Alert archive / California / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 7, NWS Reno, NV

July 23, 2003Lassen County, California

NWS Reno, NV issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 23, 2003, 3:07 PM PDT for Lassen County, California. It was in force for 33 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 23, 2003, 3:07 PM PDT (22:07 UTC)
Expired
Jul 23, 2003, 3:40 PM PDT
In force
33 min
Issued by
NWS Reno, NV
Area
Whole counties

County Lassen County, CA

The radar

The Reno radar (KRGX), 140 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:09 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Reno, NV (KREV), launched 12:00Z, 10.1 hours before the alert went out and 238 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, Reno, NV at 12:00Z on 2003-07-23Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 20 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Reno, NV at 12:00Z on 2003-07-23The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -2 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
20 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-312 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2914 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
19 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-2 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
86 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.

341 
WUUS55 KREV 232207
SVRREV
CAC035-232230-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
304 PM PDT WED JUL 23 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTH CENTRAL LASSEN COUNTY IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

* UNTIL 340 PM PDT

* AT 259 PM PDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER NORTH CENTRAL LASSEN COUNTY...OR ABOUT 23
  MILES SOUTHEAST OF ADIN AND 5 MILES WEST OF MADELINE...REMAINING 
  NEARLY STATIONARY.

HAIL UP TO 1 INCH...INTENSE RAIN OF OVER AN INCH AN HOUR AND STRONG DAMAGING 
WINDS ARE LIKELY WITH THIS STORM. TAKE COVER IN A SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER UNTIL
THE STORM PASSES.

HEAVY RAINS MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND
UNDERPASSES. WATER LEVELS OF SMALL STREAMS AND RIVERS MAY ALSO
RISE...THEREFORE SEEK HIGHER GROUND IF THREATENED BY FLOOD WATERS.

REPORT DAMAGING WEATHER TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. THEY
WILL RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST
OFFICE.

$$

LAT...LON 4103 12072 4090 12055 4108 12047 4109 12064

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Reno, NV wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jul 23, 2:10 PM PDT, 57 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 23, 2:10 PM PDT, 57 minutes before
WESTERN NEVADA AND EASTERN CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
210 PM PDT WED JUL 23 2003

CONVECTION HAS BEEN DEVELOPING OVER MUCH OF THE CWA THIS AFTERNOON
IN A MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS. THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEGUN TO PRODUCE
HEAVY RAIN AND HAIL IN EASTERN CA. THIS AREA IS IN A FLASH FLOOD
WATCH UNTIL 9 PM ALONG WITH ADJACENT PORTIONS OF WESTERN NV. A WEAK
SHORT WAVE IS ROTATING AROUND THE UPPER HIGH OVER THE GREAT BASIN
AND IS PROVIDING DYNAMICS FOR THE CONVECTION...WHICH SHOULD CONTINUE
FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. A SOUTHWEST FLOW DEVELOPS OVER NORTHEAST
CA AND NORTHWEST NV THURSDAY BUT IS NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO REMOVE ALL
THE MOISTURE THAT IS IN PLACE. HAVE RETAINED A SLIGHT CHANCE ALL
ZONES FOR THE AFTERNOON. A WEAK UPPER LOW OFF THE CA COAST ON FRIDAY
TURNS THE FLOW MORE SOUTHERLY AGAIN AND A SLIGHT CHANCE OF AFTERNOON
THUNDERSTORMS HAS BEEN ADDED FOR ALL ZONES. ON SATURDAY THE
INSTABILITY MOVES SLIGHTLY EAST WITH SOME CONVECTION MENTIONED IN
PERSHING...CHURCHILL AND MINERAL COUNTIES. TEMPERATURES WHICH REMAIN
VERY HOT TODAY COOL GRADUALLY OVER THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS.
TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE IN THE MID 90S WESTERN NV VALLEYS BY SATURDAY
BUT THIS IS STILL AT OR A LITTLE ABOVE NORMAL. RC

IN THE EXTENDED...SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...THE LATEST GFS MODEL
HAD LIMITED MOISTURE AND SLIGHTLY STABLE CONDITIONS ON SUNDAY.
WORDING OF THUNDER WILL BE REMOVED WITH ONLY 10 PERCENT CHANCES IN
THE EASTERN ZONES. ELSEWHERE DRY CONDITIONS SHOULD PREVAIL.

