Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003

Flash Flood Warning 10, NWS Flagstaff, AZ

August 19, 2003Coconino County, Arizona

NWS Flagstaff, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Aug 19, 2003, 4:29 PM MST for Coconino County, Arizona. It was in force for 2 hr. 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 19, 2003, 4:29 PM MST (23:29 UTC)
Expired
Aug 19, 2003, 6:30 PM MST
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Flagstaff, AZ
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Coconino County, AZ

The radar

The Cedar City radar (KICX), 173 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:30 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, 11.5 hours before the alert went out and 128 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 2003-08-19Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 496 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 2003-08-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -14 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
496 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-121 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
903 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
11 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-14 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
92 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 192335
FFWFGZ
AZC005-200130-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
429 PM MST TUE AUG 19 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FLAGSTAFF HAS EXTENDED THE

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  WEST CENTRAL COCONINO COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL ARIZONA

* UNTIL 730 PM MST

* AT 421 PM MST...SUPAI LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS REPORTED FLOODING 
IN THE SUPAI AREA. THE WARNING AREA INCLUDES COYOTE CREEK...HUALAPAI 
CANYON AND NATIONAL CANYON DRAINAGES. 

RAINFALL IS TAPERING OFF AT THIS TIME BUT RUNOFF WILL CONTINUE TO 
CAUSE FLOODING FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS. 

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM THIS EVENT WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING OF CREEKS
AND STREAMS...ROADS AND ROADSIDE CULVERTS. THE HEAVY RAINS COULD ALSO
TRIGGER ROCK AND MUDSLIDES IN STEEP TERRAIN.

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 IN
FLAGSTAFF.

LAT...LON 3598 11303 3583 11283 3613 11247 3627 11269

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 19, 2:30 PM MST, 1 hour 59 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 19, 2:30 PM MST, 1 hour 59 minutes before
NORTHERN ARIZONA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
230 PM MST TUE AUG 19 2003

.SYNOPSIS...HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT WILL REMAIN NEAR THE FOUR CORNERS
REGION THIS WEEK. THIS WILL RESULT IN A MORE SOUTHEASTERLY FLOW AND
AN INCREASE IN MOISTURE LASTING INTO THE WEEKEND. A WEATHER
DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE ACROSS YAVAPAI AND WESTERN COCONINO COUNTIES
TONIGHT CAUSING SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGHOUT THE
NIGHT. FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK...EXPECT SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS...MAINLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS.

.DISCUSSION...SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS THE CONVECTIVE VORTEX SOUTH OF
PHX FILLING IN WITH CONVECTION THIS AFTERNOON. REMNANT CLOUD COVER
FROM MORNING CONVECTION IS STILL INHIBITING CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT
OVER YAVAPAI COUNTY. NORTH OF THIS VORTEX...CONVECTION IS BREAKING
OUT ALONG THE MOGOLLON RIM AND OTHER HIGHER TERRAIN WHERE MORE
AFTERNOON HEATING WAS OCCURRING. 18Z FGZ SOUNDING INDICATED WEAK CAP
BETWEEN GULF SURGE/OUTFLOW BOUNDARY LOW-LEVEL AIRMASS AND REMNANT
MIXED LAYER FROM YESTERDAY. THIS WEAK CAP CAN BE EASILY BROKEN BY
ANY OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES FROM CONVECTION...THUS EXPECT CONVECTIVE
ACTIVITY TO LINGER INTO THE EVENING AS NEW THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP
ALONG OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES. ADDITIONALLY...EXPECT CONVECTION TO LINGER
ALL NIGHT OVER YAVAPAI AND WESTERN COCONINO COUNTY AS THE CONVECTIVE
VORTEX SOUTH OF PHX MOVES NORTHWARD AROUND THE WESTERN EDGE OF THE
HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM IN NM.

