Alert archive / California / Flash Flood Warnings in 1990

Flash Flood Warning 8, NWS Las Vegas, NV

July 14, 1990Inyo County, California

NWS Las Vegas, NV issued this flash flood warning at Jul 14, 1990, 10:02 PM PDT for Inyo County, California. It was in force for 118 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 14, 1990, 10:02 PM PDT (05:02 UTC)
Expired
Jul 15, 1990, 12:00 AM PDT
In force
118 min
Issued by
NWS Las Vegas, NV
Area
Whole counties

County Inyo 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

Mercury/Desert R, NV (KDRA), launched 00:00Z, 5.0 hours before the alert went out and 127 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, Mercury/Desert R, NV at 00:00Z on 1990-07-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 20 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, Mercury/Desert R, NV at 00:00Z on 1990-07-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 5 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
20 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-368 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2607 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
17 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
5 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
69 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 KLAX 150504
FFWLAX
CAC027-071-150700-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES CA
1002 PM PDT SAT JUL 14 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LOS ANGELES HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND FLASH FLOOD WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL MIDNIGHT PDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...S...
 
IN EAST CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
 
   ...SOUTHEASTERN INYO COUNTY
 
IN SOUTH CALIFORNIA
 
   ...NORTHEASTERN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
 
RADAR AND SATELLITE INDICATE A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER SHOSHONE
MOVING SOUTHEAST TOWARDS MOUNTAIN PASS. THIS STORM WILL LIKELY
AFFECT INTERSTATE 15 NEAR MOUNTAIN PASS WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR.
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM.  IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH YOU SHOULD
PREPARE FOR DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH AND DEADLY
LIGHTNING.  PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER...
PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.
 
THIS STORM WILL ALSO PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN WITH POSSIBLE FLASH FLOODING.
DON'T DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

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, Jul 14, 4:34 PM PDT, 5 hours 28 minutes before
NVZ008-009-150300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
430 PM PDT SAT JUL 14 1990

...THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS CONTINUE OVER MOST AREAS IN SOUTHERN
   NEVADA...

RADAR AND LIGHTNING DETECTION EQUIPMENT SHOWED SHOWERS AND THUNDER-
STORMS OVER MOST OF SOUTHERN NEVADA WITH THE MOST ACTIVE THUNDERSTORMS
IN SOUTHWESTERN LINCOLN COUNTY.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE INTO TONIGHT. THE AIRMASS
IS VERY MOIST. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN..STRONG
GUSTY WINDS TO 40 MILES AN HOUR..DEADLY LIGHTNING AND HAIL.

LOCAL FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS AND NORMALLY DRY WASHES IS POSSIBLE.
REMEMBER..NEVER ATTEMPT TO CROSS FLOODED ROADS ON FOOT OR IN YOUR CAR.

GUSTY WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH THUNDERSTORMS WILL CAUSE LOCAL AREAS OF

IF LIGHTNING IS NEARBY TAKE SHELTER INDOORS OR IN YOUR CAR.  NEVER SEEK
SHELTER FROM LIGHTNING UNDER A TREE.

PERSONS ENGAGED IN OUTDOOR ACTIVITES IN SOUTHERN NEVyADA ARE URRGED TO
USE CAUTION AND KEEP AN EYE ON THE SKY.

LISTEN TO COMMERCIAL RADIO...TELEVISION OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE
LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.
HCB/2333Z
Special weather statement, Jul 14, 4:38 PM PDT, 5 hours 24 minutes before
NVZ008-009-150300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
430 PM PDT SAT JUL 14 1990

...THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS CONTINUE OVER MOST AREAS IN SOUTHERN
   NEVADA...

RADAR AND LIGHTNING DETECTION EQUIPMENT SHOWED SHOWERS AND THUNDER-
STORMS OVER MOST OF SOUTHERN NEVADA WITH THE MOST ACTIVE THUNDERSTORMS
IN SOUTHWESTERN LINCOLN COUNTY.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE INTO TONIGHT. THE AIRMASS
IS VERY MOIST. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN..STRONG
GUSTY WINDS TO 40 MILES AN HOUR..DEADLY LIGHTNING AND HAIL.

LOCAL FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS AND NORMALLY DRY WASHES IS POSSIBLE.
REMEMBER..NEVER ATTEMPT TO CROSS FLOODED ROADS ON FOOT OR IN YOUR CAR.

GUSTY WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH THUNDERSTORMS WILL CAUSE LOCAL AREAS OF
BLOWING SAND AND DUST REDUCING VISIBILITIES.

IF LIGHTNING IS NEARBY TAKE SHELTER INDOORS OR IN YOUR CAR.  NEVER SEEK
SHELTER FROM LIGHTNING UNDER A} TREE.

PERSONS ENGAGED IN OUTDOOR ACTIVITES IN SOUTHERN NEVADA ARE URRGED TO
USE CAUTION AND KEEP AN EYE ON THE SKY.

LISTEN TO COMMERCIAL RADIO...TELEVISION OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE
LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.
HCB/2333Z
Local storm report, Jul 14, 7:40 PM PDT, 2 hours 22 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS, NV
734 PM PDT SAT JUL 14 1990

TIME PDT     PLACE                 EVENT
725  PM      BEATTY (SPOTTER)      RAIN BEGAN AROUND 630 PM AND 1.47
                                   INCHES OF RAIN RECORDED IN 1 HOUR.
                                   RUNNING WATER ACROSS HER PROPERTY
                                   HAS STOPPED. WINDS ARE CALM.

END
HCB/0240Z

The office that day

Everything else NWS Las Vegas, NV issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 14, 10:02 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningVEFInyo118 min
Jul 14, 11:50 PM PDTFlash Flood WarningVEFInyo2 hr
Jul 14, 11:50 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningVEFInyo2 hr

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.