Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 1995

Flash Flood Warning 37, NWS Phoenix, AZ

September 6, 1995Maricopa County, Arizona

NWS Phoenix, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Sep 6, 1995, 7:50 PM MST for Maricopa County, Arizona. It was in force for 70 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Sep 6, 1995, 7:50 PM MST (02:50 UTC)
Expired
Sep 6, 1995, 9:00 PM MST
In force
70 min
Issued by
NWS Phoenix, AZ
Area
Whole counties

County Maricopa County, AZ

The radar

The Phoenix radar (KIWA), 77 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:50 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 00:00Z, 2.8 hours before the alert went out and 198 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 00:00Z on 1995-09-07Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1033 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Tuscon, AZ at 00:00Z on 1995-09-07The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -14 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
1033 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-39 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2663 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
17 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-14 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-23 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 070254
FFWPHX
AZC013-070400-

BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
750 PM MST WED SEP 6 1995

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PHOENIX AZ HAS ISSUED A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM AND FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 900 PM MST FOR
PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...

IN SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA

  ...EXTREME NORTHERN MARICOPA COUNTY...FOR WICKENBURG AND VICINITY 

VERY STRONG POSSIBLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TOWARD
WICKENBURG FROM THE SOUTHWEST.  THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED
10-12 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WICKENBURG AT 745 PM.   THESE COULD BE
DANGEROUS STORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 57
MPH...LARGE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.

FLOOD OR FLASH FLOODING OF NUMEROUS DESERTS WASHES...INCLUDING THE
HASSAYAMPA AND SOLS WASH ARE POSSIBLE. 

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR WICKENBURG AND
VICINITY IS POSTED UNTIFL 900 PM.

VASQUEZ

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 6, 4:32 PM MST, 3 hours 18 minutes before
AZZ004-008-070030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
433 PM MST WED SEP 6 1995

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG INTERSTATE 17 NORTH OF PHOENIX...

AT 425 PM MST...PHOENIX DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTHERN YAVAPAI AND EXTREME NORTHERN MARICOPA
COUNTY.  THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG INTERSTATE 17
NEAR ROCK SPRINGS.  OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG THE
SOUTHERN BORDER OF YAVAPAI COUNTY.  THESE STORMS WERE MOVING
SLOWLY TO THE NORTHEAST...HOWEVER NEW STORMS WERE CONTINUING TO
DEVELOP TO THE SOUTH OF THIS AREA.

STRONG GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL
WILL ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS.  MANY OF THE STORMS ACROSS ARIZONA HAVE
PRODUCED HAIL TODAY...AND THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE SOME AS WELL.  IN
ADDITION...THESE STORMS WILL LIKELY MOVE ACROSS LAKE PLEASANT WITHIN
THE NEXT HOUR.  BOATERS SHOULD SEEK SAFE HARBOR BEFORE THIS
THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES.

DUE TO THE SLOW MOVEMENT OF THESE STORMS...SOME FLOODING OF LOW
LYING AREAS AND LOW WATER CROSSINGS MAY OCCUR.  REMEMBER...NEVER
DRIVE INTO A FLOODED STRETCH OF ROAD. THE DEPTH OF WATER MAY BE
ENOUGH TO FLOAT YOUR VEHICLE.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR TV STATION
FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.

KOCH
Special weather statement, Sep 6, 4:33 PM MST, 3 hours 17 minutes before
AZZ004-008-070030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
433 PM MST WED SEP 6 1995

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG INTERSTATE 17 NORTH OF PHOENIX...

AT 425 PM MST...PHOENIX DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTHERN YAVAPAI AND EXTREME NORTHERN MARICOPA
COUNTY.  THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG INTERSTATE 17
NEAR ROCK SPRINGS.  OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG THE
SOUTHERN BORDER OF YAVAPAI COUNTY.  THESE STORMS WERE MOVING
SLOWLY TO THE NORTHEAST...HOWEVER NEW STORMS WERE CONTINUING TO
DEVELOP TO THE SOUTH OF THIS AREA.

STRONG GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL
WILL ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS.  MANY OF THE STORMS ACROSS ARIZONA HAVE
PRODUCED HAIL TODAY...AND THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE SOME AS WELL.  IN
ADDITION...THESE STORMS WILL LIKELY MOVE ACROSS LAKE PLEASANT WITHIN
THE NEXT HOUR.  BOATERS SHOULD SEEK SAFE HARBOR BEFORE THIS
THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES.

DUE TO THE SLOW MOVEMENT OF THESE STORMS...SOME FLOODING OF LOW
LYING AREAS AND LOW WATER CROSSINGS MAY OCCUR.  REMEMBER...NEVER
DRIVE INTO A FLOODED STRETCH OF ROAD. THE DEPTH OF WATER MAY BE
ENOUGH TO FLOAT YOUR VEHICLE.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR TV STATION
FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.

