A weather system brought strong and high winds across Southeastern Arizona.
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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.
A weather system brought strong and high winds across Southeastern Arizona.
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 Mar 13, 3:05 AM MST, 11 hours 55 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Tucson AZ 305 AM MST Thu Mar 13 2025 .SYNOPSIS... A strong low pressure system is expected to bring strong winds and widespread chances for showers and mountain snow today and tonight. Precipitation chances will spread from west to east from the mid afternoon through the evening. Blowing dust is expected with the winds this afternoon and evening as well. This blowing dust may be dense at times. Well below normal temperatures are expected Friday along with another shot of rain and mountain snow late. && .DISCUSSION... As previously advertised, a deep trough with a potent jet streak is expected to impact the region today into early Friday. NAEFS guidance puts the mid- level height anomalies and jet streak speeds near the edge of its climatological database for this time of year, highlighting the impressive strength of this system for mid March. Strong unidirectional flow from the mid to lower levels will bring strong winds to the surface, while a frontal boundary under strong divergence aloft will produce widespread showers and mountain snow from the middle of this afternoon through tonight. A tightening pressure gradient combined with the increasing winds not far off the surface will produce windy conditions across southeastern Arizona from late this morning into this evening. Southwest winds of 20 to 35 mph with gusts to 55 mph continue to look reasonable, well agreed upon by MOS and high resolution ensemble guidance. Locally greater speeds possible in exposed high terrain areas that tap into strong winds aloft or in areas that see downsloping effects (especially southern Cochise county). Convective showers moving through this evening also may provide a downward momentum transfer mechanism that could produce isolated stronger wind gusts, as forecast soundings are showing 50 kt flow briefly dipping into the convective layer. Confidence isn't high enough in coverage for a high wind headline at this time, but the potential will need to be monitored. Blowing dust will be a threat arriving with these winds, and a Blowing Dust Advisory has been issued across desert location in southeastern Arizona. As previously mentioned, rain showers and accumulating mountain snow is expected with this frontal passage. Timing has waffled a bit from model to model and run to run but generally showers should move in from western to eastern Pima, Pinal, and Santa Cruz from mid to late afternoon and the early evening. Then spreading eastward across the remainder of the state through the evening hours. Snow levels will fall to around 5000 feet through the end of the main band of precipitation, with the heaviest snow accumulating above 7000 feet. A Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect for 5 to 10 inches above 7000 feet, with locally higher amounts possible. Light accumulating snow further down in elevation to around 4000 to 4500 feet can't be ruled out, however this outcome remains uncertain as this will rely on isolated precipitation developing behind the main band. The impressive synoptic support coupled with cold mid-level temperatures should allow for modest instability to develop, potentially adequate for isolated lightning activity within the main band of showers. Brief periods of moderate to heavy rainfall rates may cause some minor road ponding. Overall the liquid precipitation forecast generally ranges from a tenth to a half inch, with locally higher amounts possible (especially atop terrain). Friday will see southeastern Arizona transition to northwest flow aloft as the trough axis departs east. Cool and breezy conditions are expected during the day, then an embedded shortwave arrives late Friday into Saturday to bring rain showers and mountain snow. Northwest flow shortwaves are tricky for models to handle in regards to QPF, but current ensemble probabilities favor snowfall to remain under advisory criteria. Highs on Friday will be well below normal with forecast highs in the 50s across desert locations. Looking into next week, temperatures warm Sunday and Monday under a building ridge, then a trough crosses to the north Tuesday to drop temperatures below normal. As the suite of ensembles is fairly consistent with the trough mainly remaining north, more wind than precipitation should be associated with its crossing. && .AVIATION...Valid through 14/12Z. A potent cold front is expected to cross the region this mid afternoon through late evening. Southwesterly winds ahead of the front will become 15-25 kts with gusts 35-45 kts. Winds will become westerly and diminish gradually behind the front. Blowing dust may diminish visibilities at times this afternoon and evening. Rain showers near and ahead of the front will be moderate to heavy at times. Ceilings initially drop to 3k-5k feet, then a period of MVFR ceilings and potentially visibility is likely with the frontal passage. Rain showers should be mostly exiting the eastern border by 14/06Z, however low ceilings may linger further. Aviation discussion not updated with TAF amendments. && .FIRE WEATHER... A strong system is expected to impact the region today and tonight with a weaker follow-up system Friday night into Saturday. Strong southwest winds of 25-35 mph are expected with gusts up to 55 mph from this afternoon through the evening with less wind on Friday. Widespread chances for rain and mountain snow will cross from west to east from this afternoon through the overnight hours with scattered showers Friday night into Saturday. Minimum relative humidities will generally be above 30 percent, though down to 20-25 percent in far eastern desert locations this afternoon. Below average temperatures and high minimum relative humidities remain in place through Saturday with breezy conditions. Becoming warmer and drier Sunday and Monday. && .TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Blowing Dust Advisory from 11 AM this morning to 11 PM MST this evening for AZZ503-504-506>509. Wind Advisory from 11 AM this morning to 11 PM MST this evening for AZZ503-504-506>509-511>515. Winter Weather Advisory from 2 PM this afternoon to 5 AM MST Friday for AZZ510-514. Blowing Dust Advisory from 11 AM this morning to 8 PM MST this evening for AZZ501-502-505. Wind Advisory from 11 AM this morning to 8 PM MST this evening for AZZ501-502-505. && Public...Edwards Aviation...Edwards Fire Weather....Edwards Visit us on Facebook...Twitter...YouTube...and at weather.gov/Tucson
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Mesonet CW4232 Patagonia measured a maximum non thunderstorm wind gust of 58 mph.
Guthrie RAWS reported a max non thunderstorm wind gust of 74 mph.
Mesonet GW3161 reported a max non thunderstorm wind gust of 75 mph.
ADOT sensor reported a max non thunderstorm wind gust of 59 mph.
ASOS KALK reported a max non thunderstorm wind gust of 61 mph.
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, March 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: 1246950, 1246953, 1246954, 1246956, 1246955.