Alert archive / California / Flash Flood Warnings in 1990

Flash Flood Warning 4, NWS Hanford, CA

September 22, 1990Fresno County, Kings County, California

NWS Hanford, CA issued this flash flood warning at Sep 22, 1990, 8:10 PM PDT for Fresno County, Kings County, California. It was in force for 80 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Sep 22, 1990, 8:10 PM PDT (03:10 UTC)
Expired
Sep 22, 1990, 9:30 PM PDT
In force
80 min
Issued by
NWS Hanford, CA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Fresno County, CA, Kings County, CA

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

Vandenberg AFB, CA (KVBG), launched 00:00Z, 3.2 hours before the alert went out and 200 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, Vandenberg AFB, CA at 00:00Z on 1990-09-23Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 854 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Vandenberg AFB, CA at 00:00Z on 1990-09-23The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 98 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
854 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-11 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
685 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
22 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
98 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
213 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.4
Supercell composite
2.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KFAT 230318 COR
FFWFAT
CAC019-031-230515-

BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING      .....CORRECTION...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FRESNO CALIFORNIA
810 PM PDT SAT SEP 22 1990

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FRESNO CALIFORNHAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1015 PM PDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION....S...

IN  CALIFORNIA

   ...WESTERN FRESNO COUNTY...WESTERN KINGS COUNTY

FLOODING HAS BEEN REPORTED ON HIGHWAY 41 IN WESTERN KINGS COUNTY.
THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING NORTHWARD ALONG THE WEST SIDE OF THE VALLEY
AND OVER THE DIABLO RANGE. LOCAL HEAVY RAINS ARE CAUSING LOCAL
FLOODING AND ALSO RUNOFF FROM THE MOUNTAINS MAY CAUSE SOME FLOODING.
BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT jWHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE
THE DANGERS OF FLOODS AND FLASH FLOODS.  IF FLASH FLOODING IS
OBSERVED...ACT QUICKLY.  MOVE UP TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS.  DO
NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING.

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, Sep 22, 2:19 PM PDT, 5 hours 51 minutes before
CAZ005-010-013-019-230300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BAKERSFIELD CA
2.15 PM PDT SAT SEP 22 1990

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 9 PM THIS EVENING FOR THE TEMBLER RANGE
WHICH INCLUDES THE EXTREME WESTERN PORTION OF KERN COUNTY...

BECAUSE OF THE THREAT OF THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THE WESTERN EDGE OF
KERN COUNTY AND THE WET GROUND FROM THE HEAVY THUNDERSTORM OF LAST
NIGHT A FLASH FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE TEMBLER RANGE WHICH
INCLUDES THE WESTERN EDGE OF KERN COUNTY UNTIL 9 PM.

MEANWHILE THUNDERSTORMS ARE BEGINNING TO DEVELOP IN THE LAKE ISABELLA
AREA. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER THE KERN COUNTY
MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS AND INTO THE SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY.

IF YOU ARE TRAVELING YOU SHOULD WATCH FOR HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS IN ALL
AREAS AND FOR ANY THUNDERSTORM OR SHOWER AT ALL ON THE WATER SOAKED
WESTERN EDGE OF KERN COUNTY AND TAKE ALL NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS.

FURTHER STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED IF NEEDED.
 WELLIVER
Special weather statement, Sep 22, 3:40 PM PDT, 4 hours 30 minutes before
CAZ005-010-230400-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FRESNO CA
3 35 PM PDT SAT SEP 22 1990

...THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING THROUGH THE CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN
   VALLEY AND THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA THIS AFTERNOON...

AN UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WEST OF SAN DIEGO CONTINUES
TO PRODUCE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY OVER CENTRAL CALIFORNIA THIS
AFTERNOON AND INTO TONIGHT.

PERSONS PLANNING TO TRAVEL IN CENTRAL CALIFORNIA SHOULD BE
ALERT xFOR AREAS OF THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WHICH COULD PRODUCE
BRIEF LOCALLY HEAVY SHOWERS...STRONG WIND...SMALL HAIL...AND
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

FURTHER STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED AS CONDITIONS WARRANT.

VELOZ
Special weather statement, Sep 22, 4:06 PM PDT, 4 hours 4 minutes before
CAZ005-010-013-230300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BAKERSFIELD CA
4.05 PM PDT SAT SEP 22 1990

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 9 PM THIS EVENING FOR THE TEMBLER RANGE
WHICH INCLUDES THE EXTREME WESTERN PORTION OF KERN COUNTY...

