Alert archive / Minnesota / Flash Flood Warnings in 2004

Flash Flood Warning 39, NWS La Crosse, WI

September 15, 20044 counties in Minnesota

NWS La Crosse, WI issued this flash flood warning at Sep 15, 2004, 7:58 AM CDT for 4 counties in Minnesota. It was in force for 3 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
Sep 15, 2004, 7:58 AM CDT (12:58 UTC)
Expired
Sep 15, 2004, 11:00 AM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS La Crosse, WI
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Dodge County, MN, Fillmore County, MN, Mower County, MN, Winona County, MN

The radar

The La Crosse radar (KARX), 81 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 12:59 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

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 12:00Z, 1.0 hours before the alert went out and 152 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, Minneapolis, MN at 12:00Z on 2004-09-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 4 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, Minneapolis, MN at 12:00Z on 2004-09-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 104 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
4 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
473 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
69 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
104 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
5 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 
WGUS53 KARX 151258
FFWARX
MNC039-045-099-169-151600-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
758 AM CDT WED SEP 15 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LA CROSSE HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  DODGE COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA
  WINONA COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA
  FILLMORE COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA
  MOWER COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA

* UNTIL 1100 AM CDT

* AT 754 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR DETECTED
  THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN FROM NEAR WABASHA
  TO NEAR PRESTON IN SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA. RAINFALL OVERNIGHT
  HAS BEEN OVER 5 INCHES IN MANY AREAS WITH WIDESPREAD ROAD
  CLOSURES AND MUD SLIDES. THIS WARNING EXTENDS THE PREVIOUS
  FLASH FLOOD WARNING.

* SOME LOCATIONS THAT MAY BE AFFECTED INCLUDE...ADAMS...ALTURA...
  CLAREMONT...DODGE CENTER...FOUNTAIN...GOODVIEW AND GRAND MEADOW.

FLOODING WILL BE SLOW TO IMPROVE THIS MORNING. DO NOT DRIVE INTO 
HIGH WATER. OBEY ROAD CLOSURES AND FIND AN ALTERNATIVE ROUTE. MORE 
PEOPLE ARE KILLED BY FLOODING THAN MOST OTHER THUNDERSTORM THREATS.

AGAIN...EVEN WITHOUT THE HEAVY RAIN THIS MORNING...ON GOING FLOOD
PROBLEMS WILL LINGER THIS MORNING. EXPECT IMPROVEMENT BUT ALLOW SOME 
TIME.

LAT...LON 4385 9155 4384 9174 4353 9177 4352 9304
      4385 9275 4385 9305 4419 9304 4419 9268
      4382 9269 4384 9210 4419 9207 4419 9185
      4405 9162 4400 9146

$$

SHEA
3 follow-up statements
000 
WGUS73 KARX 151323
FFSARX
MNC039-045-099-169-151600-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
823 AM CDT WED SEP 15 2004

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 AM CDT FOR
MOWER...FILLMORE...WINONA AND DODGE COUNTIES...

AT 815 AM...THE NORTH BRANCH OF THE ROOT RIVER IN FAR NORTHWESTERN 
FILLMORE COUNTY IS OUT OF ITS BANKS.

ALSO...WINONA COUNTY REPORTS EARLIER MUDSLIDES ALONG HIGHWAY 61...
AND HIGH WATER IN THE SOUTHWEST PART OF THE COUNTY. THERE ARE NO 
KNOWN ROADS CLOSED IN SOUTHWEST WINONA COUNTY THOUGH.

ACCORDING TO ESTIMATED RAINFALL TOTALS BASED ON DOPPLER RADAR...
THE HARDEST HIT AREAS ARE...

SOUTHWEST DODGE COUNTY...NEAR BLOOMING PRAIRIE...
NORTHWEST AND SOUTHEAST MOWER COUNTY...INCLUDING LE ROY AND 
WALTHAM...
NORTHERN FILLMORE COUNTY...FROM CHATFIELD TO NEAR PILOT MOUND...
AND SOUTHWEST WINONA COUNTY.

ADDITIONAL RAINFALL THIS MORNING WILL BE SPOTTY. THIS FLASH FLOOD 
WARNING IS AN EXTENSION DUE TO LINGERING HIGH WATER AND FLOODING 
PROBLEMS. 

DO NOT DRIVE INTO HIGH WATER. OBEY ROAD CLOSURES. TURN AROUND...
DO NOT DROWN.


LAT...LON 4385 9155 4384 9174 4353 9177 4352 9304
      4385 9275 4385 9305 4419 9304 4419 9268
      4382 9269 4384 9210 4419 9207 4419 9185
      4405 9162 4400 9146

$$

SHEA
000 
WGUS73 KARX 151425
FFSARX
MNC039-045-099-169-151600-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
925 AM CDT WED SEP 15 2004

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 AM CDT FOR
MOWER...FILLMORE...WINONA AND DODGE COUNTIES...

