Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003

Flash Flood Warning 61, NWS Tucson, AZ

August 25, 2003Pima County, Pinal County, Arizona

NWS Tucson, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Aug 25, 2003, 9:10 PM MST for Pima County, Pinal County, Arizona. It was in force for 20 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 25, 2003, 9:10 PM MST (04:10 UTC)
Expired
Aug 25, 2003, 9:30 PM MST
In force
20 min
Issued by
NWS Tucson, AZ
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Pima County, AZ, Pinal County, AZ

The radar

The Tucson radar (KEMX), 70 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 04:12 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

Tuscon, AZ (KTUS), launched 00:00Z, 4.2 hours before the alert went out and 34 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 00:00Z on 2003-08-26Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1036 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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 00:00Z on 2003-08-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 52 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
1036 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-8 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2586 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
24 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
52 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
111 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WGUS55 KTWC 260414
FFWTWC
AZC019-021-260530-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
910 PM MST MON AUG 25 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TUCSON HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN PIMA COUNTY IN ARIZONA
    THIS INCLUDES...ORO VALLEY...CATALINA...MARANA
  SOUTHEASTERN PINAL COUNTY IN ARIZONA
    THIS INCLUDES...ORACLE...ORACLE JUNCTION

* UNTIL 1030 PM MST

* AT 905 PM MST...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG 
  THUNDERSTORMS GENERATING VERY HEAVY FROM ORACLE THROUGH CATALINA
  AND ORO VALLEY ALONG HIGHWAY 77. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE SOUTHWEST AT
  ABOUT 10 MPH. THIS WARNING EXTENDS AND EXPANDS THE PREVIOUS
  WARNING TO INCLUDE NORTHEASTERN PIMA COUNTY. RAINFALL REPORTS OF
  1 TO 2 INCHES WITH FLOODING HAVE BEEN RECEIVED FROM THESE STORMS.

MOST FLASH FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN VEHICLES. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS
FLOWING WATER...EVEN A SMALL ONE...ON FOOT.

LAT...LON 3220 11118 3238 11047 3284 11047 3275 11130

MEYER

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 Aug 25, 1:35 PM MST, 7 hours 35 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 25, 1:35 PM MST, 7 hours 35 minutes before
SOUTHEAST ARIZONA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
135 PM MST MON AUG 25 2003

.SYNOPSIS...INCREASING MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH HURRICANE IGNACIO
WILL TRACK NORTH TOWARD THE DESERT SOUTHWEST EARLY THIS WEEK. THIS
INFLUX IN MOISTURE SHOULD LEAD TO AN UPSWING IN RAINFALL
COVERAGE...ESPECIALLY LATE TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. A DRYING TREND
WILL COMMENCE LATER THIS WEEK...LEADING TO LESS THUNDERSTORM
ACTIVITY FOR THE UPCOMING WEEKEND.

.DISCUSSION...THE BIG STORY WEATHER WISE HAS BEEN WHAT HURRICANE
IGNACIO WILL DO FOR SOUTHEAST AZ PRECIP CHANCES THIS WEEK. LATEST
OFFICIAL NHC FORECAST OF IGNACIO HAD IT TRACKING VERY SLOWLY
NORTHWEST AND CROSSING THE BAJA PENINSULA INTO THE EASTERN PACIFIC
BY SATURDAY MORNING. ALL INDICATIONS WERE THAT THE CIRCULATION OF
IGNACIO WILL NOT IMPACT SOUTHEAST ARIZONA THIS WEEK. HOWEVER...THE
LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED INVERTED TROUGH THAT HAS BEEN
STALLED TO OUR EAST THE PAST FEW DAYS WILL TAP SOME MOISTURE FROM
IGNACIO. IN FACT...SATELLITE IMAGERY WAS ALREADY SUGGESTING THAT
THIS MOISTURE WAS BEING TAPPED AND PULLED NORTHWARD INTO SOUTHWEST
TEXAS TODAY. LATEST MODELS CONTINUED TO DRIFT THE UPPER LOW TO OUR
EAST WESTWARD A BIT TOMORROW AND WEDNESDAY. SUBSEQUENTLY...MOISTURE
WRAPPING INTO THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL SHIFT INTO PARTS OF
ARIZONA SOMETIME LATE TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. THE MAIN CONCERN AT
THIS POINT WILL BE HOW MUCH PRECIP SERN AZ WILL GET OUT OF THIS
INCREASE IN MOISTURE. THE AIRMASS OVER AZ WAS PRETTY MUCH MOIST
ALREADY...WITH PWATER VALUES RUNNING WELL ABOVE 100 PERCENT OF
NORMAL THE PAST FEW DAYS. THIS ADDITIONAL MOISTURE COMBINED WITH
SOME WEAK LARGE SCALE FORCING ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPPER LOW WILL
SURELY LEAD TO MORE WIDESPREAD RAINFALL WITH EMBEDDED HEAVIER
AMOUNTS FROM THUNDERSTORMS. LATEST MOS POP VALUES WERE SOMEWHAT
SIMILAR TO PREVIOUS RUNS...SO DO NOT ANTICIPATE MAKING MUCH
ADJUSTMENT THERE. TEMPERATURES WILL ALSO BE IMPACTED BY THE INCREASE
IN CLOUDINESS AND PRECIP WITH MOS VALUES RUNNING ABOUT 8 TO 10
DEGREES BELOW NORMAL ON WEDNESDAY. THE MOISTURE WILL LINGER ON
THURSDAY BUT WOULD EXPECT MORE TYPICAL HIT-AND-MISS SHOWERY/
THUNDERSTORM TYPE WEATHER THAT DAY WITH WARMER HIGH TEMPERATURES.

