Alert archive / Minnesota / Flash Flood Watches in 2011

Flash Flood Watch 1, NWS Twin Cities, MN

July 17, 201126 counties in Minnesota; 9 counties in Wisconsin

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this flash flood watch at Jul 17, 2011, 1:27 PM CDT for 26 counties in Minnesota; 9 counties in Wisconsin. It took effect at Jul 17, 2011, 3:00 PM CDT. It was in force for 12 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 17, 2011, 1:27 PM CDT (18:27 UTC)
In effect from
Jul 17, 2011, 3:00 PM CDT
Expired
Jul 18, 2011, 2:37 AM CDT
In force
12 hr
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN
Flood severity
None
All 35 counties

Anoka County, MN, Benton County, MN, Carver County, MN, Chisago County, MN, Dakota County, MN, Freeborn County, MN, Goodhue County, MN, Hennepin County, MN, Isanti County, MN, Kanabec County, MN, Le Sueur County, MN, McLeod County, MN, Meeker County, MN, Mille Lacs County, MN, Morrison County, MN, Ramsey County, MN, Rice County, MN, Scott County, MN, Sherburne County, MN, Sibley County, MN, Stearns County, MN, Steele County, MN, Todd County, MN, Waseca County, MN, Washington County, MN, Wright County, MN, Barron County, WI, Chippewa County, WI, Dunn County, WI, Eau Claire County, WI, Pepin County, WI, Pierce County, WI, Polk County, WI, Rusk County, WI, Saint Croix County, WI

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 36 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:27 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, 6.5 hours before the alert went out and 38 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 2011-07-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 5378 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, Minneapolis, MN at 12:00Z on 2011-07-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 60 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
5378 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-54 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
662 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
17 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
60 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
28 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.7
Supercell composite
3.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

866 
WGUS63 KMPX 171827
FFAMPX

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
FLOOD WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
127 PM CDT SUN JUL 17 2011

...VERY HEAVY RAIN POSSIBLE WITH DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORMS THIS
AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...

.VERY HEAVY RAIN IS EXPECTED WITH THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP THIS
AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...AND COULD LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING.
THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP OVER MUCH OF EASTERN
MINNESOTA AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN THIS AFTERNOON...AND A
CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA
COULD ALSO MOVE INTO THE AREA THIS EVENING. VERY UNSTABLE AIR
WITH UNUSUALLY HIGH AMOUNTS OF MOISTURE REMAINS IN PLACE...AND
WILL LIKELY PRODUCE TORRENTIAL RAINFALL RATES OF AROUND 2 INCHES
AN HOUR. MUCH OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN ALREADY
HAVE SATURATED SOILS AND AREA RIVERS AND STREAMS CONTINUE TO RUN
HIGH BECAUSE OF FREQUENT HEAVY RAIN.

THE MAIN FLOODING POTENTIAL WILL LIKELY BE EARLY TONIGHT...BUT IT
IS POSSIBLE THAT ADDITIONAL STORMS COULD DEVELOP LATER TONIGHT AS
WELL. THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH WILL BE IN EFFECT UNTIL MONDAY MORNING
AND INCLUDES THE AREA ROUGHLY EAST OF A LINE...FROM LONG PRAIRIE...
TO LITCHFIELD...MANKATO AND ALBERT LEA.

MNZ042>045-049>053-058>063-066>070-076>078-084-085-093-WIZ014>016-
023>028-180230-
/O.NEW.KMPX.FF.A.0001.110717T2000Z-110718T1200Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
TODD-MORRISON-MILLE LACS-KANABEC-STEARNS-BENTON-SHERBURNE-ISANTI-
CHISAGO-MEEKER-WRIGHT-HENNEPIN-ANOKA-RAMSEY-WASHINGTON-MCLEOD-
SIBLEY-CARVER-SCOTT-DAKOTA-LE SUEUR-RICE-GOODHUE-WASECA-STEELE-
FREEBORN-POLK-BARRON-RUSK-ST. CROIX-PIERCE-DUNN-PEPIN-CHIPPEWA-
EAU CLAIRE-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...LONG PRAIRIE...LITTLE FALLS...
PRINCETON...MORA...ST. CLOUD...FOLEY...ELK RIVER...CAMBRIDGE...
CENTER CITY...LITCHFIELD...MONTICELLO...MINNEAPOLIS...BLAINE...
ST. PAUL...STILLWATER...HUTCHINSON...GAYLORD...CHASKA...
SHAKOPEE...BURNSVILLE...LE SUEUR...FARIBAULT...RED WING...
WASECA...OWATONNA...ALBERT LEA...AMERY...BALSAM LAKE...
RICE LAKE...BARRON...LADYSMITH...HUDSON...NEW RICHMOND...
RIVER FALLS...PRESCOTT...MENOMONIE...BOYCEVILLE...DURAND...
PEPIN...CHIPPEWA FALLS...BLOOMER...EAU CLAIRE...ALTOONA
127 PM CDT SUN JUL 17 2011

