November 9, 2008 Storm Statistics

Readings From Weather Bus.com:

First Rain Time: Novmeber 9, 2008 at 3:30pm
Last Rain Time: Novmeber 9, 2008 at 4:15pm
Storm Total: Trace
Peak Wind Gust: W @ 28mph @ 4:40pm
Total Lightning: 15,654

Comments:

A trough of low pressure moved into the region during the afternoon/evening hours on November 9th, which brought very strong upper level dynamics into the area, which included strong winds aloft (vertical shear), strong divergence aloft (good uplift), rather cold air aloft (lowers freezing temperature to help produce hail and allows for additional instability). Coupled with this trough of low pressure was a cold front, which moved through the area during the afternoon hours, which provided even more uplift. All of this, combined with added moisture, resulted in a number of strong to severe thunderstorms to develop across the valley. Some of these storms, produce small to large hail which accumulated in some location, as can be seen in the photo to the right.

The only potential issue with getting thunderstorms to form was moisture, but this was overcome by a thin band of low level moisture which moved into the area from the south just ahead and along the front. The moisture increase could be seen by looking at the dew point data/graph for the day. The dew point went from 15°F at noon to nearly 47°F by 4:15pm. After the front passed the dew point dropped back down into the 20's and 30's. This added low level moisture ahead/along the front was enough to allow strong to severe thunderstorms to rapidly develop, producing moderate to heavy rainfall, accumulating hail, strong winds and lightning.

Thunderstorms first developed across portions of the west valley, with hail estimated to be 0.88in in diameter reported in Glendale and hail estimated to be 0.75in in Peoria, around 2:40pm. As the front continued to move across the valley, additional thunderstorms developed across portions of the southeast valley, which then moved into the Gold Canyon area by 3:30pm. The storms which moved through (mainly eastern portions of Gold Canyon) brought heavy rainfall, hail (see photo above), wind and lightning. Examining the radar data, the two main cells that impacted the area moved almost directly down or just to the west of Peralta Trail (see radar loops below zoomed into Gold Canyon).

Base Ref. Loop 3:22 - 3:45pm Click Image To Enlarge	Hail Chance Loop 3:22 - 3:45pm Click Image To Enlarge	Base Ref. Loop 3:49 - 4:08pm Click Image To Enlarge>	Hail Chance Loop 3:49 - 4:08pm Click Image To Enlarge

Our locations only received a trace amount of rainfall, however reports of much heavier rainfall were received, which include:
Location: NW Gold Canyon
Report Time: 10th of November 2008 12:11 PM EST
Reporter: Al R.
Rain Total: 0.11in.

Location: Peralta Trails
Report Time: 9th of November 2008 06:35 PM EST
Reporter: Barbara Walker
Rain Total: 0.65in.
Comments: Heavy rain--we missed it. Came home with pea-sized hail all over. The rain gauge was tilted, so it may have been more than measured.

(The above rain totals were reported to us by the public. The accuracy of these reports is unknown.)

Below are the storm reports received by the National Weather Service in Phoenix:

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ


..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0240 PM     HAIL             GLENDALE                33.58N 112.20W
11/09/2008  E0.88 INCH       MARICOPA           AZ   TRAINED SPOTTER

            NEAR THE LOOP 101 AND UNION HILLS.


0242 PM     HAIL             PEORIA                  33.69N 112.24W
11/09/2008  E0.75 INCH       MARICOPA           AZ   TRAINED SPOTTER

            NEAR 89TH AVE AND GREENWAY.


0339 PM     HAIL             CHANDLER                33.29N 111.87W
11/09/2008  E0.25 INCH       MARICOPA           AZ   NWS EMPLOYEE

            SOUTH CHANDLER.


0400 PM     TSTM WND DMG     ARIZONA CITY            32.75N 111.67W
11/09/2008                   PINAL              AZ   CO-OP OBSERVER

            SEVERAL LARGE CACTUS PLANTS, 20-30FT TALL PRICKLY PEAR,
            BLOWN DOWN.


