening but remaining locally gusty to 25 kts along and south of the Mogollon Rim. OUTLOOK...Wednesday 11/06Z through Friday 13/06Z...VFR conditions continue. Winds becoming light on Wednesday then shifting to southwest at 10-20 kts during the day Thursday. && .FIRE WEATHER...Tuesday and Wednesday...It will be clear, cold and dry on Tuesday with northerly winds at 10-20 mph. Expect stronger wind gusts downwind of the Mogollon Rim and Bradshaw Mountains through midday. Dry and warmer weather is set for Wednesday with light winds. Thursday through Saturday...Dry conditions will continue. Expect southwest winds at 10-20 mph on Thursday with lighter winds returning for Friday and Saturday. && .FGZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...None. && PUBLIC...McCollum/BAK AVIATION...McCollum FIRE WEATHER...McCollum For Northern Arizona weather information visit weather.gov/flagstaff
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Humbug Creek RAWS had a peak wind gust of 63 MPH at 1248 AM on December 10. Wind gusts of 58 MPH or higher were felt from around 1248 AM to around 520 AM.
The peak wind gust at 11,555 feet was 67 MPH at 630 AM. The wind gusted over 58 MPH from 410 AM to 1050 AM.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arizona in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, December 2024
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: 1226100, 1226017.