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN HAS ISSUED
A

* FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF MINNESOTA AND WISCONSIN... 
  INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS...IN MINNESOTA...ANOKA... 
  BENTON...CARVER...CHISAGO...DAKOTA...FREEBORN...GOODHUE... 
  HENNEPIN...ISANTI...KANABEC...LE SUEUR...MCLEOD...MEEKER... 
  MILLE LACS...MORRISON...RAMSEY...RICE...SCOTT...SHERBURNE... 
  SIBLEY...STEARNS...STEELE...TODD...WASECA...WASHINGTON AND 
  WRIGHT. IN WISCONSIN...BARRON...CHIPPEWA...DUNN...EAU CLAIRE...
   PEPIN...PIERCE...POLK...RUSK AND ST. CROIX. 

* THROUGH MONDAY MORNING

* VERY HEAVY RAIN WITH DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE
  RAINFALL RATES OF NEAR 2 INCHES PER HOUR.

* FLASH FLOODING OF LOW LYING AND URBAN AREAS INCLUDING HIGHWAYS
  AND UNDERPASSES...AS WELL AS ALONG SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS...IS
  POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD
TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION
SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED.

&&

$$
2 follow-up statements
370 
WGUS63 KMPX 180509
FFAMPX

FLOOD WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1209 AM CDT MON JUL 18 2011

...VERY HEAVY RAIN POSSIBLE WITH THUNDERSTORMS EARLY THIS MORNING...

.A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND
SOUTHERN MINNESOTA AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN THROUGH 7 AM MONDAY.
THE WATCH AREA IS ROUGHLY EAST OF A LINE FROM LONG PRAIRIE... TO
LITCHFIELD... MANKATO AND ALBERT LEA. 

THUNDERSTORMS WITH TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS ARE POSSIBLE EARLY THIS
MORNING. VERY UNSTABLE AIR WITH UNUSUALLY HIGH AMOUNTS OF
MOISTURE REMAIN IN PLACE. RAINFALL RATES OF AROUND 2 INCHES AN
HOUR ARE POSSIBLE IN THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP. CENTRAL MINNESOTA
AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN ALREADY HAVE SATURATED SOILS AND ANY
RAINFALL THAT OCCUR WILL TURN INTO RUNOFF. IN ADDITION...AREA RIVERS
AND STREAMS CONTINUE TO RUN HIGH BECAUSE OF FREQUENT HEAVY RAINS
OVER THE PAST WEEK.

MNZ042>045-049>053-058>063-066>070-076>078-084-085-093-WIZ014>016-
023>028-181200-
/O.CON.KMPX.FF.A.0001.000000T0000Z-110718T1200Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
TODD-MORRISON-MILLE LACS-KANABEC-STEARNS-BENTON-SHERBURNE-ISANTI-
CHISAGO-MEEKER-WRIGHT-HENNEPIN-ANOKA-RAMSEY-WASHINGTON-MCLEOD-
SIBLEY-CARVER-SCOTT-DAKOTA-LE SUEUR-RICE-GOODHUE-WASECA-STEELE-
FREEBORN-POLK-BARRON-RUSK-ST. CROIX-PIERCE-DUNN-PEPIN-CHIPPEWA-
EAU CLAIRE-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...LONG PRAIRIE...LITTLE FALLS...
PRINCETON...MORA...ST. CLOUD...FOLEY...ELK RIVER...CAMBRIDGE...
CENTER CITY...LITCHFIELD...MONTICELLO...MINNEAPOLIS...BLAINE...
ST. PAUL...STILLWATER...HUTCHINSON...GAYLORD...CHASKA...
SHAKOPEE...BURNSVILLE...LE SUEUR...FARIBAULT...RED WING...
WASECA...OWATONNA...ALBERT LEA...AMERY...BALSAM LAKE...
RICE LAKE...BARRON...LADYSMITH...HUDSON...NEW RICHMOND...
RIVER FALLS...PRESCOTT...MENOMONIE...BOYCEVILLE...DURAND...
PEPIN...CHIPPEWA FALLS...BLOOMER...EAU CLAIRE...ALTOONA
1209 AM CDT MON JUL 18 2011

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM CDT MONDAY...

THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR

* PORTIONS OF MINNESOTA AND WISCONSIN...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING 
  AREAS...IN MINNESOTA...ANOKA...BENTON...CARVER...CHISAGO... 
  DAKOTA...FREEBORN...GOODHUE...HENNEPIN...ISANTI...KANABEC...LE 
  SUEUR...MCLEOD...MEEKER...MILLE LACS...MORRISON...RAMSEY... 
  RICE...SCOTT...SHERBURNE...SIBLEY...STEARNS...STEELE...TODD... 
  WASECA...WASHINGTON AND WRIGHT. IN WISCONSIN...BARRON... 
  CHIPPEWA...DUNN...EAU CLAIRE...PEPIN...PIERCE...POLK...RUSK 
  AND ST. CROIX. 

* UNTIL 7 AM CDT MONDAY

* VERY HEAVY RAIN WITH DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE 
  RAINFALL RATES OF NEAR 2 INCHES PER HOUR. 

* FLASH FLOODING OF LOW LYING AND URBAN AREAS INCLUDING HIGHWAYS 
  AND UNDERPASSES...AS WELL AS ALONG SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS... 
  IS POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD
TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION
SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED.

&&

$$
730 
WGUS63 KMPX 180737
FFAMPX

FLOOD WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
237 AM CDT MON JUL 18 2011

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH CANCELLED...

.THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN
MINNESOTA AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN HAS BEEN CANCELLED. SCATTERED 
THUNDERSTORMS REMAIN POSSIBLE EARLY THIS MORNING... BUT THE THREAT
FOR WIDESPREAD HEAVY RAIN HAS DIMINISHED. 

MNZ042>045-049>053-058>063-066>070-076>078-084-085-093-WIZ014>016-
023>028-180845-
/O.CAN.KMPX.FF.A.0001.000000T0000Z-110718T1200Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
TODD-MORRISON-MILLE LACS-KANABEC-STEARNS-BENTON-SHERBURNE-ISANTI-
CHISAGO-MEEKER-WRIGHT-HENNEPIN-ANOKA-RAMSEY-WASHINGTON-MCLEOD-
SIBLEY-CARVER-SCOTT-DAKOTA-LE SUEUR-RICE-GOODHUE-WASECA-STEELE-
FREEBORN-POLK-BARRON-RUSK-ST. CROIX-PIERCE-DUNN-PEPIN-CHIPPEWA-
EAU CLAIRE-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...LONG PRAIRIE...LITTLE FALLS...
PRINCETON...MORA...ST. CLOUD...FOLEY...ELK RIVER...CAMBRIDGE...
CENTER CITY...LITCHFIELD...MONTICELLO...MINNEAPOLIS...BLAINE...
ST. PAUL...STILLWATER...HUTCHINSON...GAYLORD...CHASKA...
SHAKOPEE...BURNSVILLE...LE SUEUR...FARIBAULT...RED WING...
WASECA...OWATONNA...ALBERT LEA...AMERY...BALSAM LAKE...
RICE LAKE...BARRON...LADYSMITH...HUDSON...NEW RICHMOND...
RIVER FALLS...PRESCOTT...MENOMONIE...BOYCEVILLE...DURAND...
PEPIN...CHIPPEWA FALLS...BLOOMER...EAU CLAIRE...ALTOONA
237 AM CDT MON JUL 18 2011

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS CANCELLED...

THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN
MINNESOTA AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN HAS BEEN CANCELLED. SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS REMAIN POSSIBLE EARLY THIS MORNING... BUT THE THREAT
FOR WIDESPREAD HEAVY RAIN HAS DIMINISHED.

$$

RAH

The office that day

Everything else NWS Twin Cities, MN issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 17, 12:29 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXChippewa, Kandiyohi61 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Watches in Minnesota, 2011Flash Flood Watches in Wisconsin, 2011Every flash flood watch in 2011

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.