Alert archive / Washington / Flash Flood Warnings in 2007

Flash Flood Warning 3, NWS Spokane, WA

September 14, 2007Lincoln County, Washington

NWS Spokane, WA issued this flash flood warning at Sep 14, 2007, 12:35 PM PDT for Lincoln County, Washington. It was in force for 115 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
Sep 14, 2007, 12:35 PM PDT (19:35 UTC)
Expired
Sep 14, 2007, 2:30 PM PDT
In force
115 min
Issued by
NWS Spokane, WA
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text
Flood severity
Unknown

County Lincoln County, WA

The radar

The Spokane radar (KOTX), 40 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:33 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

Spokane, WA (KOTX), launched 12:00Z, 7.6 hours before the alert went out and 130 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, Spokane, WA at 12:00Z on 2007-09-14Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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, Spokane, WA at 12:00Z on 2007-09-14The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 3 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
2819 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
18 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
3 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
63 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 
WGUS56 KOTX 141936
FFWOTX
WAC043-142130-
/T.NEW.KOTX.FF.W.0003.070914T1935Z-070914T2130Z/
/00000.U.GO.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TEST...FLASH FLOOD WARNING...TEST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
1235 PM PDT FRI SEP 14 2007

...THIS MESSAGE IS FOR TEST PURPOSES ONLY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SPOKANE HAS ISSUED A

* THIS IS A TEST MESSAGE. FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR A GLACIAL LAKE DAM
OUTBURST IN...
  CENTRAL LINCOLN COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL WASHINGTON...

* UNTIL 230 PM PDT

* THIS IS A TEST MESSAGE. AT 1235 PM PDT...A GLACIER AT DAVENPORT 
HAS MELTED...RELEASING LARGE QUANTITIES OF IMPOUNDED WATER AND 
CAUSING FLASH FLOODING.

* THIS IS A TEST MESSAGE. AFFECTED LOCATIONS INCLUDE DAVENPORT

THIS IS A TEST MESSAGE. DO NOT TAKE ACTION BASED ON THIS MESSAGE.

LAT...LON 4770 11790 4732 11790 4732 11846 4770 11846

$$

FONTENOT
1 follow-up statement
000 
WGUS76 KOTX 141937
FFSOTX

TEST...FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT...TEST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
1237 PM PDT FRI SEP 14 2007

...THIS MESSAGE IS FOR TEST PURPOSES ONLY...

WAC043-142130-
/T.CON.KOTX.FF.W.0003.000000T0000Z-070914T2130Z/
/00000.U.GO.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
LINCOLN WA-
1237 PM PDT FRI SEP 14 2007

...THIS MESSAGE IS FOR TEST PURPOSES ONLY...

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 230 PM PDT FOR
CENTRAL LINCOLN COUNTY...

THIS IS A TEST MESSAGE. AT 1234 PM PDT...A THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING
FLASH FLOODING WAS REPORTED OVER THE WARNED AREA.

THIS IS A TEST MESSAGE. LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT
LIMITED TO DAVENPORT

THIS IS A TEST MESSAGE. DO NOT TAKE ACTION BASED ON THIS MESSAGE.

LAT...LON 4770 11790 4732 11790 4732 11846 4770 11846
TIME...MOT...LOC 1937Z 180DEG 0KT 4751 11818

$$

FONTENOT

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 Spokane, WA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Sep 14, 4:30 AM PDT, 8 hours 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 14, 4:30 AM PDT, 8 hours 5 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
430 AM PDT FRI SEP 14 2007

.SYNOPSIS...
A VERY DRY RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL RESIDE OVER THE INLAND
NORTHWEST THROUGH THE WEEKEND. THIS RIDGE WILL BRING PLENTY OF
SUNSHINE DURING THE DAYTIME HOURS AND COOL OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES.
BY SUNDAY NIGHT A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE WILL SLIDE OVER THE
REGION. THIS WILL BRING COOLER CONDITIONS THROUGH AT LEAST THE
MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
TODAY AND TONIGHT...SATELLITE INDICATES A BROAD REX BLOCK PATTERN
OVER WESTERN CONUS AND WESTERN CANADA...WITH THE ASSOCIATED CLOSED
LOW FEATURE VISIBLE ON SATELLITE AS AN AREA OF CIRCULATION OVER
OREGON. A DEFORMATION AXIS OF CONVECTIVE DEBRIS IS VISIBLE WELLING
UP FROM OREGON AND INTO SOUTHERN WASHINGTON THIS MORNING. LATEST
MODEL RUNS ARE REMARKABLY SIMILAR WITH THE OVERALL FIELD OF MOTION
AROUND THE REGION. SLIGHT UPPER LEVEL COOLING ASSOCIATED WITH THE
DEFORMATION AXIS WILL CROSS THE FORECAST AREA TODAY SLIGHTLY
DECREASING MID LEVEL STABILITY...BUT AIR MASS WILL REMAIN TOO DRY
FOR ANY STORMS OR EVEN SIGNIFICANT CLOUD DEVELOPMENT BEYOND
OCCASIONAL TRANSITING PATCHES OF CIRRUS AND HIGH AC TO FILTER THE
SUN OCCASIONALLY. AT THE SURFACE...A WEAK AND NEBULOUS THERMAL
TROUGH WILL SET UP OVER THE BASIN LEADING TO LIGHT WINDS AND HIGH
TEMPERATURES A DEGREE OR TWO HIGHER THAN YESTERDAY MAX TEMPS. THE
ONLY SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ISSUE TODAY WILL BE THE AREAL EXTENT AND
OPACITY OF SMOKE FROM THE MANILA CREEK FIRE NEAR KELLER. THIS SMOKE
FIELD WILL CHOKE MUCH OF THE DEEP/WESTERN COLUMBIA BASIN THROUGH
THIS MORNING BEFORE THE INVERSION MIX OUT ALLEVIATES THE SITUATION
SOMEWHAT. THIS SMOKE MAY EVEN BLOCK ENOUGH SUN TO IMPACT HIGH
TEMPERATURES IN THE DEEP BASIN AND RETARD THEM FROM REACHING
YESTERDAYS HIGHS DESPITE A GENERAL WEAK WARMING TREND ELSEWHERE.

