Strong to severe thunderstorms moved northwest through Southeastern Arizona the afternoon and evening of August 25th. 25 miles, caused damage to utility equipment causing power outages for an estimated total of 1283 customers, and caused damage to a roof.
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 TWC wrote it up.
Strong to severe thunderstorms moved northwest through Southeastern Arizona the afternoon and evening of August 25th. These storms caused the formation of a dust storm that decreased visibilities to less than 0.25 miles, caused damage to utility equipment causing power outages for an estimated total of 1283 customers, and caused damage to a roof. Additionally, the heavy rainfall from the thunderstorms caused cars to be stranded along Frontage Road in Tucson due to flash flooding.
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 Aug 25, 2:42 PM MST, 5 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Tucson AZ 242 PM MST Mon Aug 25 2025 .SYNOPSIS...Expect daily chances for showers and thunderstorms with day to day variability on coverage and intensity through mid week with a drying trend later in the week. Above normal temperatures through today then trending down to slightly below normal Tuesday through Thursday. && .UPDATE...Quick update to extend timing of Pinal/eastern portions of Pima county Blowing Dust Advisory until 7 PM MST. Warn-on- Forecast System severe wind probabilities have been highlighting a strong to severe wind potential from northwest of Tucson through Pinal county from just before 23Z through at least 00Z this evening, potentially latching on to a risk of blowing dust along the Interstate 10 corridor. That said, current satellite picture does show increasing anvil cover the Tucson metro, which adds some uncertainty in strongest thunderstorm potential later this afternoon and early evening. To be on the safe side however, the current Blowing Dust Advisory was extended in time until 7 PM to cover this potential and somewhat later timing. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 1231 PM MST Mon Aug 25 2025/ Showers and thunderstorms are starting to develop right on schedule across Santa Cruz County. The 18Z KTWC sounding came in with a PWAT of 1.43 inches and modest instability and just a bit of a cap to work through. PWATs generally range from 1.2 inch to 1.7 inch range from Tucson westward, while drier air is hanging on east of Tucson across Graham/Greenlee/Cochise Counties where PWATs are around 0.8 to 1.2 inches. The convection now developing will quickly expand to the north and west through the afternoon. Convection will be aided by divergence out ahead of an upper level trough over Sonora. MLCAPE values of 1000-1500 J/KG with DCAPE of around 1000-1300 J/KG. While individual storm motions will be around 15 kts to the west and northwest, 20-25 kts of 0-6km bulk shear will help support multi-cellular storms and development of a larger cold pool capable of producing strong outflow winds. As additional moisture continues to feed in today, flash flooding is a threat as well, especially with merging cells/clusters. A Flash Flood Watch from Tucson westward and a Blowing Dust Advisory are in effect this afternoon into early evening. Meanwhile, for Graham/Greenlee/Cochise Counties, given the drier air mass in those locales, thunderstorm activity will not be nearly as widespread. While the main cluster of storms should exit our area this evening, we can't rule out a few lingering showers overnight. The flow will be more southerly on Tuesday compared to today with still some semblance of mid level troughing just to our south. If the forecast remains on target for today, much of the central and western portions of our forecast area will be worked over with the potential for showers and a few embedded thunderstorms while the focus for deeper convection will be from Tucson eastward into Graham/Greenlee/Cochise Counties which won't see as much activity today. Temperatures will drop to around 3 to 6 degrees below normal Tuesday. As the flow becomes more southwesterly Wednesday with the subtropical high slipping to our southeast, that will promote a drying trend compared to today and Tuesday with contined below normal temperatures. This southwest flow will continue Thursday and Friday, though we'll have to watch for any additional mid level moisture increase off of TS Juliette well to the west of Baja. The best chances for showers and thunderstorms is expected to remain to the south and east of Tucson Thursday into the weekend. By late in the weekend, the flow tries to become more southerly to southeasterly again and this could help expand precipitation chances further west but confidence is low. Temperatures will warm back up to near or slightly above normal levels Friday through the weekend. && .AVIATION...Valid through 27/00Z. SCT-BKN 9k-12k ft AGL. Widely scattered SHRA/TSRA from KOLS/KTUS westward moving NW/W now thru 26/03Z. Expect gusty and erratic winds with any TSRA outflow with possible BLDU reducing visibilities to 1/4-1 mile. SFC winds will generally be E-SE less than 12 kts from 26/03Z thru 26/19Z. Otherwise, sfc winds mainly WLY/NWLY with the exception of locales near the NM border. Aviation discussion not updated for TAF amendments. && .FIRE WEATHER...Expect daily chances for rain showers and thunderstorms through mid week with diminishing chances later in the week into next weekend. Temperatures will be running near to slightly below normal this week. Winds will generally remain less than 15 mph with the afternoon gustiness this week. Min RHs will be 30-40 percent in the low elevations and 40-60 percent in the mountains through Thursday then Min RHs drop to 15-25 percent in the low elevations and 20-35 percent in the mountains through the weekend. && && .TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Blowing Dust Advisory until 7 PM MST this evening for AZZ502-504- 505. Flood Watch until 7 PM MST this evening for AZZ501>505-514-515. Blowing Dust Advisory until 7 PM MST this evening for AZZ501. && Update...Edwards Visit us on Facebook...Twitter...YouTube...and at weather.gov/Tucson
The Phoenix radar (KIWA), 150 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:47 UTC.
6 thunderstorm wind, 2 flash flood, 2 dust storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Pima County Sheriff Dispatch reported a live power line downed requiring a road closure in Ajo, AZ.
Tohono Oodham Nation Dispatch reported water flooding the San Manual Road from mile post 1 to 24.
Video on social media showed dust storm with near zero visibility moving northward towards Santa Rosa, AZ.
Mesonet station gusted to 62 mph and caused no injury, fatality, or damage.
Partial roof blown off home near I-10 and Barnett Rd.
Thunderstorm winds damaged equipment causing power outage to 22 customers for an unknown duration of time.
Thunderstorm winds damaged equipment causing power outage to 8 customers for an unknown duration of time.
Thunderstorm wind damaged power equipment causing a power outage to 1253 customers for an unknown duration of time.
Pinal Airpark AWOS (KMZJ) recorded a visibility of 0.25 miles due to dust storm.
Social media video of cars stuck in flooded waters on frontage road along Interstate-10 north of Red Rock. A nearby rain gauge reported 1.83 inches of rainfall fell in 24 hours.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arizona in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, August 2025
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: 1291725, 1291721, 1291732, 1291730, 1291726, 1291727, 1291728, 1291729, 1291731, 1291724.