Alert archive / Wisconsin / Flash Flood Warnings in 2008

Flash Flood Warning 33, NWS La Crosse, WI

July 12, 2008Grant County, Wisconsin

NWS La Crosse, WI issued this flash flood warning at Jul 12, 2008, 3:15 AM CDT for Grant County, Wisconsin. 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
Jul 12, 2008, 3:15 AM CDT (08:15 UTC)
Expired
Jul 12, 2008, 6:15 AM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS La Crosse, WI
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

County Grant County, WI

The radar

The La Crosse radar (KARX), 125 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:18 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

Davenport, (KDVN), launched 00:00Z, 8.3 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, Davenport, at 00:00Z on 2008-07-12Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 331 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, Davenport, at 00:00Z on 2008-07-12The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 85 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
331 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-143 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1485 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
19 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
85 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
160 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 120815
FFWARX
WIC043-121115-
/O.NEW.KARX.FF.W.0033.080712T0815Z-080712T1115Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
315 AM CDT SAT JUL 12 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LA CROSSE HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL GRANT COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN...

* UNTIL 615 AM CDT

* AT 305 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  RAINFALL TOTALS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES SINCE MIDNIGHT DUE TO 
  THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN. THESE RAINFALL TOTALS WERE IN
  ADDITION TO HEAVY RAINFALL WHICH OCCURRED THURSDAY NIGHT.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO UNION
  AND ELLENBORO. THE PLATTE RIVER...WILLOW BRANCH AND MCPHERSON 
  BRANCH HAVE THE HIGHEST THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING. 

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IMMINENT.
IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNED AREA MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY.

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE
DANGERS OF FLOODS. MOST FLOOD RELATED DEATHS OCCUR AT NIGHT. IF
FLOODING IS OBSERVED ACT QUICKLY.

LAT...LON 4288 9059 4287 9049 4271 9055 4268 9065
      4270 9074

$$

THOMPSON
2 follow-up statements
000 
WGUS73 KARX 120944
FFSARX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
444 AM CDT SAT JUL 12 2008

WIC043-121115-
/O.CON.KARX.FF.W.0033.000000T0000Z-080712T1115Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
GRANT WI-
444 AM CDT SAT JUL 12 2008

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 615 AM CDT FOR
SOUTHERN GRANT COUNTY...

AT 430 AM...DOPPLER RADAR ESTIMATED THAT 2 TO 2.5 INCHES OF RAIN HAD 
FALLEN IN SOUTH-CENTRAL GRANT COUNTY. THIS RAIN AREA EXTENDED FROM 
UNION TO ELLENBORO TO NORTHEAST OF POTOSI. THE MAIN RIVER AFFECTED 
BY THIS RAINFALL WILL BE THE PLATTE RIVER AND ITS ASSOCIATED 
BRANCHES INCLUDING THE WILLOW AND MCPHERSON. COUNTY SHERIFFS 
REPORTED THEY DID NOT KNOW OF WATER PROBLEMS...BUT THIS DOES NOT 
MEAN FLOODING IS NOT A THREAT. 

THIS SAME AREA HAD 3 TO 4 INCHES OF RAINFALL THURSDAY EVENING AND 
THEREFORE RECENT RAINS ARE FALLING ON SATURATED SOILS AND WILL 
RUNOFF INTO CREEKS AND STREAMS. THOSE LIVING IN THE WARNING AREA 
NEAR CREEKS AND STREAMS SHOULD CHECK WATER LEVELS IMMEDIATELY TO 
ENSURE SAFETY. MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IF NEEDED.  

AT 442 AM...RADAR INDICATED THAT MOST OF THE RAINFALL HAS ENDED IN 
THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING AREA. HOWEVER...WATER WILL STILL RISE 
THROUGH THE NEXT HOURS. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS FLOODED ROADWAYS BY 
FOOT OR AUTOMOBILE. REMEMBER...TURN AROUND DONT DROWN.

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE
DANGERS OF FLOODS. MOST FLOOD RELATED DEATHS OCCUR AT NIGHT. IF
FLOODING IS OBSERVED ACT QUICKLY.

LAT...LON 4288 9059 4287 9049 4271 9055 4268 9065
      4270 9074

$$

BAUMGARDT
000 
WGUS73 KARX 121116
FFSARX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
616 AM CDT SAT JUL 12 2008

WIC043-121122-
/O.EXP.KARX.FF.W.0033.000000T0000Z-080712T1115Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
GRANT WI-
616 AM CDT SAT JUL 12 2008

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 615 AM CDT FOR SOUTHERN
GRANT COUNTY...

THE HEAVY RAINFALL HAS ENDED. LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTS NO PROBLEMS IN 
THE WARNED AREA AT THIS TIME. THE THREAT FOR FLASH FLOODING HAS 
DIMINISHED ACROSS THE WARNED AREA. THEREFORE...THE FLASH FLOOD 
WARNING HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.

OVERNIGHT A LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNT OF RAIN FELL FROM UNION TO 
ELLENBORO TO NORTHEAST OF POTOSI. THE MAIN RIVER AFFECTED BY THIS 
RAINFALL WILL BE THE PLATTE RIVER AND ITS ASSOCIATED BRANCHES 
INCLUDING THE WILLOW AND MCPHERSON. THESE WATERWAYS ARE LIKELY 
RUNNING VERY HIGH OR COULD BE FLOODING. 

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 4288 9059 4287 9049 4271 9055 4268 9065
      4270 9074

$$

BAUMGARDT

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 11, 9:30 PM CDTAreal Flood WarningARXJuneau, Monroe36 hr
Jul 11, 9:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXBuffalo77 min
Jul 11, 10:34 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXBuffalo, Clark, Jackson, Taylor, Trempealeau71 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Wisconsin, 2008Every flash flood warning in 2008

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.