0449 PM     HAIL             ARIZONA CITY            32.75N 111.67W
11/09/2008  E0.25 INCH       PINAL              AZ   TRAINED SPOTTER


0500 PM     HAIL             ARIZONA CITY            32.75N 111.67W
11/09/2008  E0.75 INCH       PINAL              AZ   CO-OP OBSERVER

Rainfall Totals Released From The NWS:

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ 1200 AM MST MON NOV 10 2008 ...24 HOUR PRECIPITATION FOR THE PHOENIX METRO AREA ENDING AT 12 MIDNIGHT... NOTE...IF IT RAINED AT A LOCATION...THE AMOUNT WILL BE SHOWN ONLY IF IT IS AT LEAST 0.04...4 HUNDREDTHS OF AN INCH. ANY RAIN AMOUNT LESS THAN 0.04 IS NOT REGISTERED AND IS SHOWN AS 0.00 6 HR PRECIPITATION (INCHES) OLDEST >>>>>>>>>>> NEWEST ID STATION NAME MDNT 6 AM NOON 6 PM 24 HR -6 AM -NOON -6 PM -MDNT TOTAL AHWATUKEE MAHA3 AHWATUKEE 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 APACHE JUNCTION PMDA3 USERY MOUNTAIN PARK 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 KNGA3 KINGS RANCH 0.00 0.00 0.04 0.00 0.04 AVONDALE AVOA3 AGUA FRIA @ BUCKEYE 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 BUCKEYE MBUA3 BUCKEYE FRS #2 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 CAREFREE ZCAA3 FRAESFIELD MOUNTAIN 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 CRFA3 CAREFREE RANCH 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 CAVECREEK HMBA3 HUMBOLDT MOUNTAIN 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 CBTA3 CAVE BUTTES DAM 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 CHANDLER ZCHA3 EMF @ ARIZONA AVE 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 GILBERT ZGIA3 MESA TOWER 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 ZCPA3 CROSSROADS PARK 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 GLENDALE MGLA3 CITY OF GLENDALE 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 MMDA3 MARYLAND @ 27TH AVE 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 MSXA3 ACDC @ 67TH AVE 0.00 0.00 0.04 0.00 0.04 GOODYEAR ZGYA3 TUTHILL @ RAY RD 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 GUADALUPE ZGAA3 GUADALUPE FRS 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 MESA MBDA3 BROADWAY @ DOBSON M M M M M ZBLA3 BROADWAY @ LINDSAY M M M M M MBHA3 BROWN RD. @ HORNE M 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 MEEA3 KLEINMAN PARK 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 FALA3 THUNDER MOUNTAIN 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 MLAA3 MOUNTAIN VIEW PARK 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 WMSA3 QUEEN CREEK RD 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 ZUPA3 USERY PARK WS 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 NEW RIVER NEWA3 SUNUP RANCH 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 PARADISE VALLEY MCLA3 CAVE CREEK LANDFILL 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 MCCA3 E FORK CC #1 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 MLDA3 LOST DOG WASH 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 MRPA3 REATA PASS DAMSITE 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 PEORIA NRDA3 NEW RIVER DAM M M M M M MBLA3 NEW RIVER @ BELL RD 0.00 0.00 0.16 0.00 0.16 PHOENIX MBTA3 CESAR CHAVEZ PARK 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 MMIA3 MISSOURI @ 16TH ST 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 MOXA3 OLD XCUT @ MCDOWELL 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 MPAA3 PAPAGO PARK 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 MPPA3 PERRY PARK 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 ADBA3 ADOBE DAM 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.12 0.12 MPHA3 SKUNK CREEK @ I-17 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 MPMA3 JEFFERSON @ 4TH AVE 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 MROA3 ROESER @ 2ND ST 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 SOMA3 SOUTH MOUNTAIN 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 ZSFA3 SOUTH MOUNTAIN FAN 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 MTHA3 THOMAS & 16TH ST 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 MTQA3 THOMAS @ 48TH ST 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 QUEEN CREEK ZQRA3 QUEEN CR @ RITTENHO 0.00 0.00 0.24 0.04 0.28 ZQCA3 QUEEN CREEK LANDFIL 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 QNCA3 EMF @ QUEEN CREEK R 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 SCOTTSDALE SDLA3 INDIAN BEND WASH @ 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 ZMDA3 MCDOWELL MOUNTAIN P 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 MPJA3 PIMA @ JOMAX M 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 SUN CITY MSWA3 SUN CITY WEST 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 SURPRISE MDYA3 DYSART @ BELL RD 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 MCFA3 MCMICKEN FLOODWAY 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 TEMPE MSPA3 SALT RIVER @ PRIEST 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 MTEA3 ASU SOUTH 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00