Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 2009

Flash Flood Warning 1, NWS Tucson, AZ

June 25, 2009Cochise County, Arizona

NWS Tucson, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Jun 25, 2009, 1:29 PM MST for Cochise County, Arizona. It was in force for 91 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
Jun 25, 2009, 1:29 PM MST (20:29 UTC)
Expired
Jun 25, 2009, 3:00 PM MST
In force
91 min
Issued by
NWS Tucson, AZ
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

County Cochise County, AZ

The radar

The Tucson radar (KEMX), 134 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:29 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 12:00Z, 8.5 hours before the alert went out and 151 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 12:00Z on 2009-06-25Temperature 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°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Tuscon, AZ at 12:00Z on 2009-06-25The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 70 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
2889 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
33 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
70 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
123 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 
WGUS55 KTWC 252029
FFWTWC
AZC003-252200-
/O.NEW.KTWC.FF.W.0001.090625T2029Z-090625T2200Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
129 PM MST THU JUN 25 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TUCSON HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN COCHISE COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST ARIZONA...

* UNTIL 300 PM MST

* AT 126 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  VERY HEAVY RAIN FROM SEVERAL THUNDERSTORMS NEAR SAN SIMON. RADAR
  INDICATED THAT BETWEEN TWO TO THREE INCHES OF RAIN MAY HAVE FALLEN
  IN THIS WARNED AREA IN THE PAST HOUR.

* THE STORM PRODUCING FLASH FLOODING WILL OTHERWISE REMAIN OVER
  MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF THE INDICATED COUNTY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF WASHES
AND STREAMS...COUNTRY ROADS...AS WELL AS FARMLAND ALONG THE BANKS OF
CREEKS AND STREAMS.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING.
IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNING AREA MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY.
RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE
PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS
SWIFTLY FLOWING WATERS OR WATERS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH BY FOOT OR BY
AUTOMOBILE.

&&

LAT...LON 3242 10944 3242 10911 3219 10913 3221 10943

$$

JRG
2 follow-up statements
000 
WGUS75 KTWC 252109
FFSTWC

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
209 PM MST THU JUN 25 2009

AZC003-252200-
/O.CON.KTWC.FF.W.0001.000000T0000Z-090625T2200Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
COCHISE AZ-
209 PM MST THU JUN 25 2009

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 300 PM MST FOR
NORTHEASTERN COCHISE COUNTY...

AT 205 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE RAINFALL RATES BETWEEN 2 TO 3 INCHES PER HOUR OVER THE 
WARNING AREA. GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF RAINFALL THIS AREA HAS ALREADY 
SEEN SINCE THE ISSUANCE OF THIS WARNING...THE RISK OF FLASH FLOODING 
CONTINUES FOR NORTHEASTERN PORTIONS OF COCHISE COUNTY.

THIS STORM WITH EXCESSIVE RAIN IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN OVER MAINLY 
RURAL AREAS OF THE INDICATED COUNTY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL
CREEKS AND STREAMS...COUNTRY ROADS...AS WELL AS FARMLAND ALONG THE
BANKS OF CREEKS AND STREAMS.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS
SAFELY. MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

&&

LAT...LON 3242 10944 3242 10911 3219 10913 3221 10943

$$

SMR
000 
WGUS75 KTWC 252153
FFSTWC

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
253 PM MST THU JUN 25 2009

AZC003-252201-
/O.EXP.KTWC.FF.W.0001.000000T0000Z-090625T2200Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
COCHISE AZ-
253 PM MST THU JUN 25 2009

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 300 PM MST FOR NORTHEASTERN
COCHISE COUNTY...

AT 245 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR HAD INDICATED 
THAT RAINFALL RATES OVER THE WARNED AREA HAD FALLEN TO LESS THAN 
HALF AN INCH PER HOUR. SINCE THE RATE OF RAINFALL OVER THE AREA HAS 
FALLEN SO DRASTICALLY...THE THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING OVER THE AREA 
HAS DIMINISHED. THUS...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL BE ALLOWED TO 
EXPIRE.

LAT...LON 3242 10944 3242 10911 3219 10913 3221 10943

$$

SMR

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 Jun 25, 9:22 AM MST, 4 hours 7 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 25, 9:22 AM MST, 4 hours 7 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
922 AM MST THU JUNE 25 2009

.SYNOPSIS...SOUTHERLY FLOW AROUND HIGH PRESSURE EAST OF THE AREA
WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE MOISTURE ACROSS SOUTHEAST ARIZONA. EXPECT
SCATTERED AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND
INTO THE WEEKEND.

&&

.DISCUSSION...CONSIDERABLE CLOUDINESS ACROSS THE AREA THIS MORNING
WITH AREAS OF VERY LIGHT SHOWERS/SPRINKLES/VIRGA. SATELLITE IMAGERY
DOES SHOW BACK EDGE OF THIS CLOUD COVER OVER NEW MEXICO BOOT INTO
FAR SOUTHEAST COCHISE. COULD THIS BE THE FIRST AREA TO SEE STORMS?
MOIST SOUTHERLY FLOW CONTINUES BETWEEN UPPER HIGH CENTERED IN
WESTERN KANSAS AND AN UPPER LOW JUST WEST OF LOS ANGELES.
ADDITIONALLY WATER VAPOR IMAGERY DEPICTED A SUB-TROPICAL UPPER LEVEL
LOW OVER THE MEXICAN STATE OF CHIHUAHUA...CURRENTLY MOVING NW AROUND
15 MPH. THIS FEATURE HAD ITS ORIGINS IN THE WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO
EARLIER THIS WEEK AND SPUN UP INTO ITS CURRENT STATE WEDNESDAY
MORNING. MORNING TUCSON SOUNDING WAS SIGNIFICANTLY WETTER IN THE
600-400 MB LAYER...BUT STILL RATHER DRY BELOW 700 MBS WHILE THE
STRONG INVERSIONS FROM WEDNESDAY HAVE WEAKENED. UPSTREAM...EL PASO
AND CHIHUAHUA SOUNDINGS WERE MORE UNSTABLE.

