Alert archive / Colorado / Flash Flood Warnings in 2011

Flash Flood Warning 6, NWS Pueblo, CO

July 29, 2011Custer County, Fremont County, Colorado

NWS Pueblo, CO issued this flash flood warning at Jul 29, 2011, 4:37 PM MDT for Custer County, Fremont County, Colorado. It was in force for 4 hr. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Jul 29, 2011, 4:37 PM MDT (22:37 UTC)
Expired
Jul 29, 2011, 8:30 PM MDT
In force
4 hr
Issued by
NWS Pueblo, CO
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties Custer County, CO, Fremont County, CO

The radar

The Pueblo radar (KPUX), 116 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:38 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.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jul 29, 6:02 PM MDTFLASH FLOOD6 Nw Westcliffe, COHIGHWAY 69 NORTHWEST OF WESTCLIFFE MAJOR FLOODING AND DEBRIS

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

Denver, CO (KDNR), launched 12:00Z, 10.6 hours before the alert went out and 266 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, Denver, CO at 12:00Z on 2011-07-29Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 11 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, Denver, CO at 12:00Z on 2011-07-29The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -8 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
11 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-203 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2004 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-8 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
17 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.

794 
WGUS55 KPUB 292237
FFWPUB
COC027-043-300230-
/O.NEW.KPUB.FF.W.0006.110729T2237Z-110730T0230Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
437 PM MDT FRI JUL 29 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PUEBLO HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN CUSTER COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST COLORADO...
  SOUTH CENTRAL FREMONT COUNTY IN CENTRAL COLORADO...

* UNTIL 830 PM MDT

* AT 433 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED   
  SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS THE 
  WARNED AREA.  PUEBLO DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THAT BETWEEN 1 AND 3  
  INCHES OF RAIN HAS OCCURRED OVER THE WARNED AREA SINCE 300 PM 
MDT.    AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER 
THE        WARNED AREA.    

* RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO
  OCCUR. FLASH FLOODING IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR OVER MAINLY RURAL AREAS
  OF NORTHWESTERN CUSTER AND SOUTH CENTRAL FREMONT COUNTIES...
  INCLUDING THE TOWNS OF HILLSIDE...ROSITA...SILVER CLIFF AND
  WESTCLIFFE.

THIS INCLUDES BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING STREAMS AND 
DRAINAGES...GRAPE CREEK...TEXAS CREEK...NORTH HARDSCRABBLE 
CREEK...BRUSH HOLLOW CREEK AND NORTH COLONY CREEK.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IN HILLY TERRAIN THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF LOW WATER CROSSINGS WHICH ARE
POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS IN HEAVY RAIN. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TRAVEL ACROSS
FLOODED ROADS. FIND ALTERNATE ROUTES. IT ONLY TAKES A FEW INCHES OF
SWIFTLY FLOWING WATER TO CARRY VEHICLES AWAY.

&&

LAT...LON 3831 10518 3802 10536 3811 10560 3820 10569
      3830 10569 3832 10561

$$
2 follow-up statements
273 
WGUS75 KPUB 300042
FFSPUB

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
642 PM MDT FRI JUL 29 2011

COC027-043-300230-
/O.CON.KPUB.FF.W.0006.000000T0000Z-110730T0230Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
CUSTER CO-FREMONT CO-
642 PM MDT FRI JUL 29 2011

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTH CENTRAL FREMONT
AND NORTHWESTERN CUSTER COUNTIES UNTIL 830 PM MDT...

AT 636 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED 
THAT THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL HAD MOVED OUT OF THE 
WARNED AREA. HOWEVER...RUNOFF FROM PREVIOUS STORMS CONTINUES.

RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO 
OCCUR OVER MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF NORTHWESTERN CUSTER AND SOUTH 
CENTRAL FREMONT COUNTIES...POSSIBLY INCLUDING THE TOWNS OF 
HILLSIDE...ROSITA...SILVER CLIFF AND WESTCLIFFE.

AT 602 PM MDT...LOCAL BROADCAST MEDIA RELAYED RELIABLE REPORTS OF 
MAJOR FLOODING AND DEBRIS OVER HIGHWAY 69 NORTHWEST OF WESTCLIFFE.

THIS INCLUDES...BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO...THE FOLLOWING STREAMS AND 
DRAINAGES...GRAPE CREEK...TEXAS CREEK...NORTH HARDSCRABBLE 
CREEK...AND BRUSH HOLLOW CREEK.

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.

FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IS IMMINENT. IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHERE
YOU ARE RELATIVE TO STREAMS...RIVERS...OR CREEKS WHICH CAN BECOME
KILLERS IN HEAVY RAINS. CAMPERS AND HIKERS SHOULD AVOID STREAMS OR
CREEKS.

IN HILLY TERRAIN...THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF LOW WATER CROSSINGS WHICH
ARE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS IN HEAVY RAIN. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TRAVEL
ACROSS FLOODED ROADS. FIND ALTERNATE ROUTES. IT ONLY TAKES A FEW
INCHES OF SWIFTLY FLOWING WATER TO CARRY VEHICLES AWAY.

&&

LAT...LON 3831 10518 3802 10536 3811 10560 3820 10569
      3830 10569 3832 10561

$$
206 
WGUS75 KPUB 300230
FFSPUB

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
830 PM MDT FRI JUL 29 2011

COC027-043-300245-
/O.EXP.KPUB.FF.W.0006.000000T0000Z-110730T0230Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
CUSTER CO-FREMONT CO-
830 PM MDT FRI JUL 29 2011

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTH CENTRAL
FREMONT AND NORTHWESTERN CUSTER COUNTIES HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO
EXPIRE...

EXCESS RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAIN HAS ENDED OVER THE WARNED AREA. STREAMS
AND CREEKS IN THE WARNED AREA HAVE RECEDED OR WERE BEGINNING TO
RECEDE...ENDING THE FLOOD THREAT. IF FLOODING HAS BEEN OBSERVED...
PLEASE REPORT IT TO YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.

LAT...LON 3831 10518 3802 10536 3811 10560 3820 10569
      3830 10569 3832 10561

$$

The office that day

Everything else NWS Pueblo, CO issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 28, 6:14 PM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPUBEl Paso, Pueblo2 hr
Jul 28, 6:46 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPUBBent, Kiowa, Prowers59 min
Jul 28, 7:13 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPUBKiowa, Prowers62 min
Jul 28, 7:24 PM MDTFlash Flood WarningPUBEl Paso84 min
Jul 28, 7:50 PM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPUBKiowa3 hr
Jul 29, 4:01 AM MDTFlash Flood WatchPUBCostilla, Huerfano, Las Animas17 hr
Jul 29, 5:26 PM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPUBLas Animas3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Colorado, 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.