Alert archive / Nevada / Flash Flood Warnings in 1986

Flash Flood Warning 4, NWS Reno, NV

February 18, 19864 counties in Nevada

NWS Reno, NV issued this flash flood warning at Feb 18, 1986, 2:00 AM PST for 4 counties in Nevada. It was in force for 7 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Feb 18, 1986, 2:00 AM PST (10:00 UTC)
Expired
Feb 18, 1986, 9:00 AM PST
In force
7 hr
Issued by
NWS Reno, NV
Area
Whole counties

Counties Douglas County, NV, Lyon County, NV, Storey County, NV, Washoe County, NV

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

The nearest sounding before it

Winnemucca Muni, NV (KWMC), launched 00:00Z, 10.0 hours before the alert went out and 211 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Winnemucca Muni, NV at 00:00Z on 1986-02-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Winnemucca Muni, NV at 00:00Z on 1986-02-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 255 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
1 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1176 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
63 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
255 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
510 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KRNO 181009
FFWRNO
NVC510-005-029-031-019-181700-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
2 AM PST TUE FEB 18 1986

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS EXTENDED THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 9 AM PST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES OF

WESTERN NEVADA...CARSON CITY...DOUGLAS...STOREY...SOUTHERN WASHOE...
AND LYON

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IS IMMINENT.
PERSONS NEAR SMALL STREAMS AND AND OTHER DRAINAGES SHOULD MOVE TO
HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY. MOTORISTS SHOULD BE PARTICULARLY CAUTIOUS
AND NOT ATTEMPT CROSSING ROADWAYS COVERED WITH FAST MOVING WATER OR
WATER OF AN UNKNOWN DEPTH.

THE HEAVY RAIN CONTINUED THROUGH THE EVENING AND THE LATEST SATELLITE
PICTURES INDICATE THAT MOISTURE IS CONTINUING TO STREAM IN FROM THE
WEST. HEAVY RAIN IS LIKELY TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS.
THIS IS A SERIOUS SITUATION.  ALL CREEKS AND STREAMS FROM MINDEN TO
RENO WI)LL PRODUCE LOCAL FLOODING. THIS FLOODING INCLUDES THE LAKE
TAHOE AREA.

FURTHER STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED AS CONDITONS CHANGE.

EKERN

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Feb 17, 9:07 PM PST, 4 hours 53 minutes before
^RNOSPSRNO

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
915 PM PST MON FEB 17 1986

...A HIGH WIND WARNING HAS BEEN EXTENDED FOR MINERAL AND ESMERALDA
COUNTIES AND EXTENDED INTO DOUGLAS UNTIL 3 AM THIS MORNING...

A VERY STRONG PACIFIC STORM OFF THE WEST COAST HAS BROUGHT STRONG AND
GUSTY WINDS TO MOST OF WESTERN NEVADA. THE STRONGEST WINDS HOWEVER ARE
OCCURRING OVER THE COUNTIES OF ESMERALDA AND MINERAL WHERE SPEEDS
BETWEEN 80 AND 100 MPH HAVE BEEN REPORTED BY THE SHERIFF OFFICE OUT OF
HATHORNE.  A LATE REPORT THROUGH THE PASS SOUTH OF MINDEN REPORTED WINDS
IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH.

THESE HIGH WINDS HAVE ALSO PROMPTED SOME ROAD CLOSURES..ESPECIALLY
AROUND THE HATHORNE AREA WHER0E NUMEROUS TRAVEL TRAILERS AND SEMI TRUCKS
HAVE BEEN OVERTURNED.

PERSONS IN THE AFFECTED AREAS SHOULD TAKE ANY NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS.

FURTHER STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED AS CONDITIONS CHANGE.
FISCHER/0504Z
Special weather statement, Feb 17, 10:50 PM PST, 3 hours 10 minutes before
^RNOSPSRNO

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
1045 PM PST MON FEB 17 1986

...A HIGH WIND WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR MAINLY THE FOOTHILL AREAS
   OF CARSON CITY-ORMSBY...DOUGLAS...STOREY...WASHOE COUNTIES

A VERY STRONG PACIFIC STORM OFF THE WEST COAST HAS BROUGHT STRONG AND
GUSTY WINDS TO MOST OF WESTERN NEVADA. GUSTS TO 77 MPH HAVE OCCURRED
IN THE STEAD AREA NORTH OF RENO WITH IN THE PAST HOUR. ADDITIONAL
STRONG WINDS H	AVE BEEN REPORTED IN VERDI AND SOUTH OF MINDEN.

GUSTY SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 40 TO 60 MPH WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS
TO 75 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED UNTIL 3AM TUESDAY MORNING...MAINLY IN THE
FOOTHILL AREAS.

DOUG ARMSTRONG/0645Z

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Nevada, 1986Every flash flood warning in 1986

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.