Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 2002

Flash Flood Warning 47, NWS Flagstaff, AZ

August 16, 2002Coconino County, Gila County, Arizona

NWS Flagstaff, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Aug 16, 2002, 4:35 PM MST for Coconino County, Gila County, Arizona. It was in force for 115 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Aug 16, 2002, 4:35 PM MST (23:35 UTC)
Expired
Aug 16, 2002, 6:30 PM MST
In force
115 min
Issued by
NWS Flagstaff, AZ
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Coconino County, AZ, Gila County, AZ

The radar

The Flagstaff radar (KFSX), 25 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:38 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.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this flash flood warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The nearest sounding before it

Flgstf/Belemont, AZ (KFGZ), launched 12:00Z, 11.6 hours before the alert went out and 109 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 2002-08-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 201 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Flgstf/Belemont, AZ at 12:00Z on 2002-08-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -16 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
201 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-320 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2419 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
6 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-16 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
52 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 
WGUS55 KFGZ 162342
FFWFGZ
AZC005-007-170230-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
435 PM MST FRI AUG 16 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN GILA COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL ARIZONA...FOR THE 
  EAST VERDE RIVER AND ITS TRIBUTARIES. THIS ALSO INCLUDES THE 
  COMMUNITIES OF...PINE...PAYSON...TONTO VILLAGE...STAR VILLAGE 
  AND WHISPERING PINES.

* UNTIL 730 PM MST

* AT 435 PM MST...THE PUBLIC REPORTED VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER WHISPERING
  PINES...OR ABOUT 9 MILES EAST OF PINE.  THE AREA OF HEAVY RAIN WAS 
  MOVING SOUTH AT ABOUT 5 MPH.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING. 
IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNING AREA MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY. 
RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE 
PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS 
SWIFTLY FLOWING WATERS OR WATERS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH BY FOOT OR BY 
AUTOMOBILE. IF YOUR VEHICLE STALLS, ABANDON IT IMMEDIATELY AND SEEK 
HIGHER GROUND.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER HAVE THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY
RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE.

LAT...LON 3450 11110 3430 11113 3422 11119 3422 11133
          3430 11150 3446 11145

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 Flagstaff, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Aug 16, 2:30 PM MST, 2 hours 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 16, 2:30 PM MST, 2 hours 5 minutes before
NORTHERN ARIZONA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
230 PM MST FRI AUG 16 2002

.SYNOPSIS...EXPECT NEAR RECORD WARM TEMPERATURES TO PERSIST INTO
SATURDAY...TURNING GRADUALLY COOLER STARTING SUNDAY. A SLIGHT CHANCE
OF AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL LINGER
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY MAINLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE MOGOLLON RIM AND
WHITE MOUNTAINS. MONSOONAL MOISTURE WILL MOVE BACK ACROSS
NORTHERN ARIZONA BY EARLY NEXT NEXT WEEK.

.DISCUSSION...A COMPLICATED FLOW PATTERN WILL REMAIN OVER ARIZONA
THE NEXT FEW DAYS. FOR SATURDAY A WEAK EXTENSION OF THE PACIFIC
SUBTROPICAL RIDGE WILL REMAIN OVER NORTHERN ARIZONA. THIS SHOULD
BRING IN SOME WARMER MID LEVEL AIR AND ACT TO SUPPRESS THUNDERSTORM
ACTIVITY SOMEWHAT. ON THE OTHER HAND A STRONG MOISTURE GRADIENT WILL
REMAIN JUST SOUTH OF THE MOGOLLON RIM. AS A RESULT...THINK ISOLATED
THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE FROM THE RIM SOUTHWARD ON SATURDAY. ON
SUNDAY AND MONDAY MODELS ARE SHOWING THAT THE ATLANTIC SUBTROPICAL
RIDGE BEGINS TO NOSE INTO ARIZONA WITH DEEP SOUTHERLY FLOW
DEVELOPING. IF THE MODELS ARE CORRECT COULD BE A RAPID UPSWING IN
MOISTURE SUNDAY AND MONDAY. FOR NOW WILL INDICATE A GRADUAL INCREASE
IN THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY INTO MONDAY WITH ACTIVITY NUDGING NORTHWARD.
WITH INCREASING MOISTURE EXPECT TEMPERATURES BY SUNDAY AND MONDAY TO
BACK OFF FROM RECORD LEVELS.

IN THE EXTENDED...BY TUESDAY MODELS SHOWING A STRONG TROUGH MOVING
SOUTHWARD ALONG THE WEST COAST. THE MODELS ARE ALSO SHOWING
SUSTAINED SOUTHERLY FLOW OVER ARIZONA WHICH WOULD KEEP NORTHERN
ARIZONA IN THE MONSOON MOISTURE FOR THE MOST PART. WILL BROAD BRUSH
ZONES WITH A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXCEPT FOR THE NORTHWEST CORNER
OF THE COUNTY WARNING AREA.

MCCOLLUM

.FGZ...NONE.

.CODED TEMPERATURES/POPS FOR SELECTED CITIES IN NORTHERN ARIZONA

CITY             TEMPERATURES LO/HI           PROBABILITY OF PRECIP
                 TON SAT   SUN     MON        TON SAT   SUN     MON
FLAGSTAFF        049/086 050/083 052/082      020 020 020 020 020 030
WINSLOW          056/098 058/096 060/095      000 000 000 010 020 020
PRESCOTT         062/093 063/092 065/091      020 020 020 020 020 020
PAGE             072/100 072/099 074/098      000 000 000 000 000 010
WINDOW ROCK      043/091 044/090 046/089      010 010 010 020 020 030
CANYON DE CHELLY 051/097 052/096 054/095      010 010 010 020 020 020
COTTONWOOD       070/104 071/103 073/102      020 020 020 020 020 020
GRAND CANYON     049/087 050/084 052/083      010 010 010 010 010 010
GREER            046/081 047/078 049/077      010 020 010 030 030 040
HEBER            051/091 052/088 054/087      010 020 010 030 030 040
JACOB LAKE       049/084 050/081 052/080      010 010 010 010 010 010
NAVAJO N.M.      048/091 049/090 051/089      010 010 010 020 020 020
PAYSON           063/097 064/096 066/095      020 020 010 020 020 020
SEDONA           068/101 069/100 071/099      020 010 010 020 020 020
SELIGMAN         055/096 056/095 058/094      010 010 010 010 020 020
SHOW LOW         057/091 058/088 060/087      010 020 010 020 020 030
ST. JOHNS        051/093 053/091 055/090      010 000 000 010 020 020
WUPATKI N.M.     057/100 059/098 061/097      010 000 000 010 020 020

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 16, 4:42 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningFGZCoconino, Gila3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Arizona, 2002Every flash flood warning in 2002

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.