Alert archive / Alaska / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2007

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 3, NWS Fairbanks, AK

July 8, 2007

NWS Fairbanks, AK issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 8, 2007, 1:20 PM AKDT. It took effect at Jul 8, 2007, 6:20 PM AKDT. It was in force for 55 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 8, 2007, 1:20 PM AKDT (21:20 UTC)
In effect from
Jul 8, 2007, 6:20 PM AKDT
Expired
Jul 8, 2007, 7:15 PM AKDT
In force
55 min
Issued by
NWS Fairbanks, AK
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this severe thunderstorm 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

Fairbanks, (PFAI), launched 12:00Z, 9.3 hours before the alert went out and 215 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, Fairbanks, at 12:00Z on 2007-07-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 129 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, Fairbanks, at 12:00Z on 2007-07-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 19 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
129 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-54 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
650 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
23 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
19 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
67 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
WUAK59 PAFG 090221
SVRAFG
AKZ220-090315-
/X.NEW.PAFG.SV.W.0003.070709T0220Z-070709T0315Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
620 PM ADT SUN JUL 8 2007

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FAIRBANKS HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  YUKON FLATS AND SURROUNDING UPLANDS AREA OF ALASKA...

* UNTIL 715 PM ADT

* AT 610 PM ADT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING NICKEL SIZE HAIL.  THIS
  STORM WAS LOCATED OVER YUKON FLATS AND SURROUNDING UPLANDS...OR
  ABOUT 29 MILES WEST OF FORT YUKON...AND MOVING WEST AT 15 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR THE VILLAGE OF VENETIE BY 
  645 PM ADT

HAIL UP TO 3/4 INCH IN DIAMETER HAS BEEN DETECTED BY WEATHER RADAR  
WITH THIS STORM. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THE STORM...TAKE 
IMMEDIATE ACTION TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY.

LAT...LON 6658 14616 6676 14610 6683 14689 6660 14696

$$

JB
1 follow-up statement
000 
WWAK59 PAFG 090310
SVSAFG

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
709 PM ADT SUN JUL 8 2007

AKZ220-090319-
/X.EXP.PAFG.SV.W.0003.000000T0000Z-070709T0315Z/
YUKON FLATS AND SURROUNDING UPLANDS AK-
709 PM ADT SUN JUL 8 2007

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR YUKON FLATS AND SURROUNDING
UPLANDS EXPIRES AT 715 PM ADT...

THE THUNDERSTORMS REMAIN NEAR VENETIE BUT ARE NOW WEAKENING AND NO 
LONGER PRODUCING LARGE HAIL.

LAT...LON 6658 14616 6676 14610 6683 14689 6660 14696

$$

JB

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 Fairbanks, AK wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jul 8, 12:16 AM AKDT, 13 hours 4 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 8, 12:16 AM AKDT, 13 hours 4 minutes before
NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
516 AM ADT SUN JUL 8 2007

.DISCUSSION...THE SUPER LONG LIVED HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT FROM THE
NORTH BERING SEA TO THE EASTERN BROOKS RANGE IS SLOWLY WEAKENING
AND THE GFS AND NAM MODELS BOTH FORECAST LOW PRESSURE ALOFT IN THE
GULF OF ALASKA TO GRADUALLY STRENGTHEN AND THEN TO MOVE UP OVER
THE SOUTHERN MAINLAND OF ALASKA WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY.
UNTIL THERE IS A CHANGE IN AIR MASS OVER THE INTERIOR CONVECTION
WILL CONTINUE TO RUN BRISKLY. THE ALASKA LIGHTNING DETECTION
SYSTEM HAS PICKED UP NEARLY 6000 STRIKES SINCE 600 AM SATURDAY.
THE GFS MODEL FORECASTS AN INFLUX OF GULF OF ALASKA AIR OVER THE
INTERIOR TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY SO THIS SHOULD COOL DOWN THE
VIGOROUS CONVECTION WHICH HAS GONE ON OVER THE INTERIOR ALL MONTH.

MOST OF THE MOISTURE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAS BEEN OVER
THE EASTERN AND CENTRAL INTERIOR...WHERE IT CONTINUES TO RESIDE.
SOME OF THE CONVECTION HAS MAXED OUT BETWEEN 0600 GMT AND 1200
GMT...AND THEN CONTINUED UNTIL ROUGHLY 1400 GMT.

