Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003

Flash Flood Warning 15, NWS Tucson, AZ

July 26, 2003Cochise County, Arizona

NWS Tucson, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Jul 26, 2003, 2:54 PM MST for Cochise County, Arizona. It was in force for 21 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
Jul 26, 2003, 2:54 PM MST (21:54 UTC)
Expired
Jul 26, 2003, 3:15 PM MST
In force
21 min
Issued by
NWS Tucson, AZ
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Cochise 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

Tuscon, AZ (KTUS), launched 12:00Z, 9.9 hours before the alert went out and 148 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, Tuscon, AZ at 12:00Z on 2003-07-26Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 344 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, Tuscon, AZ at 12:00Z on 2003-07-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -41 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
344 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-291 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1707 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
18 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-41 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
19 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 KTWC 262154
FFWTWC
AZC003-262315-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
254 PM MST SAT JUL 26 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TUCSON HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  SOUTH CENTRAL COCHISE COUNTY IN ARIZONA

* UNTIL 415 PM MST

* AT 250 PM MST...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED VERY HEAVY
  RAIN 11 MILES NORTHEAST OF BISBEE-DOUGLAS AIRPORT...OR ABOUT 16
  MILES NORTHEAST OF DOUGLAS...MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 15 MPH.

SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL RUNOFF WILL QUICKLY DRAIN INTO THE LESLIE CREEK 
AND BIG BEND CREEK ALONG DAVIS AND LESLIE CANYON ROAD. MOTORISTS 
TRAVELING ALONG THESE ROADS SHOULD EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION AND 
NEVER ATTEMPT TO CROSS A ROADWAY WITH WATER OF UNKNOWN DEPTH.
THE ROAD AHEAD MAY BE UNDERMINED OR WASHED AWAY. ABANDON VEHICLES 
CAUGHT IN RISING WATER IMMEDIATELY.

LAT...LON 3139 10970 3146 10932 3162 10928 3170 10971

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 Tucson, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Jul 26, 9:25 AM MST, 5 hours 29 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 26, 9:25 AM MST, 5 hours 29 minutes before
SOUTHEAST ARIZONA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
925 AM MST SAT JUL 26 2003

.SYNOPSIS...A SERIES OF DISTURBANCES ROTATING AROUND THE UPPER HIGH
WILL CONTINUE TO FOCUS THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY AT TIMES THIS WEEKEND.
SCATTERED MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE
THROUGH THE COMING WEEK.

.DISCUSSION...LAST NIGHT WAS A BUSY NIGHT (WITH AROUND 40000
LIGHTNING STRIKES ACROSS SOUTHERN ARIZONA AND SONORA MEXICO)...AND
TONIGHT COULD BE A REPEAT WITH ACTIVITY POSSIBLY LASTING LONGER INTO
THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. 12Z TUCSON SOUNDING SHOWED A MOIST AND
UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE WITH MAIN THREAT FROM STORMS LATER TODAY AND
TONIGHT BEING...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN. UPPER AIR
PLOTS THIS MORNING SHOWED AN UPPER HIGH CENTER NEAR ABQ...AN UPPER
TROF OFF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA/NORTHERN BAJA COAST...AND AN INVERTED
TROF (EXTENDING FROM SOUTHERN TEXAS INTO NORTHEAST MEXICO) WHICH IS
MOVING SLOWLY WEST. IN ADDITION...300 MB PLOTS SHOW SPEED MAX
EXTENDING FROM TEXAS BIG BEND NE INTO OKLAHOMA. COOLER AIR ALOFT
(-8C TO -9C) IS ALSO SITUATED OVER SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO INTO TEXAS.
THE ABOVE MENTIONED SPEED MAX ALREADY KICKING OFF ISOLATED
THUNDERSTORMS NEAR EL PASO THIS MORNING AND WILL LIKELY BE THE
FEATURE ALOFT TO HELP WITH THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT LATE THIS
AFTERNOON AND INTO TONIGHT. THERE CONTINUES TO BE AN UPPER DIVERGENT
FIELD OVER SONORA MEXICO...WHICH COULD LEAD TO ANOTHER MCS THERE
TONIGHT...BUT NOT SURE IF THAT AREA WILL RECOVER ENOUGH FROM BEING
RAKED OVER LAST NIGHT. MORNING VISIBLE PICTURE SHOWED MOSTLY CLEAR
SKIES ACROSS FORECAST AREA AND DOWN INTO SONORA MEXICO...WITH LEFT
OVER DEBRIS CLOUDINESS OVER SOUTHWEST ARIZONA AND MOVING UP THE
COLORADO RIVER. THERE HAS BEEN SOME DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE NEW
MEXICO BOOT SINCE SUN-UP AND THIS COULD BE A SIGN OF INCREASING
DYNAMICS...ASSOCIATED WITH APPROACHING SPEED MAX. CURRENT FORECAST
SHOWING SCATTERED EAST...ISOLATED WEST AFTERNOON DEVELOPMENT AND
WILL LEAVE THAT ALONE. TEMPERATURES LOOK OK ALSO. NO UPDATES NEEDED
AT THE MOMENT. HOWEVER...WILL CONSIDER UPPING POPS ACROSS THE BOARD
INTO THE LIKELY CATEGORY TONIGHT DUE TO ABOVE MENTIONED SPEED MAX
AND WILL NOT END THEM DURING THE EVENING HOURS...AS I EXPECT
ISOLATED ELEVATED CONVECTION TO CONTINUE INTO THE WEE MORNING HOURS.
LOTS TO WORRY ABOUT IN THE VERY SHORT TERM AND HAVENT EVEN TALKED
ABOUT SUNDAY...WHICH COULD ALSO BE A BIG DAY. MORE ON THAT IN THE
AFTERNOON DISCUSSION. JRG

