The string of very hot days continues (Friday TUS hit 108F, and yesterday 105F). Strong gradient of low-level moisture continues across southern Arizona - driest along New Mexico border and wettest along the Colorado River. There was a bit of an increase over eastern Pima County yesterday that led to isolated thunderstorms during the early afternoon - TUS had a thunderstorm with gusts to 46 mph and 0.10" of rain. We were away, so I don't know exactly what happened at house - but rain gauge was dry when I checked. Across the ALERT network a bit over 20% of the sites had rainfall - amounts were light with only 4 stations reporting just over a quarter of an inch. The above photo was taken looking west from the Santa Rita Abbey at about 1:30 pm - a light thundershower was veiling the Santa Rita Mountains at that time - lightning, thunder and spits of rain at the Abbey.
This morning's Tucson sounding (skewT above from SPC) shows a very deep, residual boundary layer that reaches almost to 500 mb. Some potential for a bit of CAPE this afternoon, especially if more moist air sloshes in from the northwest. The sounding, by afternoon, will be favorable for dry microbursts, if elevated convection produces some precipitation into the super-heated boundary layer.
The CIRA experimental, blended PW product (above at 13 UTC this morning) depicts the east-to-west moisture gradient across southern Arizona. Green shades are >25 mm and yellow shades are <50 1330="1330" 70="70" able="able" air="air" an="an" at="at" baja="baja" be="be" because="because" below="below" certainly="certainly" convection="convection" deep="deep" during="during" east="east" extends="extends" extremely="extremely" eye="eye" finally="finally" goc="goc" hector.="hector." hector="hector" high="high" image="image" interesting="interesting" is="is" keep="keep" low-level="low-level" may="may" mm.="mm." mm="mm" morning="morning" most="most" mouth="mouth" mt="mt" northward="northward" note="note" of="of" on.="on." p="p" perhaps="perhaps" purple="purple" push="push" shades="shades" something="something" southern="southern" southwest="southwest" storm="storm" that="that" the="the" this="this" tip="tip" to="to" tropical="tropical" up="up" utc="utc" week.="week." well="well" white="white">
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