FOR MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE 12Z GFS CONTINUES TO MAINTAIN
GENERAL CONSISTENCY FROM ITS PREVIOUS RUN...SUGGESTING A WETTER
PATTERN AS IT BUILDS THE UPPER HIGH BACK TO EASTERN NEVADA AND THEN
PIVOTS IT NORTHEAST IN RESPONSE TO TROUGH DEVELOPING OFF THE PACIFIC
NORTHWEST COAST. THIS WOULD PROVIDE A MORE SOUTHERLY OR EVEN
SOUTHEAST FLOW THROUGH MUCH OF NEXT WEEK AND MIGHT EVEN DRAW UP SOME
SUBSTANTIAL MOISTURE FROM EASTERLY WAVE WORKING ACROSS NORTHERN
MEXICO FOR 1-2 DAYS BEYOND THE CURRENT EXTENDED PERIOD. THE NOGAPS
AND ECMWF SHOW SOME RESEMBLANCE OF THIS PATTERN ALTHOUGH ARE NOT
QUITE AS AGGRESSIVE. MEANWHILE THE CANADIAN BUILDS THE HIGH RIGHT
OVER NEVADA AND PARKS IT THERE. THE GFS SOLUTION WILL REMAIN THE
PREFERRED GUIDANCE FOR THIS FORECAST AS OVERALL CONSISTENCY WAS
MAINTAINED WITH THE LATEST RUN. SOME MINOR ADJUSTMENTS TO PRECIP
CHANCES WERE TO EXPAND THE SLIGHT CHANCE ON MONDAY NORTHWARD TO NEAR
HIGHWAY 50...AND INCREASE POPS TO CHANCE CATEGORY ON TUESDAY IN THE
SOUTHERN ZONES. TEMPERATURES SHOULD REMAIN A FEW DEGREES ABOVE
CLIMATOLOGICAL NORMALS BUT FEWER 100 DEGREE VALUES ARE EXPECTED. MJD

.REV...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 900 PM PDT NVZ002-003-005 AND
CAZ070>073.
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 23, 6:50 AM PDT, 8 hours 17 minutes before
CAZ070>073-NVZ001>005-241400-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
650 AM PDT WED JUL 23 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NEVADA...THE EASTERN
SIERRA AND NORTHEASTERN CALIFORNIA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY

FLASH FLOOD WATCH TODAY...SEE THE LATEST FLASH FLOOD WATCH BULLETIN FROM KREV/
WGUS65 KREV FFAREV/ FOR DETAILS.

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL ARE EXPECTED OVER THE AREA
TODAY. THUNDERSTORMS INCLUDE THE THREAT OF DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...GUSTY SURFACE
WINDS AND BLOWING DUST.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

THE THREAT OF AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS WILL SLOWLY DECREASE
BEGINNING THURSDAY. HOWEVER...THE POSSIBILITY OF ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY
WILL RETURN SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY IN THE SOUTH AND EAST.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGERS ARE URGED TO MONITOR FORECASTS AND
RELATED MESSAGES AND BE PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION TODAY.
IN ADDITION...WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ASKED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER CONDITIONS TO THEIR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Reno, NV issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 22, 5:26 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningREVPlumas, Sierra34 min
Jul 22, 6:40 PM PDTFlash Flood WarningREVLassen35 min
Jul 23, 2:39 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningREVNevada21 min
Jul 23, 2:56 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningREVNevada34 min
Jul 23, 3:00 PM PDTFlash Flood WarningREVNevada2 hr
Jul 23, 3:20 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningREVPlacer25 min
Jul 23, 4:39 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningREVLassen26 min
Jul 23, 4:46 PM PDTFlash Flood WarningREVLassen119 min
Jul 23, 4:59 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningREVLassen31 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in California, 2003Every severe thunderstorm 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.