Items of Interest

Monsoon Tracker
The National Weather Service has developed a new Web page full of information on the Monsoon. Real-time data, background information, and stats on previous Monsoon seasons can all be found here.

Local Weather & Research Forecast Model
NWS Phoenix runs a local, high resolution version of the Weather & Research Forecast (WRF) model. The local WRF is based on the Global Forecast System (GFS) model, with nested domains of 12km and 4km. It is run twice per day out to a maximum of 84 hours. NWS Phoenix meteorologists use this high resolution model in creating aviation forecasts and determining thunderstorm potential during the monsoon.

Heat Safety
Did you know heat is the number one weather-related killer in the United States? Learn about what types of heat-related products the NWS Phoenix office issues, basic heat safety, statistics on heat-related deaths, and statistics on just how hot the Sonora Desertis.

Weather Center
Access numerous different products the NWS issues both locally and nationally in one place.

Product Guide
NWS Phoenix issues a wide variety of products containing a great deal of weather information. This guide will help you identify what products are available and also give you quite a bit of information on what exactly the NWS is and how it operates.

Severe Weather
During the monsoon, Arizona experiences more severe weather than any other state! The most common occurrences are Severe Thunderstorms, or Flash Floods. On rare occasion, a severe storm may spawn a tornado. To learn much more about the various forms of severe weather, and how to protect yourself from them, click the above link.

Did You Know?
This section could be labeled "Meteorological or NWS Trivia"; you will find information on a number of topics including NWS forecast terminology and weather and climate statistics or records.

Arizona's Weather History
Check out some of the unique and interesting weather events of the past that have comprised the weather history of Arizona and the Phoenix Metro area. Some of the cases include a look at tornadic supercells near Prescott, as well as the damaging macroburst of 1996 that brought 115 mph winds to the valley.

Weather Safety Information
Tips, instructions and guidelines for surviving many common southern Arizona weather hazards, such as thunderstorms, flash floods, tornadoes and heat waves.

The Arizona COOP Observing Program
For those of you who are interested in becoming a COOP Observer, or just interesting in learning a bit more about this important program, this section was meant for you! Among other things, you will find links to the National COOP web site as well as to our COOP program manager.

Disclaimer/Copyright
Important legal information about accessing NWS products on the Internet. Also, copyright information about NWS forecasts, warnings, and other products.

EMWIN
Information about the Emergency Manager's Weather Information Network.

FAQ
A list of frequently asked questions and their answers.

Glossary
A handy glossary of weather terms.

NOAA Weather Radio
The voice of the National Weather Service on the airwaves. Find out how (and where) to tune into our broadcasts.

NWS Mission Statement
The official definition of the NWS Mission Statement can be found here, as well as information about who the NWS is, and the duties the National Weather Service performs.

SAME Codes
A listing of SAME (Specific Area Message Encoding) codes for Arizona & southeast California. SAME codes can be used in specially equipped NOAA Weather Radio receivers to alert you to watches and warnings for specific geographic areas.

SKYWARN^TM Storm Spotter Program
Information about the Arizona storm spotter network, including spotter criteria and the radio nets. In addition, you can find out when and where the next spotter training sessions will be held!

Zone Map
View a map of Arizona & southeast California zone boundaries.