Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 1996

Flash Flood Warning 50, NWS Las Vegas, NV

September 7, 1996Mohave County, Arizona

NWS Las Vegas, NV issued this flash flood warning at Sep 7, 1996, 3:01 AM MST for Mohave County, Arizona. It was in force for 59 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued: Sep 7, 1996, 3:01 AM MST (10:01 UTC)
Expired: Sep 7, 1996, 4:00 AM MST
In force: 59 min
Issued by: NWS Las Vegas, NV
Area: Whole counties

County Mohave County, AZ

The nearest sounding before it

Flgstf/Belemont, AZ (KFGZ), launched 00:00Z, 10.0 hours before the alert went out and 185 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 1685 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 26 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 101 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 98 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 KLAS 071002
FFWLAS
AZC015-071100-

BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
301 AM PDT (300 AM MST) SAT SEP 07 1996

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAS VEGAS NV HAS ISSUED A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM AND FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 400 AM PDT
(400 AM MST) FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...

IN NORTHWEST ARIZONA

  ...WESTERN MOHAVE COUNTY

AT 255 AM PDT (255 AM MST)...LAS VEGAS DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO WESTERN MOHAVE COUNTY FROM
BULLHEAD CITY TO JUST NORTH OF LAKE MOHAVE.  THE STRONGEST STORM
WAS 18 MILES WEST OF CHLORIDE.  THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALL MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.  

AS THESE STORMS MOVED THROUGH SOUTHERN NEVADA...THEY PRODUCED OVER
ONE INCH OF RAIN NEAR SEARCHLIGHT AND RADAR INDICATES THAT SOME OF
THE STORMS ARE PRODUCING HAIL. 

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IS
IMMINENT.  BE ESPECIALLY C`AUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO
RECOGNIZE THE DANGERS OF FLOODS AND FLASH FLOODS.  SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 57 MPH
...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.

NEMETH

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.

NWS Las Vegas, NV wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Sep 7, 2:43 AM MST, 18 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 7, 2:43 AM MST, 18 minutes before

MOJAVE DESERT/SOUTHERN GREAT BASIN AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
240 AM PDT SAT SEP 7 1996

UPR LVL SHRTWV...INDCD ON H3 CHARTS AND WV STLT IMAGES...MOVG INTO
UT WITH TAIL END OF VORT ACRS SRN NV.  EARLIER CONCERNS OF S/WV
HELPING FIRE UP ADDITIONAL HAVE PROVED CORRECT.  DYNAMICS FRM THIS
HAS CONTD TO KICK OFF CONVECTION SRN TIP OF NV AND CELLS SLOWLY
MOVG TWD NW AZ ATTM.  CURRENT FFA FOR SRN CLARK CO NV BASED ON
RADAR AND SPOTTER RPTS FRM SEARCHLIGHT INDCG UP TO AN INCH OF RAIN
ON RECENTLY SATURATED GROUND.  SFC ANALYSIS INCDS LTL 24 HR CHG IN
LOW LVL MSTR AXIS FROM SRN NV INTO AZ.  KYUX VWP HAS S-SELY FLOW
AOB 3KFT AND WITH 60 DEGREE DWPNTS UP TO LHU (ABOUT THE SAME AS
PAST FEW DAYS).  THIS LATEST S/WV SHOULD QUICKLY EXIT REGION THIS
AM WITH NO IDENTIFIABLE S/WVS OR DYNAMICS INDCD THEREAFTER.   UPR
TROF FCST TO FLATTEN AS RDG REBUILDS WWD.  WILL CONT TO FOLLOW
ETA/AVN/MESO ETA MSTR PROGS WITH LTL CHG IN LOW LVL MSTR AXIS.
NOT COMPLETELY SOLD ON MESO ETA FCST OF DRAMATICALLY INCRG MSTR
INTO SRN NV TDA BUT NO DOUBT MSTR NOT GOING TO DRY UP ANYTIME SOON.
NO  CHGS  TO  EXTENDED  WITH  LTL  TO  FORCE  MSTR  OUT...AT  LEAST
INITIALLY.  LAS 11-.  NEME0TH

In the hours before

Local storm report, Sep 6, 9:50 PM MST, 5 hours 11 minutes before

STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS, NV
949 PM PDT FRI SEP 6 1996

TIME(PDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0130 PM    KINGMAN                   AZ   60 MPH TSTM GUST
09/06/96   MOHAVE                         WINDS TO 60 MPH REPORTED
                                          BY SHERIFFS OFFICE WITH
                                          VISIBILITY DOWN TO ZERO.
                                          HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL
                                          REPORTED ALONG WITH SOME
                                          FLOWING WASHES.

