An Arizona weather tornado warning was issued for part of Yavapai County on Wednesday morning as severe weather moved across Arizona. People in Flagstaff and Prescott were under a Level 3 out of 5 risk for severe thunderstorms at the same time, with damaging egg-sized hail and tornadoes possible.
The warning came during a day when Arizona had a Tornado Watch for the first time in 16 years, according to the FOX Forecast Center. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch was also in effect, and a Flood Watch covered much of Arizona through Thursday.
Flagstaff and Prescott threat
Parts of Arizona, including Flagstaff and Prescott, were in the higher-risk zone Wednesday. A separate Level 2 severe storm threat covered Phoenix, Glendale, Chandler and Scottsdale, showing how far the storm coverage stretched across the state.
The system moved across the West Coast and tapped into a plume of humid air over Arizona Wednesday afternoon, then intensified Wednesday evening. The FOX Forecast Center said more thunderstorms could develop Thursday as the system shifted east toward the Rockies.
Arizona severe weather rare
The warning stood out because Arizona and other parts of the Southwest generally see most severe weather during monsoon season, which typically runs from mid-June to the end of September. The timing made Wednesday’s setup unusual, with a Tornado Watch appearing in Arizona for the first time in 16 years and a flood threat spreading at the same time.
People in the warned part of Yavapai County had the most immediate concern Wednesday morning, while residents across much of Arizona stayed under a Flood Watch through Thursday. The sharpest threat then shifted east, where a renewed flash flood threat was present in the Four Corners on Thursday and southeastern Colorado faced a small Level 3 out of 4 flash flood threat near the Ferris Fire burn scar.
