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National Weather Service Tucson Arizona storm reviews
HOME > Storm review main page
Review of July 28-29, 2006
Night #3 of Flash flooding and Excessive rainfall

This time period saw a continuation of a persistent pattern with an upper level low nearly stationary across western New Mexico. Numerous weak disturbances circulating around the upper level low continued as the main driver for a 3rd night of convection with excessive rainfall and flash flooding across southeast Arizona. During the afternoon of July 28th some diurnally driven convection developed over Southwest Cochise county and Southeast Santa Cruz county causing over an inch of rainfall per hour in isolated areas. The thunderstorm activity during the evening hours was generally scattered in nature across Southeast Arizona, with the most significant thunderstorms in Central Cochise County. These thunderstorms delivered heavy rainfall to the Wilcox area. Numerous small thunderstorms developed late in the evening before yet another large overnight MCS rolled southward from the Mogollon Rim and gave nearly all of Southeast Arizona an early morning of very heavy rainfall and flash flooding. The 12Z July 29th KTUS sounding which was released during the overnight rainfall had an impressive 1.86" of precipitable water. The rainfall totals from this MCS were astounding as the Tucson Metropolitan Area received anywhere from 1 to over 3 inches of rain, most of which fell in less than a couple of hours. Some rainfall totals over 3 inches included 3.60 inches on Mt. Lemmon and 3.19 inches at Sabino Canyon. This excessive rainfall in a short period combined with a very saturated ground from the previous days rainfall caused widespread flash flooding across Southeast Arizona. Within the Tucson Metro area numerous swift water rescues took place as roads flooded and washes had strong flows through them. The MCS gradually diminished in intensity throughout the morning before dissipating completely midday.

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