Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003

Flash Flood Warning 25, NWS Flagstaff, AZ

September 7, 2003Gila County, Arizona

NWS Flagstaff, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Sep 7, 2003, 3:32 PM MST for Gila County, Arizona. It was in force for 58 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 7, 2003, 3:32 PM MST (22:32 UTC)
Expired
Sep 7, 2003, 4:30 PM MST
In force
58 min
Issued by
NWS Flagstaff, AZ
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Gila County, AZ

The radar

The Flagstaff radar (KFSX), 102 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:35 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

Phoenix, AZ (KPSR), launched 12:00Z, 10.5 hours before the alert went out and 147 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, Phoenix, AZ at 12:00Z on 2003-09-07Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 601 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, Phoenix, AZ at 12:00Z on 2003-09-07The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 141 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
601 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-165 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1797 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
38 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
141 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
143 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
4.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WGUS55 KFGZ 072233
FFWFGZ
AZC007-080030-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
332 PM MST SUN SEP 7 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FLAGSTAFF HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL GILA COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL ARIZONA

* UNTIL 530 PM MST

* AT 330 PM MST...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED VERY HEAVY 
  RAIN FALLING OVER EAST CENTRAL GILA COUNTY...FROM 10 TO 15 MILES   
  SOUTH OF CIBECUE. RADAR ALSO INDICATES THAT 1.5 TO 3 INCHES OF
  RAIN HAS FALLEN IN THIS AREA SINCE 200 PM MST. 

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM THIS STORM WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING OF SMALL 
CREEKS AND STREAMS...INCLUDING CIBECUE CREEK FROM 10 MILES SOUTH OF 
CIBECUE SOUTHWARD TOWARD THE SALT RIVER. NORMALLY DRY WASHES AND 
ARROYOS ARE ALSO SUBJECT TO FLOODING.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING.
IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNING AREA MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY. 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 3383 11051 3388 11042 3395 11043 3391 11052

$$

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 7, 2:30 PM MST, 1 hour 2 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 7, 2:30 PM MST, 1 hour 2 minutes before
NORTHERN ARIZONA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
230 PM MST SUN SEP 7 2003

.SYNOPSIS...ENOUGH MOISTURE WILL REMAIN OVER THE AREA FOR ISOLATED
THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING AND AGAIN ON MONDAY. A STRONG LOW
PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO UTAH BY TUESDAY...DRAWING TROPICAL
MOISTURE ACROSS NORTHERN ARIZONA. AS A RESULT...WIDESPREAD SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TUESDAY ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM.
MOISTURE WILL LINGER OVER NORTHERN ARIZONA FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE
WEEK WITH A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUING.

.DISCUSSION...THERE WILL BE A FEW LINGERING THUNDERSTORMS THIS
EVENING BUT EXPECT ACTIVITY TO END BY MIDNIGHT AS WARMING MID LEVEL
TEMPERATURES STABILIZE THE ATMOSPHERE.

FOR MONDAY AND TUESDAY A LONG-WAVE TROUGH WILL DEVELOP OVER THE
WESTERN UNITED STATES. THIS WILL RESULT IN LOW TO MID LEVEL WINDS
BECOMING MORE SOUTHERLY AND TAPPING A LARGE POOL OF TROPICAL
MOISTURE JUST TO THE SOUTH OF ARIZONA. IN ADDITION...THE MID LEVELS
WILL BEGIN COOLING MONDAY AFTERNOON...SO ANY CAP THAT MIGHT EXIST
EARLY ON MONDAY WILL DISAPPEAR BY LATE IN THE DAY. MONDAY NIGHT AND
TUESDAY...DEEP LARGE SCALE UPWARD MOTION...MOIST SOUTHWEST FLOW AND
OROGRAPHIC LIFT SHOULD COMBINE TO PRODUCE QUITE A BIT OF RAINFALL
ACROSS ARIZONA. AT THIS TIME IT LOOKS LIKE THE MAIN FOCUS WILL BE
ALONG THE MOGOLLON RIM...WHITE MOUNTAINS AND LOCATIONS SOUTHWARD. IT
WILL BE IMPORTANT TO REMAIN UPDATED ON THIS DEVELOPING SITUATION.

THE THROUGH MOVES EASTWARD ON WEDNESDAY BUT ENOUGH MOISTURE LINGERS
FOR THE CONTINUED THREAT OF THUNDERSTORMS.

