Alert archive / Oregon / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003

Flash Flood Warning 3, NWS Pendleton, OR

August 4, 2003Wasco County, Oregon

NWS Pendleton, OR issued this flash flood warning at Aug 4, 2003, 6:12 PM PDT for Wasco County, Oregon. 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 4, 2003, 6:12 PM PDT (01:12 UTC)
Expired
Aug 4, 2003, 8:30 PM PDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Pendleton, OR
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Wasco County, OR

The radar

The Portland,OR radar (KRTX), 130 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:16 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

Salem/Mcnary, OR (KSLE), launched 00:00Z, 1.2 hours before the alert went out and 103 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, Salem/Mcnary, OR at 00:00Z on 2003-08-05Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2 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, Salem/Mcnary, OR at 00:00Z on 2003-08-05The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 21 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
2 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-529 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2246 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
31 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
21 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
77 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 
WGUS51 KPDT 050112
FFWPDT
ORC065-050330-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
612 PM PDT MON AUG 4 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PENDLETON HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  WESTERN WASCO COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL OREGON

* UNTIL 830 PM PDT

* AT 615 PM PDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR AND
  AUTOMATED RAIN GAGES INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY
  RAINFALL CONTINUE OVER WESTERN WASCO COUNTY...OR ABOUT 35 MILES
  SOUTHWEST OF MAUPIN.

* THIS WARNING REPLACES THE PREVIOUS WARNING THAT WAS IN EFFECT      
  UNTIL 615 PM.

* AUTOMATED RAIN GAGES HAVE REPORTED THAT 3/4 OF AN INCH OF RAIN
  FELL IN 1 HOUR WITH RADAR INDICATING UP TO 3 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN 
  POSSIBLE SINCE THE STORMS BEGAN.

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM THESE STORMS WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING OF 
CREEKS AND STREAMS...ROADS AND ROADSIDE CULVERTS. THE HEAVY RAINS 
COULD ALSO TRIGGER ROCK AND MUDSLIDES IN STEEP TERRAIN. SOME CREEKS 
AFFECTED MAY INCLUDE CEDAR CREEK AND BADGER CREEK AND THE SOUTH FORK 
OF THE WARM SPRINGS RIVER.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS
SAFELY. VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE ABANDONED QUICKLY.
MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

LAT...LON 4498 12187 4485 12168 4480 12152 4524 12150

$$

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 Pendleton, OR wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Aug 4, 2:30 PM PDT, 3 hours 42 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 4, 2:30 PM PDT, 3 hours 42 minutes before
NORTHEAST OREGON/SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
230 PM PDT MON AUG 4 2003

A PERSISTENT UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OFF THE CALIFORNIA
COAST IS MOVING NORTHEAST AND APPROACHING THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
COAST THIS AFTERNOON. THIS WILL SET THE STAGE FOR DIFLUENT FLOW AND
LARGE SCALE ASCENT ALOFT OVER CENTRAL OREGON THIS AFTERNOON. THE LOW
WILL ALSO TRANSPORT A MID LEVEL MOISTURE PLUME INTO CENTRAL OREGON
WHERE STRONG SURFACE HEATING TODAY WILL DESTABILIZE THE ATMOSPHERE.
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALREADY DEVELOPING IN CENTRAL OREGON
THIS AFTERNOON. THIS AREA HAS THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME THUNDERSTORMS
TO BECOME SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN
POSSIBLE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS EVENING.

THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO SOUTHWEST OREGON TONIGHT AND
TUESDAY. THE LOW WILL TAP INTO INSTABILITY AND MOISTURE TONIGHT FOR
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS OVERNIGHT...WITH STORMS MORE NUMEROUS IN
CENTRAL OREGON...OVERNIGHT IN CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL OREGON. A
MOIST SOUTHERLY FLOW...INSTABILITY AND DYNAMIC LIFT WILL SPREAD
ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST OREGON AS WELL AS SOUTHEAST
WASHINGTON BY TUESDAY. THIS WILL CREATE CONDITIONS FAVORABLE FOR
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS EAST OF THE CASCADES ON TUESDAY. SOME
THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH
LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN POSSIBLE.  POLAN

