Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 1995

Flash Flood Warning 29, NWS Phoenix, AZ

August 21, 1995Pinal County, Arizona

NWS Phoenix, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Aug 21, 1995, 4:09 PM MST for Pinal County, Arizona. It was in force for 76 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Aug 21, 1995, 4:09 PM MST (23:09 UTC)
Expired
Aug 21, 1995, 5:25 PM MST
In force
76 min
Issued by
NWS Phoenix, AZ
Area
Whole counties

County Pinal County, AZ

The radar

The Phoenix radar (KIWA), 52 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:11 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Tuscon, AZ (KTUS), launched 12:00Z, 11.2 hours before the alert went out and 92 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, Tuscon, AZ at 12:00Z on 1995-08-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 529 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, Tuscon, AZ at 12:00Z on 1995-08-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 46 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
529 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-164 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1085 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
17 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
46 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
54 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 KPHX 212314
FFWPHX
AZC021-220025-

BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
409 PM MST MON AUG 21 1995

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PHOENIX AZ HAS ISSUED A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM AND FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 525 PM MST FOR
PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...

IN SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA

  ...SOUTH CENTRAL PINAL COUNTY...

 
AT 415 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR DETECTED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM WITH VERY RAIN...HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS 6 MILES
NORTHWEST OF ORACLE JUNCTION. THE THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING TOWARD THE
NORTH-NORTHWEST ABOUT 10 MPH.

IF YOU ARE TRAVELLING IN THE AREA ALONG U.S. HIGHWAY 89 BETWEEN
ORACLE JUNCTION AND FLORENCE...BE READY FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN
YOUR AREA.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 57 MPH...
DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.

SEEK SHELTER IN A STRONG BUILDING...BUT STARY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

BE AWARE OF THE DANGER OF LOCAL FLOODING CAUSED BY THUNDERSTORM
RAINS.

CRAIG ELLIS

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, Aug 21, 1:20 PM MST, 2 hours 49 minutes before
AZZ004-212200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
120 PM MST MON AUG 21 1995

...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST YAVAPAI
COUNTY...

AT 120 PM PHOENIX DOPPLER RADAR DETECTED WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY OVER OPEN COUNTRY IN CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST
YAVAPAI COUNTY.  STRONGEST STORMS WERE 15 MILES NORTH-NORTHEAST OF
PRESCOTT AIRPORT...20 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PRESCOTT...AND 15 MILES WEST
OF PRESCOTT.  SHOWERS AND A FEW WEAKER STORMS WERE ALSO AFFECTING THE
JEROME-CLARKDALE-COTTONWOOD AREA.  INDIVIDUAL STORMS WERE MOVING
TOWARD THE NORTHWEST AT 10 MILES PER HOUR.  LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS
POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGER STORMS.  DOPPLER RADAR INDICATES THAT IN
EXCESS OF ONE INCH OF RAIN HAS FALLEN SOUTHEAST OF WILHOIT BETWEEN
NOON AND 1:15 PM.

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP OVER YAVAPAI AND
ADJOINING COUNTIES THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.  PERSONS HIKING OR
PARTICIPATING IN OTHER OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES IN CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST
YAVAPAI COUNTY SHOULD KEEP AN EYE TO THE SKY AND AVOID WASHES AND
OTHER LOW-LYING AREAS.

GREEN
Special weather statement, Aug 21, 2:49 PM MST, 1 hour 20 minutes before
AZZ008-212230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
250 PM MST MON AUG 21 1995

...STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER FOUNTAIN HILLS...

AT 245 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR DETECTED A STRONG
THUNDERSTORM WITH HAIL AND VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER FOUNTAIN HILLS.
MOVEMENT WAS VERY SLOW...TOWARD THE NORTHWEST LESS THAN 10 MPH.

OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER CENTRAL PINAL COUNTY
JUST EAST THROUGH SOUTHEAST OF FLORENCE. THE STORMS WERE MOVING
TOWARD THE NORTHWEST AROUND 10 MPH. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE
AFFECTING THE FLORENCE AREA BETWEEN 3 AND 4 PM MST.

IF YOU ARE IN THE FOUNTAIN HILLS AREA OR TRAVELLING ALONG HIGHWAY 89
JUST SOUTH OF FLORENCE TO FLORENCE JUNCTION...BE ALERT FOR GUSTY
WINDS AND VERY HEAVY RAIN WITH REDUCED VISIBILITY.

BE AWARE OF THE DANGER OF LOCAL FLOODING CAUSED BY THUNDERSTORM
RAINS.

IF THREATENING WEATHER DEVELOPS OR APPROACHES YOUR LOCATION, BE
PREPARED TO MOVE TO A SAFE PLACE IMMEDIATELY.

CRAIG ELLIS
Special weather statement, Aug 21, 3:30 PM MST, 39 minutes before
AZZ008-222330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
330 PM MST MON AUG 21 1995

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS SOUTHEAST OF CAVE CREEK AND CAREFREE...

AT 330 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR DETECTED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN 10 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
CAVE CREEK. THIS THUNDERSTORM WAS DISSIPATING BUT OTHER STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS COULD DEVELOP IN THE CAREFREE AND CAVECREEK AREA
BETWEEN 345 AND 5 PM MST.

BE AWARE OF THE DANGER OF LOCAL FLOODING CAUSED BY THUNDERSTORM
RAINS.

IF THREATENING WEATHER DEVELOPS OR APPROACHES YOUR LOCATION...BE
PREPARED TO MOVE TO A SAFE PLACE IMMEDIATELY.

CRAIG ELLIS
Special weather statement, Aug 21, 3:56 PM MST, 13 minutes before
AZZ008-009-010-220100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
355 PM MST MON AUG 21 1995

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTHEAST PINAL COUNTY...

AT 355 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR DETECTED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS BETWEEN ORACLE JUNCTION...MAMMOTH AND SAN MANUEL
NEAR STATE HIGHWAY 77. MOVEMENT WAS TOWARD THE NORTHWEST ABOUT
10 MPH.

IF YOU ARE IN SOUTHEAST PINAL COUNTY...ESPECIALLY THE AREAS MENTIONED
...BE0 AWARE OF THE DANGER OF LIGHTNING AND LOCAL FLOODING CAUSED BY
THUNDERSTORM RAINS.

IF THREATENING WEATHER DEVELOPS OR APPROACHES YOUR LOCATION..BE
PREPARED TO MOVE TO A SAFE PLACE IMMEDIATELY...PREFERABLY INDOORS.

CRAIG ELLIS

The office that day

Everything else NWS Phoenix, AZ issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 20, 5:35 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPSRPinal60 min
Aug 20, 6:25 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPSRMaricopa35 min
Aug 20, 7:10 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPSRMaricopa60 min
Aug 21, 4:09 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPSRPinal76 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Arizona, 1995Every flash flood warning in 1995

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.