MODELS INDICATE THAT ONCE THIS VORTEX MOVES NORTHWARD THROUGH THE
FORECAST AREA...FLOW BECOMES SOUTHERLY AND WILL CONTINUE TO ALLOW
ANY MOISTURE AND DISTURBANCES FROM ADDITIONAL CONVECTIVE COMPLEXES
TO MOVE OVER THE AREA. GFS WEAKENS THE HIGH BY THE END OF THE WEEK
AND MOVES IT OVER THE STATE FOR A POSSIBLE SLOW DRYING TREND BY THE
WEEKEND. ECMWF MODEL INDICATES THE HIGH MOVING INTO THE MIDDLE
PORTION OF THE US. WILL CONTINUE MODERATE-GRADE MONSOON PATTERN
THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD UNTIL A MORE CONSOLIDATED SOLUTION
EMERGES. STAUDENMAIER

.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        054/077 051/077 053/075      040 040 030 040 030 040
WINSLOW          064/089 062/088 063/087      030 030 030 030 020 030
PRESCOTT         063/084 061/084 063/084      050 040 030 040 030 040
PAGE             072/094 068/093 071/093      020 020 020 020 020 020
WINDOW ROCK      056/084 052/081 051/078      030 040 030 040 020 040
CANYON DE CHELLY 065/092 060/087 059/084      030 030 020 030 020 030
COTTONWOOD       072/095 069/095 071/095      040 030 030 040 020 030
GRAND CANYON     052/081 051/080 054/076      030 030 030 030 020 030
GREER            049/072 048/072 050/070      040 050 040 050 030 060
HEBER            055/082 053/082 055/080      030 040 040 040 030 040
JACOB LAKE       053/075 051/075 053/073      020 040 030 040 030 030
NAVAJO N.M.      058/083 057/081 056/078      020 030 030 030 020 030
PAYSON           067/088 062/088 064/088      030 040 030 040 030 040
SEDONA           068/093 067/092 069/092      030 040 030 040 020 030
SELIGMAN         062/087 060/087 062/087      030 030 030 030 020 030
SHOW LOW         057/082 059/082 061/080      040 040 040 040 030 040
ST. JOHNS        063/089 059/089 060/087      030 040 030 040 030 040
WUPATKI N.M.     068/091 063/090 064/089      030 030 030 030 020 030
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 19, 10:00 AM MST, 6 hours 29 minutes before
AZZ004>018-037>040-200200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
1000 AM MST TUE AUG 19 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR APACHE...COCONINO...NORTHERN
GILA...NAVAJO...AND YAVAPAI COUNTIES IN NORTHERN ARIZONA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY

ADDITIONAL MOISTURE HAS MOVED INTO THE AREA FROM THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY
TO THE SOUTH OVERNIGHT. AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS HAS ALREADY DEVELOPED
AROUND PHOENIX AND WILL MOVE NORTHWEST INTO SOUTHERN YAVAPAI COUNTY.
ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP THROUGHOUT THE
MORNING HOURS...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE MOGOLLON RIM AND LOCATIONS SOUTH
WHERE THE DEEPER MOISTURE RESIDES. A CIRCULATION CENTER OVER
SOUTHWEST ARIZONA WILL HELP TO ORGANIZE CONVECTION AND ENHANCE
THE SOUTHEASTERLY WIND FLOW OVER THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE FORECAST
AREA. THIS WILL RESULT IN STORM MOVEMENT GENERALLY TOWARD THE WEST. OVER
NORTHEASTERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA...LIGHTER WINDS WILL RESULT IN
LITTLE STORM MOVEMENT. THE MAIN THREAT FROM THUNDERSTORMS TODAY WILL
BE HEAVY RAIN...ALONG WITH THE THREAT OF HAIL.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW.
A MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR MASS WILL REMAIN OVER ARIZONA RESULTING IN
A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EACH DAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

DEFINITION OF HAZARDOUS WEATHER...A WEATHER EVENT POSING A THREAT
TO LIFE AND PROPERTY.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 19, 11:55 AM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZCoconino35 min
Aug 19, 12:08 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZCoconino37 min
Aug 19, 12:44 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZCoconino46 min
Aug 19, 2:25 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningFGZCoconino65 min
Aug 19, 3:04 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZCoconino56 min
Aug 19, 4:54 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZCoconino66 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Arizona, 2003Every flash flood warning in 2003

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.