Alert archive / Montana / Flash Flood Warnings in 2011

Flash Flood Warning 1, NWS Missoula, MT

January 17, 2011Lincoln County, Montana

NWS Missoula, MT issued this flash flood warning at Jan 17, 2011, 8:10 AM MST for Lincoln County, Montana. It was in force for 7 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
Jan 17, 2011, 8:10 AM MST (15:10 UTC)
Expired
Jan 17, 2011, 2:51 PM MST
In force
7 hr
Issued by
NWS Missoula, MT
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

County Lincoln County, MT

The radar

The Spokane radar (KOTX), 173 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 15:11 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

Spokane, WA (KOTX), launched 12:00Z, 3.2 hours before the alert went out and 99 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 2011-01-17Temperature 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 2011-01-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 272 square meters per square second.1939587897117136156Sfc1 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
840 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
45 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
272 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
251 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.

340 
WGUS55 KMSO 171510
FFWMSO
MTC053-172100-
/O.NEW.KMSO.FF.W.0001.110117T1510Z-110117T2100Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
810 AM MST MON JAN 17 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MISSOULA HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL LINCOLN COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MONTANA INCLUDING
  THE TOWN OF LIBBY...

* UNTIL 200 PM MST.

* AT 748 AM MST...LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS REPORTED FLASH FLOODING  
  OVER THE FLOWER CREEK DRAINAGE DUE TO ICE JAMMING OVERTAKING THE   
  FLOWER CREEK DAM. SOME RESIDENTIAL AREAS HAVE BEEN IMPACTED...AS   
  WELL AS THE BALSAM BRIDGE OVER FLOWER CREEK. LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT 
  HAVE ENACTED VOLUNTARY EVACUATIONS FOR PERSONS ALONG FLOWER        
  CREEK AND SOUTH NEVADA AVENUE INTO THE TOWN OF LIBBY. SHELTERS ARE 
  BEING OPENED IN LIBBY. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON EVACUATIONS AND ANY 
  OTHER QUESTIONS CALL 293-6295 OR TUNE YOUR RADIO DIAL TO 530 AM. 

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...LIBBY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING...MUD AND DEBRIS FLOWS ARE
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 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 4839 11551 4834 11557 4840 11562 4843 11557

$$
3 follow-up statements
159 
WGUS75 KMSO 171532 CCA
FFSMSO

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
832 AM MST MON JAN 17 2011

MTC053-172100-
/O.CON.KMSO.FF.W.0001.000000T0000Z-110117T2100Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
LINCOLN MT-
832 AM MST MON JAN 17 2011

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 PM MST FOR
CENTRAL LINCOLN COUNTY...

AT 748 AM MST...LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS REPORTED FLASH FLOODING    
ACROSS THE FLOWER CREEK DRAINAGE DUE TO ICE JAM BREAKING ON FLOWER 
CREEK. SOME RESIDENTIAL AREAS HAVE BEEN IMPACTED...AS WELL AS THE 
BALSAM BRIDGE OVER FLOWER CREEK. LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT HAVE ENACTED 
VOLUNTARY EVACUATIONS FOR PERSONS ALONG FLOWER CREEK AND SOUTH 
NEVADA AVENUE INTO THE TOWN OF LIBBY. SHELTERS ARE BEING OPENED IN 
LIBBY. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON EVACUATIONS AND ANY OTHER QUESTIONS 
CALL 293-6295 OR TUNE YOUR RADIO DIAL TO 530 AM. 

THESE FLOODING ISSUES ARE NOT RELATED TO THE FLOWER CREEK 
DAM...RATHER ICE JAMS ON FLOWER CREEK BELOW THE DAM. AGAIN...THERE 
ARE NO CURRENT ISSUES WITH RESPECT TO FLOWER CREEK DAM. 


LAT...LON 4839 11551 4834 11557 4840 11562 4843 11557

$$
149 
WGUS55 KMSO 172034
FFWMSO
MTC053-180300-
/O.EXT.KMSO.FF.W.0001.000000T0000Z-110118T0300Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
134 PM MST MON JAN 17 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MISSOULA HAS EXTENDED THE

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  FLOWER CREEK IN THE TOWN OF LIBBY IN CENTRAL LINCOLN COUNTY IN     
  NORTHWEST MONTANA...

* UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

* LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS CONTINUE TO REPORT WATER LEVELS RUNNING 
VERY HIGH ON FLOWER CREEK DUE TO ICE JAM BREAKS THAT OCCURRED 
EARLIER TODAY. EMERGENCY RESPONSE CREWS HAVE MADE PROGRESS IN 
SANDBAGGING AND IN DIVERTING WATER FROM CITY STREETS BACK INTO THE 
FLOWER CREEK CHANNEL...HOWEVER...FLOWER CREEK FLOWS ARE STILL AT 
DANGEROUS LEVELS AND RESIDENTS IN THE AREA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TO 
CHANGING CONDITIONS ON FLOWER CREEK.  

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...LIBBY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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 4839 11551 4834 11557 4840 11562 4843 11557

$$
880 
WGUS75 KMSO 172151
FFSMSO

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
251 PM MST MON JAN 17 2011

MTC053-172154-
/O.CAN.KMSO.FF.W.0001.000000T0000Z-110118T0300Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
LINCOLN MT-
251 PM MST MON JAN 17 2011

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR FLOWER CREEK IN 
THE TOWN OF LIBBY IN CENTRAL LINCOLN COUNTY...

LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS REPORT FLOWER CREEK IS NO LONGER FLASH 
FLOODING FROM THE ICE JAM BREAK UP THAT OCCURRED EARLY MONDAY 
MORNING. RESIDENTS IN LINCOLN COUNTY SHOULD STILL BE ALERT TO HIGH 
FLOWS ON VARIOUS CREEKS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY THAT MAY EXPERIENCE 
ICE JAM BREAK UPS.  

LAT...LON 4839 11551 4834 11557 4840 11562 4843 11557

$$

The office that day

Everything else NWS Missoula, MT issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 17, 9:17 AM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryMSOLincoln, Sanders24 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Montana, 2011Every flash flood warning 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.