BECAUSE OF THE THREAT OF THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THE WESTERN EDGE OF
KERN COUNTY AND THE WET GROUND FROM THE HEAVY THUNDERSTORM OF LAST
NIGHT A FLASH FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE TEMBLER RANGE WHICH
INCLUDES THE WESTERN EDGE OF KERN COUNTY UNTIL 9 PM.

A THUNDERSTORM IS OCCURRING IN BAKERSFIELD AT THE PRESENT TIME. THERE
MAY BE GUSTY WINDS WHILE THIS THUNDERSTORM IS IN PROGRESS. ALL PERSONS
SHOULD WATCH FOR THESE GUSTY WINDS OR LIGHTNING.

IF YOU ARE TRAVELING YOU SHOULD WATCH FOR HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS IN ALL
AREAS AND FOR ANY THUNDERSTORM OR SHOWER AT ALL ON THE WATER SOAKED
WESTERN EDGE OF KERN COUNTY AND TAKE ALL NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS.

FURTHER STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED IF NEEDED.
 WELLIVER
Special weather statement, Sep 22, 6:26 PM PDT, 1 hour 44 minutes before
CAZ005-010-013-230400-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BAKERSFIELD CA
6.20 PM PDT SAT SEP 22 1990

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 9 PM THIS EVENING FOR THE TEMBLER RANGE
WHICH INCLUDES THE EXTREME WESTERN PORTION OF KERN COUNTY...

BECAUSE OF THE THREAT OF THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THE WESTERN EDGE OF
KERN COUNTY AND THE WET GROUND FROM THE HEAVY THUNDERSTORM OF LAST
NIGHT A FLASH FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE TEMBLER RANGE WHICH
INCLUDES THE WESTERN EDGE OF KERN COUNTY UNTIL 9 PM.

A THUNDERSTORM BROUGHT HEAVY RAIN AND HAIL TO FELLOWS IN THE PAST HOUR
BUT THERE WAS NO REPORT OF FLOODING. THE SAME THUNDERSTORM IS GOING
THROUGH LOST HILLS BUT ONLY LIGHT RAIN WAS REPORTED THERE. A
THUNDERSTORM WAS DEVELOPING NEAR PINE MOUNTAIN.

IF YOU ARE TRAVELING YOU SHOULD WATCH FOR HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS IN BOTH
THE MOUNTAINS AND SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND TAKE ANY PRECAUTION
NECESSARY IN CASE OF FLOODING.

FURTHER STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED IF NEEDED.
 WELLIVER
Special weather statement, Sep 22, 7:24 PM PDT, 46 minutes before
CAZ005-010-230400-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FRESNO CA
7 20 PM PDT SAT SEP 22 1990

...THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING THROUGH THE CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN
   VALLEY AND THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA...

AN UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WEST OF SAN DIEGO CONTINUES
TO PRODUCE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY OVER CENTRAL CALIFORNIA THIS
AFTERNOON AND INTO TONIGHT.   THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN REPORTED
AT COALINGA AND IN THE LOS BANOS AREA.  THESE AND OTHER STORMS
WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE TO THE NORTHWEST.

PERSONS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR AREAS OF THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WHICH
COULD PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY SHOWERS...STRONG WIND...SMALL HAIL...
AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

FURTHER STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED AS CONDITIONS WARRANT.
HAMMER
Special weather statement, Sep 22, 7:45 PM PDT, 25 minutes before
CAZ005-010-230400-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FRESNO CA
7 20 PM PDT SAT SEP 22 1990

...THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING THROUGH THE CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN
   VALLEY AND THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA  THESE STORMS ARE CAUSING
   LOCAL AREAS OF HEAVY RAIN ESPECIALLY IN WESTERN KINGS AND FRESNO
   COUNTIES.

AN UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WEST OF SAN DIEGO CONTINUES
TO PRODUCE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY OVER CENTRAL CALIFORNIA. HIGHWAY
166 IS CLOSED AND HIGHWAY 58 IS CLOSED IN CALIFORNA VALLEY.  WATER IS
FLOWING ACROSS HIGHWAY 46 AND 41 NEAR CHOLAME.  AS THE STORMS MOVE
NORTHWARD RUNOFF FROM THE EAST SLOPES OF THE DIABLO RANGE COULD CAUSE
SOME LOCAL FLOODING.

PERSONS SHOULD BE AL,ERT FOR AREAS OF THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WHICH
COULD PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY SHOWERS WITH POSSIBLE LOCAL FLOODING
...STRONG WIND...SMALL HAIL...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in California, 1990Every flash flood warning in 1990

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.