IN THE EXTENDED...UPPER TROUGH TO STRENGTHEN OVER THE EASTERN
PACIFIC THURSDAY AND FRIDAY WITH AN UPPER LOW CENTER SETTING UP
ALONG 130W OFF THE OREGON AND WASHINGTON COASTS. THIS WILL KEEP A
SOUTH-SOUTHWEST FLOW OVER THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST INTERIOR WITH ENOUGH
LINGERING MOISTURE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A FEW SHOWERS OR
THUNDERSTORMS. THIS ACTIVITY MAY INCREASE SOME THURSDAY NIGHT IF A
WAVE ROTATES AROUND THE UPPER LOW OVER THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COAST.
AT THIS TIME THERE IS SOME SUPPORT FOR THIS UPPER LOW TO SLOWLY
DRIFT SOUTHEAST THIS WEEKEND AND THEN INLAND EARLY NEXT WEEK. THIS
WOULD INITIALLY CAUSE AN INCREASE IN THE ONSHORE FLOW WHICH WOULD
RESULT IN A STABILIZATION OF THE AIR MASS WITH NO SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED. IF THE UPPER LOW DOES DRIFT INLAND THIS
COULD LEAD TO A RETURN TO A LOW CHANCE OF SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS
MONDAY...BUT FOR NOW WILL ONLY PUT A FEW SHOWERS ALONG THE CASCADE
CREST.  GKH

PDT 2340  ALW 2340  PSC 1220  YKM 1220

.KPDT...NONE.
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 4, 10:52 AM PDT, 7 hours 20 minutes before
ORZ041>050-WAZ024>030-051200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
1005 AM PDT MON AUG 4 2003

.DAY ONE...TODAY

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING
ACROSS CENTRAL OREGON...MAINLY IN DESCHUTES AND SOUTHERN CROOK
COUNTIES.  THE AIR MASS IS MOIST AND UNSTABLE...AND A LOW PRESSURE
SYSTEM MOVING INTO SOUTHWEST OREGON WILL TRIGGER SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS IN THIS AREA BY LATE AFTERNOON.  SOME THUNDERSTORMS
MAY BECOME SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL...HEAVY RAIN...AND DAMAGING WINDS
POSSIBLE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY

THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS OREGON AND SOUTHEAST
WASHINGTON TONIGHT AND TUESDAY.  SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE
EXECTED OVER MOST OF EASTERN OREGON TONIGHT...AND ACROSS EASTERN
OREGON AND SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON ON TUESDAY. SOME
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE STRONG WITH HAIL...HEAVY RAIN...AND GUSTY
WINDS POSSIBLE.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED.

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

SMITH

In the hours before

Local storm report, Aug 4, 4:45 PM PDT, 1 hour 27 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OREGON
445 PM PDT MON AUG 04 2003

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

0318 PM    6 SW CULVER               OR   .75 INCH HAIL
08/04/03   JEFFERSON                      REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER.

0340 PM    7 SW CULVER               OR   1.5 INCH HAIL
08/04/03   JEFFERSON                      REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER.

0355 PM    6 NE MITCHELL             OR   1 INCH HAIL
08/04/03   WHEELER                        REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Pendleton, OR issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 4, 5:29 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPDTWasco61 min
Aug 4, 5:59 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPDTUmatilla61 min
Aug 4, 6:44 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPDTCrook61 min
Aug 5, 1:12 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPDTDeschutes, Jefferson33 min
Aug 5, 1:40 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPDTDeschutes, Jefferson50 min
Aug 5, 2:25 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPDTJefferson, Wasco, Wheeler50 min
Aug 5, 2:29 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPDTJefferson, Wasco46 min
Aug 5, 2:38 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPDTGilliam, Morrow67 min
Aug 5, 3:14 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPDTSherman, Wasco46 min
Aug 5, 3:14 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPDTSherman, Wasco61 min
Aug 5, 3:41 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPDTMorrow49 min
Aug 5, 3:45 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPDTGilliam, Sherman60 min
Aug 5, 3:46 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPDTGilliam, Sherman59 min
Aug 5, 4:19 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPDTUmatilla56 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Oregon, 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.