High Wind — Upper San Pedro River Valley, Arizona

2023-02-22 · Upper San Pedro River Valley, Arizona

Event narrative

Several trees were uprooted in Sierra Vista where at least one home sustained moderate roof damage. Winds peeled shingles off a garage near Benson. A peak wind gust of 68 mph was recorded at KALK Pioneer Airfield ASOS at 1006MST and 64 mph at KFHU Libby Field ASOS at 1009MST. Sustained winds between 40 and 45 mph were measured at KALK and KFHU ASOS locations.

Wider weather episode

An anomalously intense low pressure system for February caused very strong winds across southeast Arizona resulting in damage such as roof damage, downed trees, power poles and communication antennas. The Tucson International Airport recorded its strongest February wind gust (51 MPH) in at least the past 50 years. Elsewhere, especially across Cochise, Santa Cruz, Graham and Greenlee Counties, wind gusts in excess of 60 mph were common in valleys with gusts higher than 70 mph at higher elevations. A 92 mph gust was recorded at the Guthrie RAWS. The combination of the strong winds and snow (6 to 12 in the mountains) resulted in blizzard-like conditions at times above 7000 feet.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1084009. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.