MEANWHILE...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WERE
DEVELOPING ACROSS SERN AZ THIS AFTERNOON. EXPECT FURTHER DEVELOPMENT
WITH STORMS TRACKING WESTWARD THIS EVENING. AS HAS BEEN THE PAST FEW
DAYS...VERY HEAVY RAINFALL FROM SOME OF THE STRONGER STORMS WILL BE
THE MAIN THREAT.

.TWC...NONE.
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 25, 11:10 AM MST, 10 hours before
AZZ019-029>035-261400-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
1110 AM MST MON AUG 25 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST ARIZONA

.DAY ONE...TODAY

SYNOPSIS...AS AN UPPER LEVEL INVERTED TROUGH OVER THE TEXAS BIG BEND
CONTINUES TO MOVE VERY SLOWLY TO THE WEST...EXPECT ANOTHER ROUND OF
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AS THE ATMOSPHERE REMAINS MOIST
AND UNSTABLE. AS HAS BEEN THE CASE SINCE SATURDAY...THE MAIN THREAT
FROM THE STORMS THAT DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WILL BE
HEAVY RAIN THAT MAY LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. THERE IS A MINIMAL RISK
FOR SEVERE WEATHER ACROSS THE AREA. FOR MORE DETAILS CHECK FOR AN
UPDATE OF THIS OUTLOOK AROUND NOON.

DISCUSSION...STILL LOOKING AT A SIMILAR WEATHER PATTERN AGAIN TODAY
WITH A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED INVERTED TROUGH TO OUR
EAST AND THE MOISTURE AXIS RUNNING RIGHT THROUGH AZ. MORNING UPPER
AIR SOUNDINGS SHOWED HIGH PWATER VALUES AND MODERATE INSTABILITY
OVER THE AREA FOR TODAY. DAYTIME SURFACE HEATING AND SOME WEAK UPPER
LEVEL SUPPORT FROM THE TROUGH TO OUR EAST WILL AID IN THE
DEVELOPMENT OF STORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE MAIN THREAT
FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE FLASH FLOODING...ALTHOUGH DAMAGING WINDS
COULD ACCOMPANY SOME OF THE STRONGER STORMS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.

MOISTURE FROM HURRICANE IGNACIO...WHICH WILL MOVE NORTH UP THE GULF
OF CALIFORNIA THIS WEEK...WILL KEEP A VERY MOIST ATMOSPHERE IN PLACE
ACROSS SOUTHEAST ARIZONA. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL
DEVELOP TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY WITH THE MAIN THREATS BEING HEAVY
RAINS THAT MAY LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. A DRIER SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT
WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE DESERT SOUTHWEST LATER IN THE WORK WEEK AND
INTO THE WEEKEND.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

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

In the hours before

Local storm report, Aug 25, 3:25 PM MST, 5 hours 45 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
0325 PM MST MON AUG 25 2003

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

0322 PM    SONOITA                   AZ   0.75 IN HAIL
08/25/03   SANTA CRUZ                     REPORTED BY STORM SPOTTER.
                                          TORRENTIAL RAIN ALSO IN
                                          PROGRESS.

PYTLAK

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 25, 8:05 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCPinal25 min
Aug 25, 9:17 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPima, Pinal73 min
Aug 25, 10:20 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCPima, Pinal40 min
Aug 25, 11:55 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCPima65 min
Aug 26, 1:57 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPima48 min
Aug 26, 3:35 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCPima55 min
Aug 26, 4:07 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPima38 min
Aug 26, 4:16 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCPinal29 min
Aug 26, 4:16 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPinal44 min
Aug 26, 4:41 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPima49 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.