Tornado warnings for Flagstaff and surrounding communities expire

The National Weather Service issued several tornado warnings Wednesday morning as potent storms developed across Arizona.

A warning for Flagstaff, Fort Valley, Mt. Elden, University Heights, Rogers Lake and A1 Mountain in Coconino County expired at 9:45 a.m.

A second warning in the area with the same expiration time added Doney Park, Sunset Crater National Monument, Timberline, East Flagstaff and Wupatki Trails.

The warnings indicated that quarter-size hail was possible and urged residents to take cover.

Earlier tornado warnings for areas south of Flagstaff, including Prescott, Prescott Valley, Clarkdale and Jerome, expired without any sightings.

Is there a chance for tornadoes in the Phoenix area?

The probability of twisters forming in the Phoenix area Wednesday is less than 5%, but the chance of the potentially destructive funnel clouds is greater in higher terrains.

“We need what we call the low-level [wind] shear to be strong enough and also the directional turning of the winds with height. And so, that’s likely what we’re going to be experiencing here. So, that’s why there’s a higher-than-normal risk of potentially some isolated tornadoes,” meteorologist Gabriel Lojero of the weather service in Phoenix told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Wednesday morning.

Arizona sees an average of four to six tornadoes per year, according to the Arizona State Climate Office, typically in the EF0 to EF2 range of the Enhanced Fujita Scale.

While tornadoes are not out of the question, the Phoenix area is more likely to see thunderstorms with strong winds and hail Wednesday and Thursday.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Colton Krolak contributed to this report.

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