Alert archive / Arizona / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1996

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 53, NWS Las Vegas, NV

August 31, 1996Mohave County, Arizona

NWS Las Vegas, NV issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 31, 1996, 3:21 PM MST for Mohave County, Arizona. It was in force for 69 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
Aug 31, 1996, 3:21 PM MST (22:21 UTC)
Expired
Aug 31, 1996, 4:30 PM MST
In force
69 min
Issued by
NWS Las Vegas, NV
Area
Whole counties

County Mohave County, AZ

The nearest sounding before it

Flgstf/Belemont, AZ (KFGZ), launched 12:00Z, 10.4 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-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Flgstf/Belemont, AZ at 12:00Z on 1996-08-31Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 4 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, Flgstf/Belemont, AZ at 12:00Z on 1996-08-31The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -21 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
4 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-170 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2579 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
10 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-21 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-4 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 312223
SVRLAS
AZC015-312330-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
321 PM PDT (321 PM MST) SAT AUG 31 1996
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAS VEGAS HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  430 PM PDT (430 PM MST)
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS......
 
IN NORTHWEST ARIZONA
 
   ...EAST CENTRAL MOHAVE COUNTY
 
AT 320 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM ABOUT 8 MILES NORTHWEST OF VALENTINE MOVING
SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH.  THE STORM SHOULD PASS OVER ROUTE 66 BETWEEN
VALENTINE AND TRUXTON BETWEEN 340 AND 350 PM MST.
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55
MPH...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.
FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS.  HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO
DON'T DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAFD.
 
SKRBAC

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm 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 severe thunderstorm warning went out at Aug 31, 2:03 PM MST, 1 hour 18 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 31, 2:03 PM MST, 1 hour 18 minutes before
MOJAVE DESERT/SOUTHERN GREAT BASIN AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
200 PM PDT SAT AUG 31 1996

MSTR PLUME SHOWN ON RAMSDIS HAS SVRL WK WAVES ON IT AND THESE PICKED
UP WELL BY RUC MODEL.  COMBINATION OF THIS MSTR PLUME (AND ASSOCIATED
WAVES)...THE INCREASE OF LOW LVL MSTR FM THE S AND ALREADY UNSTABLE
SOUNDINGS HAVE PRODUCED TSTMS ACRS ALL OF MOHAVE COUNTY THIS AFTN AND
NR THE UTAH BORDER IN LINCOLN COUNTY.  FEW BUILDUPS IN THE MTNS OF
CLARK COUNTY ALSO.  WL KEEP CONVECTION GOING IN THESE AREAS INTO THE
EVENING OTRW MOCLR SHD SUFFICE.  ETA HAS DONE WELL LAST SVRL DAYS AND
WL BE USED AS GUIDANCE AGAIN TDA.  WL KEEP TSTMS IN NW AZ AGAIN TMW
AS ETA SHOWS LITTLE CHANGE AND 2ND WAVE ON MSTR PLUME MAY ALSO
INTERACT WITH AVBL LOW LVL MSTR THERE.  MORE AFTN CU IN ZONE 8 BUT
INCOMING TROF SHD SHIFT THE NXT WAVE FARTHER S BUT IF HYR DEW PTS
RMN AN ISOLD SHWR OR TSTM CAN'T BE RULED OUT.

WL KEEP SOME LOCAL BREEZES IN ACRS MUCH OF AREA TMW WITH 1ST TROF
AND INTRODUCE BREEZY TO EVERYBODY ON LABOR DAY.  H7 TEMP/THERMAL
GRAD AND WNDS NOT IMPRESSIVE BUT BASED ON 15 TO 25 KTS SHOWING UP
ACRS ZONE 8 WL KEEP SOME WND IN.  EXTENDED LUKS COOLER...SPCLY BY
THU AND BREEZY TO EVEN WINDY.  TEMPS COOLING TO BLO NORMAL!

