The National Weather Service (NWS) office in Flagstaff, Arizona, issued a tornado warning for a portion of Coconino County early Wednesday morning, October 21, 2026. The warning was issued at 5:42 AM MST and expired three minutes later at 5:45 AM MST. The NWS stated that the storm which prompted the warning had weakened below severe limits and no longer appeared capable of producing a tornado, leading to the warning's expiration.

This brief warning occurred as a Pacific weather system approached Arizona, bringing a deep surge of moisture. Severe thunderstorms were possible across the state, with isolated threats of wind gusts over 60 mph and hail over 1 inch in diameter. There was also a chance for a few tornadoes, with the severe threat expected to peak on Wednesday afternoon and evening. The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) placed portions of the area in a Slight to Enhanced risk for severe weather on Wednesday, noting that an isolated tornado or two could not be ruled out. The NWS also forecasted a very slight chance of an isolated tornado in the eastern half of the state.

Widespread showers and thunderstorms were expected throughout Wednesday and Thursday. Eastern Arizona could see 1-3 inches of rainfall. Flood Watches were also in effect for various areas, including the Little Colorado River Valley in Coconino County, issued on October 20 and expiring on October 22. The NWS Flagstaff also issued alerts for Gila County on October 21 regarding a significant threat to property or life. General threats of flooding and flash flooding were anticipated across the region.

Despite the official NWS Flagstaff tornado warning, a weather tracking website, tornadopath.com, reported that the National Weather Service had issued no tornado warnings for Arizona on Wednesday, October 21, 2026. This report was last updated at 8:04 AM on the same day.