FLAGSTAFF — The string of tornado warnings that woke northern Arizona residents Wednesday was the most widespread the state has seen since October 2010, the National Weather Service told KNAU.
“There’s been an occasional tornado in the state before, but as far as widespread warnings on tornado warnings, yes, this is probably the biggest one since the 2010 event,” NWS meteorologist Ryan Bernhart said. In 2010, several tornadoes struck in one day, including one in Bellemont that damaged homes.
Bernhart said there were reports of downed trees in the Wing Mountain area that could point to a tornado, but none had been confirmed as of midday Wednesday.
Arizona’s monsoon storms usually lack what’s needed to spin up tornadoes. This time, he said, a Pacific low-pressure system interacting with subtropical moisture is supplying the wind shear that can produce supercells.
The system isn’t expected to clear out until Thursday evening, with the threat shifting from Flagstaff eastward. Anyone under a tornado or severe thunderstorm warning should take shelter on the lowest floor, away from windows.
Sources: KNAU. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: NWSPhoenix / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
