Alert archive / Arizona / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 39, NWS Las Vegas, NV

September 9, 1998Mohave County, Arizona; Clark County, Nevada

NWS Las Vegas, NV issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Sep 9, 1998, 2:34 PM MST for Mohave County, Arizona; Clark County, Nevada. It was in force for 61 min. 3 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Sep 9, 1998, 2:34 PM MST (21:34 UTC)
Expired
Sep 9, 1998, 3:35 PM MST
In force
61 min
Issued by
NWS Las Vegas, NV
Area
Whole counties

Counties Mohave County, AZ, Clark County, NV

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Sep 9, 3:00 PM MSTThunderstorm Wind 52Mesquite, NVThunderstorm wind gusts of 60 mph were reported by a weather spotter in Mesquite.
Sep 9, 3:20 PM MSTThunderstorm WindColorado City, AZDamaging thunderstorm winds downed power lines as they blew through Colorado City.
Sep 9, 3:40 PM MSTThunderstorm Wind 50Boulder City, NV

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in.

The nearest sounding before it

Mercury/Desert R, NV (KDRA), launched 12:00Z, 9.6 hours before the alert went out and 162 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 12:00Z on 1998-09-09Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 266 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 12:00Z on 1998-09-09The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 139 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
266 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-132 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1582 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
38 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
139 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
189 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KLAS 092135 RRA
SVRLAS
AZC015-NVC003-092235-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
234 PM PDT (234 PM MST) WED SEP 9 1998


*  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR
   NORTHEASTERN CLARK COUNTY IN SOUTHERN NEVADA
   NORTHERN MOHAVE COUNTY IN NORTHWESTERN ARIZONA

*  UNTIL 335 PM PDT (335 PM MST)

*  SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED
   MESQUITE NV
   BUNKERVILLE NV
   COLORADO CITY AZ
   PIPE SPRING MONUMENT AZ

*  AT 230 PDT/MST DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF ECHO BAY TO THE
WEST EDGE OF THE GRAND CANYON.  MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTH AT 25 MPH.

STRONG DAMAGING WINDS EXCEEDING 60 MPH ARE LIKELY AS TzHESE
STORMS MOVE THROUGH BUNKERVILLE AND MESQUITE BY 300 PM PDT.
COLORADO CITY AND PIPE SPRING CAN EXPECT DAMAGING WINDS BY
330 PM MST.

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 Sep 9, 9:50 AM MST, 4 hours 44 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 9, 9:50 AM MST, 4 hours 44 minutes before
MOJAVE DESERT/SOUTHERN GREAT BASIN AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
950 AM PDT WED SEP 9 1998

...CORRECTION FOR FLASH FLOOD WATCH PORTION...

SYNOPSIS...A STRONG TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE APPROACHING THE WEST
COAST WILL MOVE INTO CALIFORNIA TODAY THEN REMAIN OVER CALIFORNIA AND
WESTERN NEVADA THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. THIS SYSTEM WILL KEEP A MOIST
SOUTHERLY FLOW OF AIR ACROSS THE REGION FOR A CONTINUED THREAT OF
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.

DISCUSSION...APOLOGIES FOR THE DELAY IN PRODUCTS THIS MORNING...
WANTED TO COORDINATE THINKING WITH SPC (THANKS MIKE V.) AND AREA
WSFOS AND WFOS. STRONG UPPER TROF CONTINUES TO APPROACH CA COAST
THIS MORNING WITH MAIN VORT CENTER NEAR SFO BAY AREA. BAROCLINIC BAND
PUSHING INTO NW NV AND NEARING NRN INYO COUNTY. 12Z DRA SOUNDING
INDICATES LITTLE 24 HOUR CHANGE IN MOISTURE/TEMPERATURE PROFILES WITH
MODIFIED SOUNDING RESULTING IN -4 TO -7 LIFTED INDEX AND CAPES
RANGING FROM 1500 TO 2500 J/KG.  BIG CHANGE IS THE INCREASE IN SPEED
SHEAR WITH SOME VEERING NOTED IN LOWER LAYERS (BETTER STORM
ENVIRONMENT). PREVIOUS STORMS AND RAIN COOLED AIR HAVE STABILIZED
LOWER LAYERS A BIT BUT WITH NEARLY FULL SUN ACROSS REGION...ANY CIN
WILL BE ERASED WITH THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING A FEW HOURS LATER THAN
TUE.