.TWC...NONE.
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 26, 12:05 PM MST, 2 hours 49 minutes before
AZZ019-029>035-271400-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
1205 PM MST SAT JUL 26 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST ARIZONA

.DAY ONE...TODAY

...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM 400 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON UNTIL
MIDNIGHT TONIGHT FOR SOUTHERN GRAHAM...COCHISE...SANTA CRUZ...SOUTHERN
GREENLEE...SOUTHERN PINAL AND CENTRAL AND EASTERN PIMA...

SYNOPSIS...A STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE OVER SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO
WILL PUSH INTO SOUTHEAST ARIZONA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...
RESULTING IN STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH THE CAPABILITY OF PRODUCING
VERY HEAVY RAINFALL. THIS DISTURBANCE WILL ALSO PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY
WINDS AND SMALL HAIL. THE STRONGEST STORMS WILL BEGIN TO DEVELOP
ACROSS SOUTHERN GRAHAM...SOUTHERN GREENLEE AND COCHISE COUNTY BY
THIS AFTERNOON AND SPREAD FURTHER WEST INTO SOUTHERN PINAL...CENTRAL
AND EASTERN PIMA AND SANTA CRUZ COUNTY BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND
EARLY EVENING.

DISCUSSION...WATER VAPOR IMAGERY INDICATED A SPEED MAXIMUM IN THE
MID TO UPPER LEVELS PUSHING WEST ACROSS SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO THIS
MORNING...SQUEEZED BETWEEN AN UPPER HIGH SITUATED OVER NORTHERN NEW
MEXICO AND AN INVERTED TROUGH PUSHING WEST THROUGH SOUTHERN TEXAS
AND NORTHERN MEXICO. THIS FEATURE WILL BEGIN TO ENHANCE THUNDERSTORM
DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTHEAST ARIZONA AT IT LIES IN A MORE FAVORABLE
LOCATION RELATIVE TO THIS FEATURE. IN ADDITION...STRONG UPPER LEVEL
DIFFLUENCE ALOFT WILL ALSO ENHANCE STORM DEVELOPMENT.

EXPECT STORMS TO BEGIN TO DEVELOP ACROSS SOUTHERN GRAHAM...SOUTHERN
GREENLEE AND COCHISE COUNTY BY THIS AFTERNOON AND SPREAD FURTHER
WEST INTO SOUTHERN PINAL...CENTRAL AND EASTERN PIMA AND SANTA CRUZ
COUNTY BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. ALTHOUGH MOVEMENT
OF THESE STORMS WILL GENERALLY MOVE WEST AT 10 TO 15 MPH...THEY WILL
STILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL IN EXCESS OF ONE
INCH. THEREFORE...THE PROBABILITY FOR RECEIVING PRECIPITATION IN
EXCESS OF ONE INCH TODAY WILL BE ABOVE CLIMATOLOGY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

AN INVERTED TROUGH ACROSS SOUTHERN TEXAS AND NORTHERN MEXICO WILL
PUSH THROUGH SOUTHEAST ARIZONA SUNDAY...INCREASING THE PROBABILITY
FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IN THE FORM OF STRONG GUSTY
WINDS...SMALL HAIL AND HEAVY RAINFALL. OTHERWISE...SEASONAL
SCATTERED MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS WITH THE NORMAL
IMPLIED THREAT OF HEAVY RAIN AND STRONG WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH
THE WORK WEEK.

FOR MORE INFORMATION...SEE THE LATEST WEATHER BULLETINS:
                         AWIPS ID       WMO ID
FLASH FLOOD WATCH        PHXFFATWC      WGUS65 KTWC

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

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

RASMUSSEN

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 26, 1:00 PM MST, 1 hour 54 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON ARIZONA
100 PM MST SAT JUL 26 2003

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

0740 PM    WILLCOX                   AZ   WIND DAMAGE
07/25/03   COCHISE                        40 POWER POLES DOWNED. 7
                                          TRAILERS DESTROYED. MANY
                                          OTHERS DAMANGED. REPORTED
                                          BY EMERGENCY MANAGER

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 25, 6:36 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCCochise24 min
Jul 25, 6:51 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCCochise24 min
Jul 25, 6:53 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCCochise7 min
Jul 25, 7:55 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCGraham65 min
Jul 25, 8:22 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCGraham38 min
Jul 25, 8:44 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCPima, Pinal1 min
Jul 25, 8:59 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCCochise, Graham31 min
Jul 25, 9:57 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCGraham48 min
Jul 26, 2:36 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCCochise39 min
Jul 26, 4:12 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCCochise33 min
Jul 26, 4:43 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCCochise47 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.