FLASH FLOODING...PRIMARILY FROM OVERNIGHT HEAVY RAIN...CONTINUES 
OVER MUCH OF SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA.

IN MOWER COUNTY...FLOODING IS REPORTED IN AUSTIN...ADAMS...TAOPI
AND LE ROY. SECTIONS OF INTERSTATE 90 ARE CLOSED...ALONG WITH OTHER 
STATE HIGHWAYS AND TOWNSHIP ROADS. THE CREEKS THAT FLOW INTO THE 
CEDAR RIVER NEAR AUSTIN ARE ALL HIGH AND FLOODING. EVEN THE 
HEADWATERS OF THE UPPER IOWA RIVER NEAR LE ROY IS EXPERIENCING 
FLOODING WORSE THAN IN 1993.

IN DODGE COUNTY...NUMEROUS COUNTY AND TOWNSHIP ROADS WERE 
UNDERWATER. STATE HIGHWAYS WERE REPORTEDLY OPEN THOUGH. COMMUNITIES 
ALONG THE SOUTH BRANCH OF THE MIDDLE FORK OF THE ZUMBRO RIVER HAVE 
FLOODING...INCLUDING SOME HOMES IN THE WASIOJA AREA.

RAINFALL OVERNIGHT WAS ESPECIALLY HARD...IN EXCESS OF 6 INCHES IN 
THIS REGION...WITH SOME UNOFFICIAL READINGS OVER 10 INCHES NEAR 
BLOOMING PRAIRIE. SO FAR THIS MORNING...RAINFALL HAS BEEN SPOTTY AND 
IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN SO AT LEAST THROUGH NOON. IN FACT...IT APPEARS 
THE AXIS OF THE HEAVY RAIN WILL SHIFT EAST OF THIS AREA FOR LATER 
TODAY.

CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE AS THE MORNING GOES ON...BUT IT WILL BE A 
SLOW IMPROVEMENT. WATCH FOR HIGH WATER AND STAY ON HIGH GROUND.

MOST FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE
INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE ROAD. TWO FEET OF RUSHING WATER
CAN CARRY AWAY MOST VEHICLES INCLUDING SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES AND
PICKUPS. REMEMBER...TURN AROUND DONT DROWN.

LAT...LON 4385 9155 4384 9174 4353 9177 4352 9304
      4385 9275 4385 9305 4419 9304 4419 9268
      4382 9269 4384 9210 4419 9207 4419 9185
      4405 9162 4400 9146

$$

SHEA
000 
WGUS73 KARX 151525
FFSARX
MNC039-045-099-169-151615-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
1025 AM CDT WED SEP 15 2004

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR MOWER...FILLMORE...WINONA AND DODGE 
COUNTIES WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE AT 11 CDT...

THE THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING...PRIMARILY FROM OVERNIGHT HEAVY 
RAIN...HAS DIMINISHED ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA. 
THEREFORE...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE FOR 
MOWER...FILLMORE...WINONA AND DODGE COUNTIES AT 11 AM CDT.

SINCE ONGOING FLOODING FROM LAST NIGHTS HEAVY RAINS WILL BE SLOW TO 
IMPROVE IN MOWER...DODGE AND FILLMORE COUNTIES...THE FLASH FLOOD 
WARNING FOR THOSE COUNTIES WILL BE REPLACED WITH A FLOOD WARNING 
THROUGH MOST OF THE REST OF THE DAY.  

RAINFALL CAN BE EXPECTED TO BE SPOTTY THE REST OF THIS MORNING. IN 
FACT...IT STILL APPEARS THE AXIS OF HEAVIEST RAIN WILL SHIFT EAST OF 
THE AREA DURING THE AFTERNOON.

AS MENTIONED BEFORE...CONDITIONS WILL BE SLOW TO IMPROVE WITH 
RESPECT TO ONGOING FLOODING. WATCH FOR HIGH WATER AND STAY AWAY FROM 
FLOODED AREAS. DO NOT GO AROUND ROAD BLOCKS WHERE ROADS HAVE BEEN 
CLOSED DUE TO HIGH WATER.

LAT...LON 4385 9155 4384 9174 4353 9177 4352 9304
      4385 9275 4385 9305 4419 9304 4419 9268
      4382 9269 4384 9210 4419 9207 4419 9185
      4405 9162 4400 9146

$$

THOMPSON

The office that day

Everything else NWS La Crosse, WI issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 14, 8:21 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningARXDodge5 hr
Sep 14, 8:48 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningARXMower, Olmsted4 hr
Sep 15, 1:10 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningARXDodge, Mower, Olmsted5 hr
Sep 15, 2:58 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningARXFillmore3 hr
Sep 15, 3:42 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningARXWinona2 hr
Sep 15, 6:09 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningARXDodge, Fillmore, Mower, Winona111 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Minnesota, 2004Every flash flood warning in 2004

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.