LOOKING AT MODELS AND UPPER AIR DATA...APPROACHING VORTICITY MAXIMUM
AND 75 TO 90 KT JET MAX WILL FOCUS BEST DYNAMIC FORCING ACROSS NRN
INYO...ESMERALDA AND NRN/CNTRL NYE COUNTIES THIS AFTERNOON FROM PVA
AND JET DIVERGENCE. SHEAR/DIVERGENCE AND FORCING ALSO INCREASING
FARTHER S AND E TOWARD LINCOLN/CLARK AND MOHAVE COUNTIES LATE THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH SIGNIFICANT CONVERGENCE/DIVERGENCE
COUPLING FORECAST BY NGM FOR CLARK AND MOHAVE COUNTIES THIS EVENING.
PER COORDINATION WITH SPC...STORM ENVIRONMENT A LITTLE BETTER TODAY
FOR ISOLATED SEVERE ACROSS NV ZONES AND EVEN NW AZ. WILL BEEF UP
PRECIPITATION CHANCES AND ISSUE FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR NEVADA AND
ARIZONA ZONES THIS AFT/EVE WHERE BEST MOISTURE/DYNAMICS AND
INSTABILITY ARE EXPECTED.

INYO/SAN BERNARDINO COUNTIES MORE OF A QUESTION BUT WILL NUDGE
FORECAST IN DIRECTION OF HIGHER PRECIPITATION CHANCES AND SEVERE.
ALSO MODIFIED TONIGHT PORTION DUE TO DYNAMIC FORCING MOVING S AND E
ACROSS CA/NV/AZ AND TO BLEND BETTER WITH ABOVE MENTIONED ADJUSTMENTS.
TROUGH CONTINUES TO SLOW ON MODELS AND SEE NO REASON THAT THU WILL
NOT BE ANOTHER ACTIVE DAY FOR AREAS FARTHER S AND E.  LAS 664. NEMETH

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST FLASH
FLOOD WATCH BULLETIN FOR DETAILS.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Sep 9, 10:10 AM MST, 4 hours 24 minutes before
AZZ001>003-036-NVZ013>022-100500-

BULLETIN...IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WATCH...RESENT FOR CARSON NHP...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
1008 AM PDT (1002 AM MST) WED SEP 9 1998

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM NOON UNTIL 10 PM PDT/MST FOR CLARK...
ESMERALDA...NYE AND LINCOLN COUNTIES IN NEVADA...AND MOHAVE COUNTY
ARIZONA...

SOME LOCATIONS IN THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH INCLUDE....LAS VEGAS...
HENDERSON...PAHRUMP...GOLDFIELD...TONOPAH...CALIENTE...KINGMAN...
LAUGHLIN-BULLHEAD CITY...LAKE HAVASU CITY...THE WESTERN END OF THE
GRAND CANYON...AND THE LAKE MEAD NATIONAL RECREATION AREA.

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND ARE
EXPECTED TO BECOME WIDESPREAD IN MANY AREAS BY EVENING. SOME OF THE
THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN OF BETWEEN ONE AND TWO INCHES
IN LESS THAN ONE HOUR. RAINFALL OF THIS INTENSITY WOULD CAUSE FLASH
FLOODING OF WASHES...CANYONS...AND OTHER LOW-LYING OR URBANIZED
AREAS.  AREAS THAT HAVE RECEIVED RAIN OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS WILL BE
ESPECIALLY PRONE TO FLASH FLOODING AS THE SOIL MAY BE SATURATED.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR FLASH FLOODING
IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. BE READY TO TAKE QUICK ACTION IF
FLASH FLOODING IS OBSERVED OR A WARNING IS ISSUED FOR YOUR AREA. DO
NOT BECOME A VICTIM BY ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE OR WADE THROUGH RUNNING
WATER YOU COULD BECOME STRANDED OR THE FORCE OF THE CURRENT COULD
SWEEP YOU OR YOUR VEHICLE AWAY.

LISTEN FOR ADDITIONAL UPDATES OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE.

NEMETH

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 9, 4:14 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningVEFMohave56 min
Sep 9, 4:14 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningVEFMohave56 min
Sep 9, 1:49 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningVEFClark61 min
Sep 9, 2:53 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningVEFClark112 min
Sep 9, 3:13 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningVEFClark52 min
Sep 9, 3:59 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningVEFClark6 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Arizona, 1998Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Nevada, 1998Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1998

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.