Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 2002

Flash Flood Warning 56, NWS Flagstaff, AZ

September 10, 2002Apache County, Arizona

NWS Flagstaff, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Sep 10, 2002, 7:45 PM MST for Apache County, Arizona. It was in force for 45 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
Sep 10, 2002, 7:45 PM MST (02:45 UTC)
Expired
Sep 10, 2002, 8:30 PM MST
In force
45 min
Issued by
NWS Flagstaff, AZ
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Apache County, AZ

The radar

The Flagstaff radar (KFSX), 238 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:48 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 00:00Z, 2.8 hours before the alert went out and 233 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 00:00Z on 2002-09-11Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 213 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 00:00Z on 2002-09-11The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 514 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
213 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-54 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
936 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
87 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
514 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
537 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.6
Supercell composite
10.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WGUS55 KFGZ 110245
FFWFGZ
AZC001-110430-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
745 PM MST TUE SEP 10 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  NORTH CENTRAL APACHE COUNTY IN NORTHEAST ARIZONA

* UNTIL 930 PM MST (1030 PM MDT)

* AT 734 PM MST (834 PM MDT)...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR         
  INDICATED MODERATE RAIN OCCURRING OVER NORTH CENTRAL APACHE COUNTY.

THE CHINLE POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTS FLOOD WATERS ARE MOVING DOWN 
CHINLE WASH FROM ITS CONFLUENCE WITH CANYON DE CHELLY NORTHWARD TO 
MANY FARMS. EVACUATIONS ARE TAKING PLACE IN THIS AREA FOR THOSE 
LIVING NEAR THE EDGE OF THE CHINLE WASH. 

ADDITIONAL MODERATE RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE OVER THE WARNING AREA 
THROUGH 1000 PM MDT.

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 3617 10963 3619 10939 3633 10941 3632 10963

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 Sep 10, 5:20 PM MST, 2 hours 25 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 10, 5:20 PM MST, 2 hours 25 minutes before
NORTHERN ARIZONA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
520 PM MST TUE SEP 10 2002

.SYNOPSIS...TROPICAL MOISTURE WILL CONTINUE TO STREAM ACROSS ARIZONA
THROUGH WEDNESDAY. EXPECT NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO
CONTINUE TODAY AND TOMORROW...BEFORE DIMINISHING IN COVERAGE LATER
IN THE WEEK. EXPECT A DRYING TREND WITH MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES BY THE
WEEKEND. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN BELOW NORMAL FOR THE NEXT FEW
DAYS...THEN RISE TO NORMAL BY THE WEEKEND.

.DISCUSSION...EXTRAORDINARY DAY...WILL LIKELY LAST WELL INTO THE
NIGHT. EXTREMELY WET AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS OVER THE STATE IS BEING
ACTED ON BY A WEAK UPPER LOW OVER SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. AS THIS LOW
LIFTS NORTH INTO WEDNESDAY...MID-LEVELS WILL CONTINUE TO COOL. IN
ADDITION TO THIS...STRONG DYNAMICS ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW AND A JET
STREAK OVER COLORADO WILL SERVE TO CONTINUE CONVECTION NOCTURNALLY.
18Z MODEL RUNS INDICATE EVEN LESS DRYING BEHIND THIS LOW WEDNESDAY
DUE TO SLOW MOVEMENT...AND WE ARE LIKELY IN FOR ANOTHER ACTIVE DAY.
WILL CONTINUE NEAR CATEGORICAL POPS THROUGH THE NIGHT AND INTO
WEDNESDAY. FLOW BECOMES WESTERLY THURSDAY BEHIND THIS LOW...AND
EVENTUALLY NORTHERLY BY THE WEEKEND AS A RIDGE BUILDS IN FROM THE
PACIFIC. WILL DRY OUT POPS THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...WITH NO POPS AND
WARM WEATHER OVER THE WEEKEND. PETERSON.

.FGZ...FFA ALL ZONES UNTIL MIDNIGHT MST.

.CODED TEMPERATURES/POPS FOR SELECTED CITIES IN NORTHERN ARIZONA

CITY             TEMPERATURES LO/HI           PROBABILITY OF PRECIP
                 TON WED   THU     FRI        TON WED   THU     FRI
FLAGSTAFF        050/070 046/073 044/074      080 060 040 040 030 020
WINSLOW          058/077 056/080 054/081      070 050 040 030 020 000
PRESCOTT         057/077 054/081 053/082      080 060 040 030 020 000
PAGE             065/080 064/082 063/083      060 050 040 030 020 000
WINDOW ROCK      053/070 050/072 047/073      080 070 060 050 040 030
CANYON DE CHELLY 060/076 057/078 054/079      080 070 060 050 040 020
COTTONWOOD       065/088 062/092 061/093      080 060 040 030 020 000
GRAND CANYON     051/071 047/074 045/075      080 060 040 040 020 000
GREER            049/067 045/070 043/071      080 060 040 040 030 030
HEBER            053/075 049/078 047/079      080 060 040 040 030 020
JACOB LAKE       050/067 046/070 044/071      060 050 040 030 020 000
NAVAJO N.M.      059/068 056/070 053/071      070 050 040 030 020 020
PAYSON           057/081 054/085 053/086      070 050 040 030 020 000
SEDONA           064/085 061/089 060/090      080 060 040 030 020 000
SELIGMAN         050/080 047/084 046/085      080 060 040 040 020 000
SHOW LOW         059/076 055/079 053/080      080 060 040 040 030 030
ST. JOHNS        054/073 052/076 050/077      080 060 040 040 030 020
WUPATKI N.M.     060/079 058/082 056/083      070 050 040 030 020 000

In the hours before

Local storm report, Sep 10, 3:17 PM MST, 4 hours 28 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF ARIZONA
0317 PM MST TUE SEP 10 2002

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

0245 PM    COSNINO                   AZ   2 INCH HAIL
09/10/02   COCONINO                       REPORTED BY TRAINED SPOTTER

0250 PM    DONEY PARK                AZ   2 INCH HAIL
09/10/02   COCONINO                       REPORTED BY DONEY PARK FIRE DEPT

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 10, 5:01 PM MSTTornado WarningFGZApache29 min
Sep 10, 5:01 PM MSTTornado WarningFGZApache29 min
Sep 10, 5:08 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZCoconino, Gila37 min
Sep 10, 5:26 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZCoconino, Yavapai34 min
Sep 10, 5:43 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningFGZCoconino, Yavapai2 hr
Sep 10, 5:44 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningFGZCoconino, Yavapai3 hr
Sep 10, 5:45 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningFGZApache, Navajo3 hr
Sep 10, 5:45 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningFGZApache, Navajo2 hr
Sep 10, 5:55 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningFGZCoconino2 hr
Sep 10, 5:58 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningFGZCoconino3 hr
Sep 10, 7:45 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningFGZApache105 min
Sep 10, 8:35 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZYavapai25 min
Sep 10, 8:54 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZYavapai36 min
Sep 10, 9:40 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningFGZApache65 min
Sep 10, 9:49 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningFGZApache116 min
Sep 11, 1:25 AM MSTFlash Flood WarningFGZCoconino3 hr
Sep 11, 1:25 AM MSTFlash Flood WarningFGZCoconino2 hr
Sep 11, 12:25 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningFGZCoconino3 hr
Sep 11, 12:25 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningFGZCoconino110 min
Sep 11, 12:28 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZCoconino, Navajo32 min
Sep 11, 2:00 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZNavajo45 min
Sep 11, 3:05 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningFGZCoconino3 hr
Sep 11, 3:05 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningFGZCoconino2 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.