THE SUB-TROPICAL UPPER LOW OVER CHIHUAHUA MEXICO...CURRENTLY MOVING
NW AROUND 15 MPH...WILL TURN TO THE NORTH LATER TODAY AND MOVE OVER
SOUTHEAST ARIZONA THIS EVENING AS THE UPPER LOW APPROACHING LA BASIN
CONTINUES TO LIFT NE. AS THE BACK EDGE OF THIS CLOUD COVER MOVES
WEST...SHOULD SEE SOME THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP AS HEATING TAKES PLACE.
AS OF 9AM...ONE SUCH WEAK THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPED BETWEEN TOMBSTONE
AND BISBEE. EVEN WITH THE CLOUD COVER...STILL THINK THAT THE
FORECAST LOOKS OK WITH ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS. DUE TO THE CLOUD COVER...TEMPERATURES A DIFFERENT
STORY AND WILL HAVE TO WATCH TRENDS THIS MORNING. HOWEVER WE DID
STARTED THE DAY VERY WARM. AGAIN WILL MONITOR.

&&

.AVIATION...MAINLY BKN MID AND HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS WILL CONTINUE
THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS. INCREASED LOWER LEVEL MOISTURE WILL
RESULT IN A RISK FOR ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
THROUGHOUT SOUTHEAST ARIZONA AFTER 19Z AND SCT-BKN LOW LEVEL CLOUDS.
THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF GUSTY/ERRATIC
OUTFLOW WINDS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. LOWER LEVEL CLOUDS WILL
BREAK UP SOME AFTER 25/06Z TONIGHT...BUT WILL NOT DISSIPATE
ENTIRELY. AVIATION DISCUSSION NOT UPDATED FOR TAF AMENDMENTS.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...MOISTURE WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE ACROSS SOUTHEAST
ARIZONA THE REST OF THE WEEK AS HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT BUILDS TOWARD
THE AREA FROM THE PLAINS STATES. THE AMOUNT OF CLOUD COVER OVERHEAD
ALONG WITH LOW PRESSURE CURRENTLY OVER NORTHERN MEXICO WILL IMPACT
THE RISK FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TODAY. GIVEN CURRENT RADAR
AND SATELLITE TRENDS...EXPECTING THAT MOST SIGNIFICANT SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE DELAYED AT LEAST UNTIL MID AFTERNOON...IF THEY
ARISE AT ALL...THOUGH AN ISOLATED SHOWER/THUNDERSTORM/SPRINKLE
CANNOT BE RULED OUT JUST DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF MOISTURE IN THE
ATMOSPHERE. STRONGER STORMS THAT DEVELOP THROUGH THE MID TO LATE
AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING CLOUD TO
GROUND LIGHTNING AND STRONG/GUSTY/ERRATIC OUTFLOW WINDS. SCATTERED
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL REMAIN IN THE FORECAST EACH AFTERNOON
AND EVENING INTO THE WEEKEND AS THESE CONDITIONS LOOK TO REMAIN IN
PLACE.

&&

.TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE.

WEATHER.GOV/TUCSON
Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 25, 11:03 AM MST, 2 hours 26 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
1103 AM MST THU JUN 25 2009

AZZ030-035-260700-
UPPER GILA RIVER VALLEY-COCHISE COUNTY-
1103 AM MST THU JUN 25 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST
ARIZONA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THE EXTENSIVE CLOUD COVER OF THIS MORNING IS STARTING TO ERODE
FROM EAST TO WEST. THIS HAD ALLOWED HEATING TO TAKE PLACE WHICH
HAS LEAD TO ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. EXPECT AREAL
COVERAGE TO INCREASE TO SCATTERED DURING THE AFTERNOON AND
CONTINUING INTO THE EVENING. THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER IS LOW
THIS AFTERNOON BUT CANT RULE A VERY ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM THAT
WILL PRODUCE WIND GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE FOR MAINLY THE
AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE
STRONG GUSTY WINDS...CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

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

AZZ029-031>034-260700-
SOUTHEAST PINAL COUNTY-WESTERN PIMA COUNTY-TOHONO OODHAM NATION-
TUCSON METRO/MARANA/GREEN VALLEY-SANTA CRUZ COUNTY-
1103 AM MST THU JUN 25 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL
ARIZONA AND SOUTHEAST ARIZONA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

EXTENSIVE CLOUD COVER WILL LIMIT THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER
TODAY. SOME BREAKS IN THE CLOUD COVER WILL DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON
WHICH WILL LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WHICH WILL CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING HOURS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE FOR MAINLY THE
AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE
STRONG GUSTY WINDS...CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

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

AZZ019-260700-
NORTHERN GREENLEE COUNTY-
1103 AM MST THU JUN 25 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST
ARIZONA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE DEVELOPING THIS
AFTERNOON. MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE GUSTY WIND TO 40
MPH...CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING AND BRIEF MODERATE RAIN.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE FOR MAINLY THE
AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE
STRONG GUSTY WINDS...CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

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

WEATHER.GOV/TUCSON

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 25, 3:54 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCCochise63 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Arizona, 2009Every flash flood warning in 2009

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.