High Wind — Little Colorado River Valley in Navajo County, Arizona

2024-05-20 · Little Colorado River Valley in Navajo County, Arizona

Event narrative

The ADOT weather station on Highway 377 at 14 Mile Hill (MM 37) had a peak wind guts of 62 MPH 320 PM. The station at Jackrabbit along I-40 had a peak wind gust of 66 MPH at 243 PM. The winds gusted to or above 58 MPH between 215 and 245 PM. The ADOT wind sensor along I-40 at the Little Colorado River had a peak wind gust of 60 MPH at 153 PM. Wind gusts were around or above 58 MPH between 1230 PM and 200 PM.

Wider weather episode

A closed-low off the southern California Coast moved northeast while a trough moved into the Great Basin. The two systems look to phase together and brought strengthening upper-level jet over Arizona. Gusty southwest winds were common over much of northern Arizona.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1182974. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.