A NEW FRONTAL WAVE APPROACHING OSTROV VRANGELYA FROM THE
SOUTHWEST IS BRINGING IN A SOLID DECK OF CLOUDS OVER THE CENTRAL
CHUKCHI SEA. THIS FEATURE IS EXPECTED TO BRING AN INFLUX OF
OVERCAST CLOUDS AND SOME RAIN TO THE WEST ARCTIC COAST THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

THE SHIFT IN THE WIND TO ONSHORE OVER THE ARCTIC COAST ON SATURDAY
EVENTUALLY BROUGHT IN THE EXPECTED LOW CLOUDS AND AREAS OF
FOG...THOUGH THIS TOOK A FEW HOURS LONGER THAN CAN EASILY BE
EXPLAINED. THOUGH THE INLAND PORTION OF THE ARCTIC WILL PROBABLY
REMAIN SUNNY THE CREST IN TEMPERATURES ON THE COAST IS NOW
DEFINITIVELY PAST HISTORY.

THE KOTZEBUE SOUND REGION REMAINS FINE AND CLEAR AND THERE IS NO
END TO THIS IN SIGHT...ALTHOUGH THE NORTHWEST SEWARD PENINSULA MAY
FOG IN LATER TODAY. DOWN OVER NORTON SOUND LOW STRATUS COVERS
NEARLY ALL OF THAT REGION. A SHIFT IN THE WIND TO NORTH/NORTHWEST
COULD BRING DRAMATIC CLEARING THERE BY MID DAY TODAY. IT WILL
TAKE LONGER TO CLEAR DOWN ON THE YUKON DELTA...WHICH COULD STAY
IFR UNTIL SOMETIME MONDAY.

COASTAL HAZARD POTENTIAL DAYS 3 AND 4...EASTERLY SMALL CRAFT/BRISK
WIND ADVISORY CAPE HALKETT TO DEMARCATION POINT TUESDAY AND
WEDNESDAY.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...ANOTHER DRY DAY FOR THE NORTHWEST INTERIOR TODAY
AND MONDAY. IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE THE KOBUK AND NOATAK
VALLEYS AS WELL AS THE INTERIOR OF THE SEWARD PENINSULA HAVE HAD
ANY RAIN.

&&

.HYDROLOGY...HEAVY THUNDERSTORM RAINFALL IN PARTS OF THE EASTERN
INTERIOR SOUTH OF FORT YUKON OVER THE PAST 2 DAYS IS PRESUMED TO
HAVE BROUGHT UP STREAM LEVELS IN HEADWATER AREAS SIGNIFICANTLY.
SINCE THE RAIN BEARING STORMS HAVE NEARLY ALL SUBSIDED IN THE PAST
6 HOURS THE RUNOFF FROM THESE STORMS IS ON ITS WAY OUT OF
HEADWATER AREAS INTO THE MAIN COURSES OF LARGER STREAMS AND
RIVERS. DUE TO THE MAGNITUDE OF THE RAIN FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY
NIGHT OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF THE STEESE HIGHWAY THE FLASH FLOOD
WARNING FOR THAT AREA HAS BEEN CHANGED TO A FLOOD WARNING FOR
BIRCH CREEK DOWN TO CIRCLE CITY. DURING THE PAST 2 HOURS ANOTHER
AREA OF THUNDER STORMS HAS DEVELOPED AND MOVED EASTWARD OVER THE
CENTRAL BIRCH CREEK BASIN SO THIS MAY BRING WATER LEVELS UP EVEN
FURTHER...THOUGH THIS ADDITIONAL RISE WILL BE SMALL COMPARED TO
WHAT HAS OCCURRED ALREADY.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FLOOD WARNING FOR BIRCH CREEK UPSTREAM FROM CIRCLE CITY IN EFFECT
UNTIL 215 PM TODAY.

&&

TF JUL 07

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 8, 1:15 PM AKDT, 5 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
615 PM ADT SUN JUL 08 2007

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0533 PM     HAIL             8 W TWO RIVERS          64.87N 147.17W
07/08/2007  M0.25 INCH                          AK   TRAINED SPOTTER

            HAIL PLUS HEAVY RAIN

0533 PM     HEAVY RAIN       8 W TWO RIVERS          64.87N 147.17W
07/08/2007  M0.26 INCH                          AK   TRAINED SPOTTER

            IN 15 MINUTES

&&

PWEIMER

The office that day

Everything else NWS Fairbanks, AK issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 8, 1:53 PM AKDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAFG6 hr
Jul 8, 2:46 PM AKDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAFG5 hr

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alaska, 2007Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2007

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.