TONIGHT LITTLE CHANGE IN THE OVERALL PATTERN...EXCEPT A WEAK
MARINE PUSH THROUGH THE CASCADES GAPS WILL BRING MORE WIND TO THE
WESTERN ZONES...AND PERHAPS SLOSH THE SMOKE OVER THE EASTERN
BASIN TONIGHT. /FUGAZZI

SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT...ON SATURDAY MAIN EMPHASIS WILL
REMAIN WITH MOISTURE ROTATING NORTH AROUND A CUTOFF LOW OFF THE
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA COAST. MODELS PRETTY CONSISTENT WITH TAKING AN
AREA OF ELEVATED MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY NORTH TO NEAR OR JUST
SOUTH OF THE CAMAS PRAIRIE AND BLUE MTNS. GIVEN THAT THESE AREAS
ARE ON THE FRINGES OF THE MID LEVEL MOISTURE...AND ALSO DUE TO A
VERY DRY LOW LEVEL AIR MASS...FORECAST WAS KEPT DRY WITH 5-10
POPS. ON SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY WHAT IS LEFT OF THE MID LEVEL
MOISTURE FROM THE CUTOFF LOW WILL GET PICKED UP BY THE UPPER LEVEL
FLOW IN ADVANCE OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT. THIS MOISTURE WILL
COMBINE WITH WEAK INSTABILITY FOR A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS
OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF SE WASHINGTON AND THE CENTRAL IDAHO
PANHANDLE. THE COLD FRONT ITSELF WILL BE NEAR THE CASCADES LATE
SUNDAY AFTERNOON...CROSSING THROUGH THE AREA SUNDAY NIGHT. GIVEN
THE INITIALLY DRY LOW LEVEL AIR MASS...DOWNSLOPE WEST-SOUTHWEST
FLOW OFF THE CASCADES ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE FRONT...AND THE FAST
MOVEMENT OF THE FRONT...PRECIPITATION CHANCES DO NOT LOOK GOOD
WITH ONLY 10-20 POPS. A TIGHTENING WEST-EAST PRESSURE GRADIENT
MAY LEAD TO LOCALLY BREEZY CONDITIONS IN THE WENATCHEE RIVER
VALLEY EAST INTO THE COLUMBIA BASIN AND EASTERN WASHINGTON. JW

MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...MODELS CONSISTENT WITH A LONG WAVE
TROUGH SETTLING IN OVER THE AREA. DETAILS STILL DIFFER THOUGH AS
BOTH GFS AND ECMWF HINT AT A CLOSED LOW DEVELOPING AS A SYSTEM DROPS
DOWN THE EAST SIDE OF THE OFFSHORE RIDGE. FOR THIS REASON KEPT
FORECAST CHANGES MINIMAL...WHICH CALLS FOR COOLER AND SLIGHTLY
GREATER CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION MON THRU WED...FOLLOWED BY DRIER
CONDITIONS THURSDAY.  JW

&&

.AVIATION...
EARLY MORNING LLWS POSSIBLE AT KGEG AND KSFF TAF SITES UNTIL
INVERSION ERODES AROUND 16Z. LARGE AREA OF SMOKE WITH MVFR
VISIBILITIES AND LOCAL IFR VISIBILITIES WILL PERSIST OVER COLUMBIA
BASIN WEST OF KGEG UNTIL 18Z...WITH IMPROVEMENT TO LOCAL MVFR
VISIBILITIES AFTER 18Z. OTHERWISE VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED THROUGH
12Z SAT.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
SPOKANE        82  50  81  53  77  49 /   0   0   0   0   0  20
COEUR DALENE  83  45  82  49  76  48 /   0   0   0   0   0  20
PULLMAN        83  44  81  44  77  46 /  10   0   0   0  10  20
LEWISTON       88  55  86  54  80  56 /  10  10   0   0  10  10
COLVILLE       86  45  85  43  79  45 /   0   0   0   0   0  20
SANDPOINT      80  42  80  44  75  49 /   0   0   0   0   0  20
KELLOGG        81  48  79  51  75  45 /   0   0   0   0   0  20
MOSES LAKE     84  51  86  51  79  50 /  10  10   0   0   0  10
WENATCHEE      85  59  84  57  80  54 /  10  10   0   0  10  10
OMAK           88  52  87  50  81  49 /   0   0   0   0  10  10

&&

.OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ID...NONE.
WA...NONE.
&&

The office that day

Everything else NWS Spokane, WA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 14, 9:26 AM PDTFlash Flood WarningOTXLincoln2 hr
Sep 14, 11:31 AM PDTFlash Flood WarningOTXLincoln29 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Washington, 2007Every flash flood 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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.