An inside slider system will graze the state of Arizona to the north, generating 30 mph+ wind gusts across the entire state today.
A system sliding to the north (hence inside slider name) will bring sinking air through the state today. This air, sinking out of the west, will be the reason for the strong wind gusts. Level 6 or higher winds will be expected for the Flagstaff zones. If you are traveling along Highway 89 north of Flagstaff in a high-profile vehicle, you should choose another route as this would be a level 7 up there, or a guarantee the crosswind will tip you over.
Most of the Mogollon Rim zones will have level 5 or higher. Phoenix will sit below level 3, however you will have wind gusts over 30+ mph through all of the Maricopa County regions today. Tucson will chime in at between level 3 and 4.
This is the same system that will cause a tornado outbreak in Tornado Alley on Monday. Every time a system generates these winds in the Desert Southwest during the spring months, you can guarantee someone in Tornado Alley is going to get tornadoes.
LONG RANGE: Not much to talk about, I will be generating the monsoon season forecast shortly.
Here are the zoom-in maps for the wind event today.
WIND
Raiden Storm Wind Gust Intensity Scale –
8. Extensive widespread damage.
7. Trees are broken or uprooted, building damage is considerable. – High Profile Vehicle Roll-Over CERTAIN.
6. SOME Trees are broken or uprooted, building damage is possible. – High Profile Vehicle Roll-Over Likely, Do NOT recommend Traveling in this zone. This zone also is the starting zone where trees and powerlines will fall and damage cars and even kill people near or in them!
5. Slight damage occurs to buildings; shingles are blown off of roofs. HIGH WIND WARNING CRITERIA – High Profile Vehicle Roll-Over Possible if weight is not corrected.
4. Twigs and small branches are broken from trees, walking is difficult.
3. Large trees sway, becoming difficult to walk. POWER SHUTDOWN THRESHOLD DURING FIRE WEATHER / WIND ADVISORY CRITERIA
– Raiden Storm –
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Master General Meteorologist – is the Owner and CEO of AZWF, a consulting meteorologist with over 26 years’ experience for over 50 companies, including energy, agriculture, aviation, marine, leisure, and many more areas. He has certs from Mississippi State for broadcast met and Penn State forecasting certs MET 101, 241, 341 and 361 as a meteorologist, but before then was completely self-taught, barely learning a thing from the schools that he did not already know.
NOTE: Alerts are posted on here, be it a tornado watch, etc, and these alerts are issued from this office and nowhere else. At times, which is often, you will see an alert forecast posted on here that you do not see elsewhere.