AT 2055Z...LAS 88D PICKING UP ANOTHER IMPRESSIVE CELL OVR NWRN
YAVAPAI COUNTY...AND AS I WRITE FLG JUST ISSUED A SVR ON IT.  OTHER
STG CELLS FORMING OVR ECNTRL MOHAVE COUNTY.  WITH DEEP MSTR CONTEN0T
WL HAVE TO MONITOR AREA INTO THE EVENING.  LAS 000.  SKRBAC

In the hours before

Local storm report, Aug 31, 10:34 AM MST, 4 hours 47 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS, NV
1033 AM PDT SAT AUG 31 1996

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

0512 PM    WIKIEUP                   AZ   1 INCH HAIL
08/30/96   MOHAVE                         HAILSTORM LASTED 30
                                          MINUTES WITH 1-2 INCHES
                                          COVERING THE GROUND.
                                          LARGEST HAILSTONES 1 INCH.
                                          TREES TOPPLED IN STRONG
                                          WINDS AND DAMAGE TO ONE
                                          CARPORT.
Special weather statement, Aug 31, 11:59 AM MST, 3 hours 22 minutes before
AZZ001-312200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
1159 AM PDT (1159 AM MST) SAT AUG 31 1996

...ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING NORTHWEST ARIZONA...

AT 1155 AM PDT (1155 AM MST) LAS VEGAS DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED AN
ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPING OVER NORTHERN MOHAVE COUNTY
ARIZONA BETWEEN POVERTY MOUNTAIN AND MOUNT TRUMBALL.  THIS STORM
WAS DRIFTING EAST AT 10 MPH.

OTHER ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING IN EXTREME EASTERN MOHAVE
COUNTY ALONG THE HIGHER TERRAIN IN THE KAIBAB NATIONAL FOREST NEAR
MOUNT EMMA AND MOUNT DELLENBAUGH.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL REMAIN ISOLATED THIS AFTERNOON OVER MOHAVE COUNTY.
THE STORMS COULD PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND
LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN.  REMAIN ALERT FOR THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND
EARLY EVENING AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IF STORMS
APPROACH.

CORDERO
Special weather statement, Aug 31, 1:39 PM MST, 1 hour 42 minutes before
AZZ001-003-312300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
140 PM PDT (140 PM MST) SAT AUG 31 1996

...THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER NORTHWEST ARIZONA...

A SOUTHERLY FLOW IN THE LOWEST LAYERS OF THE ATMOSPHERE HAS DRAWN
UP MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR FROM THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA INTO NORTHWEST
ARIZONA TODAY.  THIS FLOW AND DAYTIME HEATING HAS SPAWNED WIDELY
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY CONFINED TO THE HIGHER TERRAIN
IN MOHAVE COUNTY.

AT 130 PM PDT (130 PM MST) LAS VEGAS DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING NORTH TO SOUTH FROM THE HURRICANE CLIFFS TO
THE KAIBAB NATIONAL FOREST NEAR MOUNT EMMA AND MOUNT DELLENBAUGH TO 5
MILES NORTH OF THE TOWN OF TRUXTON IN EASTERN MOHAVE COUNTY.

ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALSO DEVELOPING IN SOUTH CENTRAL MOHAVE
COUNTY SOUTHWEST OF KINGMAN ALONG THE HULALPAI MOUNTAINS. THESE STORMS
WERE MOVING SLOWLY EAST AT LESS THAN 10 MPH.

THESE STORMS COULD PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND
LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN.  REMAIN ALERT FOR THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND
EARLY EVENING AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IF STORMS
APPROACH.

CORDERO
Special weather statement, Aug 31, 3:03 PM MST, 18 minutes before
AZZ001>003-312305-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
303 PM PDT (303 PM MST) SAT AUG 31 1996

...THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE ACROSS PORTIONS OF MOHAVE COUNTY...

AT 255 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR AND
SATELLITE PICTURES SHOWED SEVERAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER
EASTERN MOHAVE COUNTY.  THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE JUST NORTH
OF THE HACKBERRY TO PEACH SPRINGS AREA ALONG ROUTE 66.

OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN EAST OF KINGMAN
AND EVEN ALONG INTERSTATE 40.  THE STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT
10 TO 15 MPH.  ANY OF THESE STORMS...ESPECIALLY THE ONES NEAR
ROUTE 66...ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...SMALL
HAIL...STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

SKRBAC

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 30, 5:02 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningVEFMohave58 min
Aug 30, 6:05 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningVEFMohave55 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Arizona, 1996Every severe thunderstorm 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.