KOCH
Special weather statement, Sep 6, 7:10 PM MST, 40 minutes before
AZZ008-070400-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
710 PM MST WED SEP 6 1995

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING TOWARD WICKENBURG FROM THE WEST...
...NUMEROUS STORMS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP IN MOHAVE COUNTY IN NORTHWEST
ARIZONA...

SEVERAL VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE DETECTED BY WEATHER RADAR WEST
OF WICKENBURG AT 7 PM.  THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED NORTH AND SOUTH OF
THE TOWN OF AGUILA...APPROXIMATELY 25 MILES WEST OF WICKENBURG...
MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.

RESIDENTS AND MOTORISTS NEAR THE TOWN OF WICKENBURG SHOULD BE ALERT
FOR THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING THE AREA.  THUNDERSTORMS TODAY HAVE HAD
A HISTORY OF PRODUCING HAIL...STRONG WINDS...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.

ELSEWHERE IN ARIZONA...SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY
RAIN CONTINUED TO DEVELOP ACROSS ALL OF MOHAVE COUNTY FROM LAKE
HAVASU CITY NORTH TO THE UTAH BORDER.  RADAR RAINFALL RATES WITH
THESE STORMS WERE NEARLY 2 INCHES PER HOUR.  A FLASH FLOOD WATCH
REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHWEST ARIZONA UNTIL 9 PM.

VASQUEZ
Special weather statement, Sep 6, 7:18 PM MST, 32 minutes before
AZZ008-070400-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
710 PM MST WED SEP 6 1995

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING TOWARD WICKENBURG FROM THE WEST...
...NUMEROUS STORMS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP IN MOHAVE COUNTY IN NORTHWEST
ARIZONA...

SEVERAL VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE DETECTED BY WEATHER RADAR WEST
OF WICKENBURG AT 7 PM.  THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED NORTH AND SOUTH OF
THE TOWN OF AGUILA...APPROXIMATELY 25 MILES WEST OF WICKENBURG...
MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.

RESIDENTS AND MOTORISTS NEAR THE TOWN OF WICKENBURG SHOULD BE ALERT
FOR THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING THE AREA.  THUNDERSTORMS TODAY HAVE HAD
A HISTORY OF PRODUCING HAIL...STRONG WINDS...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.

ELSEWHERE IN ARIZONA...SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY
RAIN CONTINUED TO DEVELOP ACROSS ALL OF MOHAVE COUNTY FROM LAKE
HAVASU CITY NORTH TO THE UTAH BORDER.  RADAR RAINFALL RATES WITH
THESE STORMS WERE NEARLY 2 INCHES PER HOUR.  A FLASH FLOOD WATCH
REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHWEST ARIZONA UNTIL 9 PM.

VASQUEZ
Special weather statement, Sep 6, 7:20 PM MST, 30 minutes before
AZZ001-007-070330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
720 PM MST WED SEP 6 1995

AT 715 PM DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVING
SOUTHEAST THROUGH SOUTHERN MOHAVE COUNTY.  THE STRONGEST CELLS
IN THIS LINE EXTENDED FROM NEAR LAKE HAVASU CITY OFF TO THE
NORTHEAST.

THIS LINE IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE MOVING SOUTHEAST...AND COULD
REACH THE PARKER AND PARKER DAM AREA SHORTLY AFTER 8 PM.

MOTORISTS ALONG THE COLORADO RIVER IN THIS AREA WILL NEED TO USE
CAUTION...AS THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY
RAIN...GUSRTY WINDS...AND POSSIBLY SMALL HAIL.

BOATERS ON THE COLORADO RIVER WILL ALSO NEED TO FOLLOW WEATHER
CONDITIONS CLOSELY...AND SEEK SHELTER IF STORMS MOVE INTO THEIR
AREA.

PERFREMENT
Special weather statement, Sep 6, 7:22 PM MST, 28 minutes before
AZZ001-007-070330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
720 PM MST WED SEP 6 1995

AT 715 PM DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVING
SOUTHEAST THROUGH SOUTHERN MOHAVE COUNTY.  THE STRONGEST CELLS
IN THIS LINE EXTENDED FROM NEAR LAKE HAVASU CITY OFF TO THE
NORTHEAST.

THIS LINE IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE MOVING SOUTHEAST...AND COULD
REACH THE PARKER AND PARKER DAM AREA SHORTLY AFTER 8 PM.

MOTORISTS ALONG THE COLORADO RIVER IN THIS AREA WILL NEED TO USE
CAUTION...AS THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY
RAIN...GUSRTY WINDS...AND POSSIBLY SMALL HAIL.

BOATERS ON THE COLORADO RIVER WILL ALSO NEED TO FOLLOW WEATHER
CONDITIONS CLOSELY...AND SEEK SHELTER IF STORMS MOVE INTO THEIR
AREA.

PERFREMENT

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 6, 7:50 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPSRMaricopa70 min
Sep 6, 8:27 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPSRPinal63 min
Sep 6, 10:05 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPSRMaricopa85 min
Sep 6, 10:26 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPSRMaricopa64 min
Sep 7, 4:38 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPSRMohave62 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.