IN THE EXTENDED...MUCH CONFLICT IN MODEL SOLUTIONS. THE GFS LEAVES
ARIZONA IN A MONSOON LIKE SETTING WITH WEAK FLOW...PLENTY OF
MOISTURE AND DIURNAL TYPE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. THE EUROPEAN MODEL
BUILDS A LONG WAVE TROUGH OVER THE WESTERN UNITED STATES WITH A
NORTHEAST TO SOUTHWEST TROUGH AXIS INTERSECTING CENTRAL NEVADA AND
CALIFORNIA. THE EUROPEAN SOLUTION HINTS TOWARD ANOTHER VERY WET
PERIOD ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. FOR NOW HAVE SETTLED ON A BLEND OF
THE TWO AND WILL WAIT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

MCCOLLUM

.NOTE...EFFECTIVE WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 1 2003...THE TEMPERATURES AND
PROBABILITIES OF PRECIPITATION TABLE (BELOW) WILL NO LONGER BE
APPENDED TO THIS PRODUCT. THE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH PREVAILING
DAYTIME WEATHER...WILL BE AVAILABLE IN THE RECENTLY ADOPTED TABULAR
STATE FORECAST (SFT). THE SFT PROVIDES THESE FORECASTS THROUGH 7
DAYS. THE WMO HEADER FOR THIS PRODUCT IS FPUS65 KPSR. THE PRODUCT
IDENTIFIER IS PHXSFTAZ. USING THE INTERNET...YOU CAN ACCESS THE SFT
DIRECTLY AT HTTP://WWW.WRH.NOAA.GOV/CGI-BIN/GPRODUCT.PL?FLGPHXSFTAZ

.FGZ...NONE.

.CODED TEMPERATURES/POPS FOR SELECTED CITIES IN NORTHERN ARIZONA

CITY             TEMPERATURES LO/HI           PROBABILITY OF PRECIP
                 TON MON   TUE     WED        TON MON   TUE     WED
FLAGSTAFF        046/072 049/067 051/070      020 030 030 060 040 040
WINSLOW          057/085 058/079 060/082      000 020 030 050 030 030
PRESCOTT         058/083 060/078 062/081      010 030 030 050 030 030
PAGE             067/088 068/084 070/087      000 010 020 050 020 020
WINDOW ROCK      048/075 050/070 052/073      020 020 030 050 030 040
CANYON DE CHELLY 055/081 057/076 059/079      010 020 020 050 030 030
COTTONWOOD       066/094 068/089 070/092      000 020 030 050 030 020
GRAND CANYON     047/073 050/068 052/071      010 020 030 050 030 030
GREER            045/069 048/064 050/067      020 030 030 060 040 040
HEBER            049/077 052/072 054/075      020 030 030 060 040 030
JACOB LAKE       046/069 049/064 051/067      010 020 020 050 030 030
NAVAJO N.M.      054/073 056/068 058/071      020 020 020 050 030 030
PAYSON           058/087 060/082 062/085      020 020 030 050 030 030
SEDONA           065/091 067/086 069/089      010 020 030 050 040 030
SELIGMAN         056/085 058/080 060/083      010 020 030 050 030 030
SHOW LOW         055/078 058/073 060/076      020 020 030 060 040 030
ST. JOHNS        053/081 054/075 056/078      020 020 030 050 030 030
WUPATKI N.M.     059/087 060/081 062/084      010 020 030 050 030 030
Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 7, 10:00 AM MST, 5 hours 32 minutes before
AZZ004>018-037>040-080200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
1000 AM MST SUN SEP 7 2003

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY

THERE WILL BE ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTHERN
ARIZONA TODAY. A FEW OF THESE WILL BECOME STRONG WITH THE POTENTIAL
FOR 1 INCH DIAMETER HAIL. THE MAIN THREAT FOR THE ISOLATED SEVERE
STORMS WILL BE FROM ABOUT THE GRAND CANYON SOUTHWARD TO THE MOGOLLON
RIM...YAVAPAI COUNTY AND NORTHERN GILA COUNTY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR A SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL EVENT STARTING
MONDAY NIGHT AND LASTING MOST OF TUESDAY. AT THIS TIME THE PRIMARY
FOCUS APPEARS TO THE THE MOGOLLON RIM...YAVAPAI COUNTY AND NORTHERN
GILA COUNTY. DEEP TROPICAL MOISTURE WILL BE PULLED INTO THESE AREAS
BY A DEVELOPING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER UTAH. AS MUCH AS 1 INCH OF
RAINFALL COULD FALL OVER A WIDE AREA WITH LOCALLY HIGHER
AMOUNTS. PLEASE STAY TUNED TO THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION
CONCERNING THIS DEVELOPING SITUATION.

.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
Sep 6, 5:06 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZCoconino24 min
Sep 6, 8:02 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZYavapai28 min
Sep 7, 2:44 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZGila31 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.