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SIERRA VISTA — A low-pressure system that could bring rain today blew into Cochise County and Arizona on Wednesday with wind gusts of more than 50 mph in some places.
The wind’s strength was enough to blow a man off the roof of his Hereford home. It also was enough to blow the roof off a home near Elfrida. And it caused other problems throughout the county.
Gusts of between 43 and 49 mph were measured between 10:55 a.m. and 5:55 p.m. at Libby Army Airfield, according to the National Weather Service. At the Bisbee Douglas International Airport, gusts between 32 and 58 mph were measured between about 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.
More wind is expected today.
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On Wednesday afternoon, the weather service upgraded its wind advisory to a high wind warning. Bill Turner, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Tucson office, said a high wind warning means sustained wind speeds of between 30 to 40 mph and gusts of between 50 and 60 mph were likely.
The wind experienced on Wednesday was of “unusual intensity” for this time of year, Turner added.
A pressure gradient helped create the above-normal winds, Turner said. A pressure gradient is the difference between the high and low pressure systems, and the larger the gap between the two, the stronger the winds will blow. The wind, he said, is nature trying to balance out the pressure difference. Winds above 50 mph can cause structural damage, he said. And high winds can cause blowing dust that impedes visibility for drivers, which can cause dangerous conditions.
Blowing dust prompted New Mexico authorities to close Interstate 10 from Las Cruces, N.M., to the Arizona state line. The conditions apparently contributed to a multi-vehicle pileup.
The crash happened just after 1 p.m. Wednesday and involved at least three cars and three tractor-trailers, New Mexico Department of Transportation spokeswoman Bridget Spedalieri told the Las Cruces Sun-News.
Some minor injuries were reported and those who were hurt were taken to Gerald Champion Hospital in Deming, N.M.
Traffic heading east on Interstate 10 was stopped in Arizona prior to the state line between about 2:45 and 8:45 p.m. due to a crash, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.
Joy Craig, spokeswoman for the Arizona Department of Public Safety, said the wreck was caused by a dust storm. Those problems, as of 6 p.m., hadn’t spilled into Arizona.
But Cochise County was affected by the wind.
A Hereford man was blown from the roof of his house on Calle Metate while he tried to fix shingles that had blown off in the late afternoon, said Carol Capas, spokeswoman for the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office. As of about 7 p.m., the man was taken to the Sierra Vista Regional Health Center for treatment of a possible broken leg, she said.
A roof also blew off a house near mile post 23 of Highway 191 near the unincorporated Elfrida area, Capas said.
A wind-driven brush fire behind the La-Z-Boy furniture store on Highway 92 caused the Sheriff’s Office to be inundated with emergency calls, Capas said.
Sierra Vista fire Capt. David Wilcox said the quarter-acre blaze was brought under control in about a half-hour, and no structures were threatened. Firefighters took extra precautions when putting the fire out due to the wind, and Wilcox advised people to be careful in the dry and windy conditions.
And as the fire was fought, a power outage affected non-essential power at the Sierra Vista Police Department station and dispatch. Other areas were hit with outages, too. Crews from Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative worked on some power outages Wednesday evening as high winds blew lines and broke at least one pole, said Jack Blair, chief member services officer for SSVEC.
High winds caused “blanks” from swaying lines, but no widespread outages were reported as of 6 p.m., he said. Part of an outage in the area near Sierra Vista City Hall was restored, but an underground line was still being worked on in the evening. Crews also worked to fix a broken pole in Hereford, Blair said.
Some unmanned aerial system flight operations on Fort Huachuca were canceled by the high winds on Wednesday, said Tanja Linton, a post spokeswoman. Any time winds exceed 35 knots — or about 40 mph — requires a review of flight operations.
Air traffic to and from the Sierra Vista Municipal Airport was not stopped, but the choice to fly was left to the pilot’s discretion, according to city Public Works Department staff.
Capas said the wind caused several house alarms to go off in unincorporated areas south of Sierra Vista. Bowie Fire Department personnel also worked a brush fire near the railroad tracks west of Bowie, she said.
The strong wind also scattered items from residential yards.
Turner said the wind comes from a low pressure system moving into Arizona from the Pacific Northwest.
That storm could bring rain to the area today and Friday. Turner said most of the storm’s rain should be to the north, including the possibility of snow in the White Mountains.
Highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s are forecast for today and Friday. Winds are expected to be between 20 and 25 mph later today, with some gusts as high as 45 mph expected.
AccuWeather.com forecasted a “dramatic cooling” in the Southwestern United States on Wednesday and today due to the storm system. Fire danger also was high on Wednesday.
In recent weeks, Cochise County has seen a number of red flag warnings, which means that there are strong winds and low humidity levels, creating a high fire danger. That occurred again on Wednesday. Turner said that’s common at this time of the year. “This is our season,” he said.
Strong winds also are common in Cochise County during the spring, Turner said. A fire weather watch also is in effect through this evening in Cochise and Santa Cruz counties, according to the weather service.
Herald/Review Managing Editor Keith Allen can be reached at 515-4610 or by e-mail at keith.allen@svherald.com. Herald/Review reporter Gentry Braswell can be reached at 515-4680 or by e-mail at gentry.braswell@svherald.com. Herald/Review reporters Bill Hess and Laura Ory and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
| Libby Army Airfield on Fort Huachuca | Bisbee Douglas International Airport near Douglas | |||
| Time | Wind speed (mph) | Gusts (mph) | Wind speed (mph) | Gusts (mph |
| 6:55 a.m. | 20 | 28 | 8 | — |
| 7:55 a.m. | 17 | 28 | 16 | — |
| 8:55 a.m. | 31 | 44 | 23 | 32 |
| 9:55 a.m. | 17 | 38 | 17 | 33 |
| 10:55 a.m. | 31 | 43 | 28 | 37 |
| 11:55 a.m. | 24 | 43 | 26 | 39 |
| 12:55 p.m. | 31 | 43 | 29 | 41 |
| 1:55 p.m. | 26 | 45 | 37 | 54 |
| 2:55 p.m. | 18 | 43 | 44 | 58 |
| 3:55 p.m. | 33 | 49 | 43 | 54 |
| 4:55 p.m. | 31 | 45 | 37 | 48 |
| 5:55 p.m. | 26 | 46 | 26 | 40 |
| 6:55 p.m. | 33 | 47 | 25 | 40 |
FYI wrote on May 23, 2008 4:14 PM:
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