Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003

Flash Flood Warning 18, NWS Flagstaff, AZ

August 23, 2003Yavapai County, Arizona

NWS Flagstaff, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Aug 23, 2003, 4:22 PM MST for Yavapai County, Arizona. It was in force for 53 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 23, 2003, 4:22 PM MST (23:22 UTC)
Expired
Aug 23, 2003, 5:15 PM MST
In force
53 min
Issued by
NWS Flagstaff, AZ
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Yavapai County, AZ

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, 11.4 hours before the alert went out and 116 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 2003-08-23Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 220 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 2003-08-23The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 43 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
220 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-110 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1449 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
16 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
43 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
44 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 232325
FFWFGZ
AZC025-240115-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
422 PM MST SAT AUG 23 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FLAGSTAFF HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN YAVAPAI COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ARIZONA

* UNTIL 615 PM MST

* AT 410 PM MST...THE YAVAPAI COUNTY SHEFIFFS DEPARTMENT REPORTED    
  FLASH FLOODING ALONG HIGHWAY 96 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 14 AND 18.    
  THE HIGHWAY WAS CLOSED AS DEBRIS HAD COVERED THE ROADWAY. RADAR    
  INDICATES THAT 2 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN FELL OVER THE KIRKLAND CREEK  
  AND SANTA MARIA RIVER DRAINAGES BETWEEN YAVA AND BAGDAD BETWEEN    
  200 PM AND 330 PM MST. OTHER AREAS THAT RECEIVED VERY HEAVY RAIN   
  SINCE 100 PM INCLUDE THE AREA BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 164 AND 169     
  ALONG HIGHWAY 93...AND ALSO THE JUNIPER MOUNTAINS INCLUDING        
  SIMMONS AND CAMP WOOD.  

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 3536 11332 3435 11332 3434 11247 3512 11264
$$

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 23, 3:05 PM MST, 1 hour 17 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 23, 3:05 PM MST, 1 hour 17 minutes before
NORTHERN ARIZONA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
305 PM MST SAT AUG 23 2003

.SYNOPSIS...HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED NORTHEAST OF ARIZONA WILL
CONTINUE TO CIRCULATE MOISTURE OVER THE NORTHERN ARIZONA. AFTERNOON
AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE EACH DAY THROUGH
THIS WEEKEND...AND INTO NEXT WEEK.

.DISCUSSION...VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS ACROSS THE REGION
TODAY. NUMEROUS SEVERE HAIL EVENTS AND HEAVY RAIN OVER THE WESTERN
HALF OF THE CWA...WITH MORE GARDEN VARIETY TO THE EAST. FFA ON
TARGET...AND WE WILL LET IT GO UNTIL 11 PM MST. MOISTURE REMAINS
SUNDAY AND MONDAY WITH THE POSSIBLE AID OF AN EASTERLY WAVE NEAR
THE BIG BEND. HIGH POPS WILL CONTINUE. OUT PERIODS TUESDAY THROUGH
FRIDAY STILL LOOK FAIRLY MOIST WITH LITTLE FLOW. STANDARD MONSOON
FORECAST WILL CONTINUE. PETERSON.

.FGZ...FFA YAVAPAI/COCONINO COUNTIES 10 AM MST UNTIL 11 PM MST.

.CODED TEMPERATURES/POPS FOR SELECTED CITIES IN NORTHERN ARIZONA

CITY             TEMPERATURES LO/HI           PROBABILITY OF PRECIP
                 TON SUN   MON     TUE        TON SUN   MON     TUE
FLAGSTAFF        051/076 052/075 051/074      050 050 040 050 040 040
WINSLOW          063/087 065/085 064/084      030 030 030 030 020 030
PRESCOTT         062/081 063/081 062/080      050 050 040 050 040 040
PAGE             068/090 068/088 067/087      030 030 030 030 020 030
WINDOW ROCK      054/082 056/083 055/082      030 040 030 040 030 030
CANYON DE CHELLY 062/088 064/089 063/088      030 030 030 030 020 030
COTTONWOOD       070/092 071/092 070/091      040 040 030 040 030 030
GRAND CANYON     051/077 052/076 051/075      050 050 040 050 040 040
GREER            048/071 049/070 048/069      050 050 040 050 040 040
HEBER            053/081 054/080 053/079      050 050 040 050 040 040
JACOB LAKE       051/074 052/073 051/072      050 050 030 040 030 030
NAVAJO N.M.      059/082 061/083 060/082      040 040 040 040 030 040
PAYSON           063/085 064/085 063/084      030 040 040 030 020 030
SEDONA           068/089 069/089 068/088      040 040 030 040 030 030
SELIGMAN         055/084 056/084 055/083      050 050 040 050 040 040
SHOW LOW         059/081 060/080 059/079      050 050 040 050 040 040
ST. JOHNS        058/082 060/080 059/079      040 040 040 040 030 040
WUPATKI N.M.     064/089 066/087 065/086      040 040 040 040 030 040
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 23, 10:00 AM MST, 6 hours 22 minutes before
AZZ004>018-037>040-240200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
1000 AM MST SAT AUG 23 2003

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL OF COCONINO AND YAVAPAI COUNTIES FROM
10 AM MST UNTIL 11 PM MST TODAY...

A VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS EXISTS ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION
TODAY. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE ALREADY DEVELOPED THIS MORNING
NORTH OF FLAGSTAFF...AND NEAR PRESCOTT. STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE
AGAIN EXPECTED TO DEVELOP BY THIS AFTERNOON...ESPECIALLY OVER
PORTIONS OF COCONINO AND YAVAPAI COUNTIES. MORE ISOLATED STRONG
STORMS WILL ALSO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE
AREA.

STRONG STORM DEVELOPMENT OVER YAVAPAI AND COCONINO COUNTIES WILL
LEAD TO MORE HEAVY RAIN OVER PREVIOUSLY SATURATED AND FLOODED
AREAS. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR ALL OF YAVAPAI AND
COCONINO COUNTIES THROUGH 11 PM MST TONIGHT.

STRONGER STORMS OUTSIDE THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH AREA MAY ALSO LEAD TO
INCREASED FLOW IN WASHES AND DRY CREEK BEDS. HOWEVER...THE CHANCES
FOR DAMAGING FLASH FLOODING ARE MUCH LESS.

ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE TODAY OVER MUCH OF
THE AREA. ASIDE FROM HEAVY RAIN...THESE STORMS WILL HAVE THE
POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE HAIL SIZES OF AROUND AN INCH.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

A MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR MASS WILL REMAIN OVER ARIZONA RESULTING IN
A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EACH DAY. FLOODING POTENTIAL
OVER THE WEEKEND WILL REMAIN MODERATE OVER YAVAPAI AND COCONINO
COUNTIES.

.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 22, 5:37 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZCoconino23 min
Aug 22, 5:39 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZCoconino21 min
Aug 23, 11:15 AM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZYavapai30 min
Aug 23, 12:07 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZCoconino23 min
Aug 23, 12:11 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningFGZYavapai64 min
Aug 23, 12:32 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZYavapai18 min
Aug 23, 12:35 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZYavapai15 min
Aug 23, 1:09 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningFGZYavapai66 min
Aug 23, 1:11 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZYavapai19 min
Aug 23, 1:25 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningFGZCoconino65 min
Aug 23, 2:20 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningFGZYavapai55 min
Aug 23, 2:30 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZYavapai30 min
Aug 23, 3:03 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZYavapai27 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.