0410 PM    KINGMAN                   AZ   .75 INCH HAIL
09/06/96   MOHAVE                         MOHAVE COUNTY SHERIFFS
                                          OFFICE IN KINGMAN REPORTED
                                          3/4 INCH HAIL AND POWER
                                          OUTAGES.
0415 PM    KINGMAN                   AZ   1 INCH HAIL
09/06/96   MOHAVE                         ONE INCH DIAMETER HAIL
                                          REPORTED BY MOHAVE COUNTY
                                          SHERIFFS OFFICE ALONG WITH
                                          STRONG WINDS AND HEAVY
                                          RAIN IN KINGMAN.

0425 PM    KINGMAN ARPT              AZ   .75 INCH HAIL
09/06/96   MOHAVE                         DIME SIZE HAIL AND OVER A
`                                          THIRD INCH /.35/ OF RAIN.

Special weather statement, Sep 6, 10:36 PM MST, 4 hours 25 minutes before

CAZ019-070740-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
1036 PM PDT FRI SEP 6 1996

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER PORTIONS OF EASTERN
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY...

AT 1030 PM PDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED
TO SHOW A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER THE BRISTOL MOUNTAINS OR ABOUT
20 TO 25 MILES SOUTH OF BAKER OFF INTERSTATE 15.  THE STORM WAS
MOVING SLOWLY SOUTHEAST AROUND 10 MILES AN HOUR.  A COUPLE OTHER
THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED NORTHEAST OF THIS THUNDERSTORM BUT
THEY WERE NOT AS STRONG.

THIS STRONG THUNDERSTORM SOUTH OF BAKER IS LIKELY PRODUCING LOCALLY
HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL...STRONG WIND GUSTS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.
NORMALLY DRY WASHES MAY BE RUNNING WITH WATER AND ANYONE TRAVELLING
THROUGH THIS REMOTE REGION SHOULD BE ALERT FOR WATER FLOWING ACROSS
THE ROAD.  DO NOT CAMP NEAR NORMALLY DRY WASHES AND PAY CLOSE
ATTENTION TO ANY NEARBY THUNDERSTORMS...ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE
DOWNSTREAM FROM WHERE THE RAIN IS FALLING.  REMEMBER...FLASH FLOODING
CAN OCCUR MILES FROM WHERE THE RAIN ACTUALLY FALLS.  STAY TUNED TO
THIS STATION FOR FURTHER UPDATES FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

SKRBAC

Special weather statement, Sep 7, 12:42 AM MST, 2 hours 19 minutes before

NVZ009-070845-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
1241 AM PDT SAT SEP 7 1996

...THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS EXTREME SOUTHERN CLARK COUNTY...

AT 1230 AM PDT...LAS VEGAS RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS MOVING OVER
EXTREME SOUTHERN NEVADA.  THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED 5 MILES WEST OF
SEARCHLIGHT AND WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR.

SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY CONTAIN SMALL HAIL...GUSTY WINDS...DEADLY
LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS OF RAIN.

IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS...MOVE TO A PLACE OF SHELTER IMMEDIATELY IF A
STORM APPROACHES.  MOTORISTS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR REDUCED
VISIBILITIES DURING DOWNPOURS OF RAIN.  STREETS MAY FLOOD QUICKLY.

Special weather statement, Sep 7, 1:53 AM MST, 1 hour 8 minutes before

NVZ009-CAZ019-070955-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
152 AM PDT SAT SEP 7 1996

...THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE MOVING ACROSS EXTREME SOUTHERN CLARK COUNTY
AND NORTHEASTERN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY...

AT 150 AM PDT...LAS VEGAS RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS MOVING OVER
EXTREME SOUTHERN NEVADA AND NORTHEASTERN SAN BERNARDINO
COUNTY CALIFORNIA. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF
SEARCHLIGHT AND EXTENDED SOUTHEAST TO 10 MILES WEST OF NEEDLES.  THESE
STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 10 MILES AN HOUR.

SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY CONTAIN SMALL HAIL...GUSTY WINDS...DEADLY
LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS OF RAIN.

IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS...MOVE TO A PLACE OF SHELTER IMMEDIATELY IF A
STORM APPROACHES.  MOTORISTS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR REDUCED
VISIBILITIES DURING DOWNPOURS OF RAIN.  STREETS MAY FLOOD QUICKLY.

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Sep 7, 3:01 AM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	VEF	Mohave	59 min
Sep 7, 4:02 AM MST	Flash Flood Warning	VEF	Mohave	58 min
Sep 7, 4:02 AM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	VEF	Mohave	58 min
Sep 7, 5:01 AM MST	Flash Flood Warning	VEF	Mohave	59 min
Sep 7, 5:01 AM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	VEF	Mohave	59 min
Sep 7, 5:31 AM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	VEF	Mohave	44 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Arizona, 1996 Every flash flood warning in 1996

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.