Alert archive / Alaska / Flood Watches in 2012

Flood Watch 5, NWS Fairbanks, AK

August 14, 2012

NWS Fairbanks, AK issued this flood watch at Aug 14, 2012, 2:30 PM AKDT. It took effect at Aug 14, 2012, 3:00 PM AKDT. It was in force for 24 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Aug 14, 2012, 2:30 PM AKDT (22:30 UTC)
In effect from
Aug 14, 2012, 3:00 PM AKDT
Expired
Aug 15, 2012, 3:25 PM AKDT
In force
24 hr
Issued by
NWS Fairbanks, AK
Flood severity
None

The text

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

492 
WGAK69 PAFG 142230
FFAAFG

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
FLOOD WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
230 PM AKDT TUE AUG 14 2012

AKZ207-160100-
/O.NEW.PAFG.FA.A.0005.120814T2300Z-120817T0600Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
CHUKCHI SEA COAST-
INCLUDING...POINT HOPE...SHISHMAREF...KIVALINA...ESPENBERG
230 PM AKDT TUE AUG 14 2012

...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING FOR THE
CHUKCHI SEA COAST NORTH OF CAPE KRUSENSTERN...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FAIRBANKS HAS ISSUED A

* FLOOD WATCH FOR THE CHUKCHI SEA COAST NORTH OF CAPE KRUSENSTERN

* THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING

* MORE THAN 1 INCH OF RAIN HAS FALLEN SINCE MONDAY EVENING OVER
  PORTIONS OF THE NORTHWEST BROOKS RANGE AND ALONG THE CHUKCHI SEA
  COAST NORTH OF CAPE KRUSENSTERN. AN ADDITIONAL 2 TO 4 INCHES OF
  RAIN IS POSSIBLE THROUGH THURSDAY WITH THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS
  ALONG SOUTH FACING SLOPES OF THE BROOKS RANGE.

* SMALL STREAMS AND RIVERS ALONG THE COAST NORTH OF CAPE
  KRUSENSTERN WILL RAPIDLY RISE TO BANKFULL LEVELS AND IT IS
  POSSIBLE THAT SOME STREAMS AND RIVERS WILL RISE OVER BANK AND
  CAUSE MINOR FLOODING.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING BASED ON
CURRENT FORECASTS.

YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE ALERT FOR POSSIBLE
FLOOD WARNINGS. THOSE LIVING IN AREAS PRONE TO FLOODING SHOULD BE
PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLOODING DEVELOP.

&&

$$

AKZ208-160100-
/O.NEW.PAFG.FA.A.0005.120814T2300Z-120817T0600Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
LOWER KOBUK AND NOATAK VALLEYS-
INCLUDING...NOATAK...KIANA...RED DOG MINE
230 PM AKDT TUE AUG 14 2012

...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING FOR THE
NORTHWEST BROOKS RANGE...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FAIRBANKS HAS ISSUED A

* FLOOD WATCH FOR THE NORTHWEST BROOKS RANGE

* THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING

* MORE THAN 1 INCH OF RAIN HAS FALLEN SINCE MONDAY EVENING OVER
  PORTIONS OF THE NORTHWEST BROOKS RANGE. AN ADDITIONAL 2 TO 4
  INCHES OF RAIN IS POSSIBLE THROUGH THURSDAY WITH THE HEAVIEST
  RAIN FALLING ALONG SOUTH FACING SLOPES OF THE BROOKS RANGE.

* SMALLER STREAMS AND RIVERS WILL RAPIDLY RISE TO BANKFULL LEVELS
  AND IT IS POSSIBLE THAT SOME STREAMS AND RIVERS WILL FLOW
  OVER BANK AND CAUSE MINOR FLOODING. THE NOATAK RIVER WILL ALSO
  EXPERIENCE A SIGNIFICANT RISE AS WATER FROM THE TRIBUTARIES
  MOVES INTO THE NOATAK RIVER.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING BASED ON
CURRENT FORECASTS.

YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE ALERT FOR POSSIBLE
FLOOD WARNINGS. THOSE LIVING IN AREAS PRONE TO FLOODING SHOULD BE
PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLOODING DEVELOP.

&&

$$
1 follow-up statement
930 
WGAK69 PAFG 152325
FFAAFG

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
FLOOD WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
325 PM AKDT WED AUG 15 2012


AKZ207-208-160030-
/O.CAN.PAFG.FA.A.0005.000000T0000Z-120817T0600Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
CHUKCHI SEA COAST-LOWER KOBUK AND NOATAK VALLEYS-
INCLUDING...POINT HOPE...SHISHMAREF...KIVALINA...ESPENBERG...
NOATAK...KIANA...RED DOG MINE
325 PM AKDT WED AUG 15 2012

...FLOOD WATCH IS CANCELLED...

THE FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN REPLACED BY A FLOOD ADVISORY
FOR SMALL STREAMS. SEE FLOOD ADVISORY STATEMENT FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION.


$$

AKZ217-170100-
/O.NEW.PAFG.FA.A.0006.120816T0200Z-120818T0200Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
UPPER KOBUK AND NOATAK VALLEYS-
INCLUDING...AMBLER...SHUNGNAK...KOBUK
325 PM AKDT WED AUG 15 2012

...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FAIRBANKS HAS ISSUED A

* FLOOD WATCH FOR A PORTION OF NORTHERN ALASKA.

* THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON

* RAIN...HEAVY AT TIMES...IS EXPECTED TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY
  AFTERNOON. TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES ARE EXPECTED.
  THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS WILL BE ON SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST FACING
  SLOPES IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.

* HEAVY RAIN MAY CAUSE RAPID RISES IN THE LEVELS OF SMALL STREAMS.
  SOME RIVERS AND STREAMS MAY RISE TO BANKFULL OR ABOVE BANKFULL
  STAGE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING BASED ON
CURRENT FORECASTS.

YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE ALERT FOR POSSIBLE
FLOOD WARNINGS. THOSE LIVING IN AREAS PRONE TO FLOODING SHOULD BE
PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLOODING DEVELOP.

&&

$$

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flood watch went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Fairbanks, AK wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flood watch went out at Aug 14, 11:54 AM AKDT, 2 hours 36 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 14, 11:54 AM AKDT, 2 hours 36 minutes before
NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
1154 AM AKDT TUE AUG 14 2012

.DISCUSSION...
THE NEAR TERM PORTIONS OF THE CURRENT MODEL RUNS CONTINUE TO
BE IN GOOD AGREEMENT OVER THE FORECAST AREA OUT THROUGH FRIDAY.

A SHORT WAVE TROUGH ALOFT NOW MOVING ACROSS NORTHWEST
ALASKA WILL BE REPLACED BY A MOIST SOUTHWEST FLOW TONIGHT.
ANOTHER SHORT WAVE WILL MOVE EASTWARD TO THE WEST COAST
AREAS BY EARLY FRIDAY. THESE FEATURES WILL CAUSE A CONTINUATION
OF RAIN OVER NORTHWEST ALASKA. ADDITIONALLY RAIN WILL SPREAD
EASTWARD ACROSS THE WEST COAST LATE TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY
NIGHT...AND THEN ON EASTWARD INTO THE NORTHWEST INTERIOR
AND ACROSS THE BROOKS RANGE AND ARCTIC SLOPE.

985 MB SURFACE LOW ABOUT 600 MILES WEST OF THE GULF OF ANADYR
WILL MODE TO ABOUT 300 MILES NORTHWEST OF POINT LAY BY EARLY
THURSDAY.

UPPER RIDGING WILL CONTINUE OVER ALL OF THE INTERIOR THROUGH
WEDNESDAY...THEN SHIFT EASTWARD INTO NORTHWEST CANADA BUT
WITH SOUTHERLY FLOW ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE RIDGE PERSISTING OVER
THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN INTERIOR INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. THIS WILL
KEEP DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN INTERIOR
ABOVE NORMAL THROUGH THURSDAY. OVER THE WEEKEND...CENTRAL AND
EASTERN INTERIOR TEMPERATURES WILL NUDGE DOWN TOWARDS SEASONAL
NORMALS AS HEIGHTS FALL AND THE SOUTHERLY FLOW WEAKENS.

COASTAL HAZARD POTENTIAL...
SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS 30-40 KT EXPECTED OVER THE NORTHERN
BERING SEA...NORTON SOUND...CHUKCHI SEA...AND OUTER KOTZEBUE
SOUND WED AND WED EVENING...BEGINNING TO DIMINISH LATER WEDNESDAY
NIGHT. THESE WINDS WILL PRODUCE ELEVATED SEA LEVELS IN NORTON
SOUND...ALONG THE CHUKCHI SEA COAST NORTHWEST OF CAPE
KRUSENSTERN...THE BERING SEA COAST NORTH AND WEST OF CAPE
RODNEY...AND ALONG THE NORTHWEST ALASKA COAST.

OVER NORTON SOUND...MAXIMUM STORM SURGE ALONG THE NORTHERN AND
EASTERN SHORES WILL RANGE FROM 2 TO 3 FEET...ABOUT 2.5 FEET
IN THE NOME AREA. MAXIMUM WINDS WILL BE SOUTHWEST 30-35 KT WITH
SEAS OFFSHORE 6-8 FEET FROM PORT SAFETY WEST. WAVES WILL DIMINISH
SOME AS THEY BREAK ONSHORE. AT NOME...MAXIMUM STORM SURGE OF
AROUND 2.5 FEET EXPECTED DURING THE DAYTIME THURSDAY...WITH TIDES
4 TO 4.2 FEET. WHILE THERE WILL BE ELEVATED SEA LEVELS AND
MODERATE SURF...CONDITIONS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE SIGNIFICANT
ENOUGH TO CAUSE ANY PROBLEMS. ALONG THE SOUTHERN NORTON
SOUND COAST...SEA LEVELS WILL MAX OUT AT ABOUT 2 FEET ABOVE
NORMAL.

ALONG THE BERING SEA COAST FROM WEST OF CAPE RODNEY TO
WALES...SEA LEVELS EXPECTED TO BE 2 TO 2.5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON INTO THURSDAY. MAXIMUM WINDS SOUTH TO
SOUTHWEST 40 KT WITH SEAS 9-10 FEET. WAVES WILL DIMINISH
SOME AS THEY BREAK ONSHORE.

ALONG THE SOUTHERN SHORE OF ST LAWRENCE ISLAND...SEA LEVELS
EXPECTED TO BE ABOUT 1 FOOT ABOVE NORMAL WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND
EVENING...MAXIMUM WINDS SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST TO 40 KT...SEAS TO 8-10
FEET OFFSHORE. WAVES WILL DIMINISH SOME AS THEY BREAK ONSHORE.

ALONG THE CHUKCHI SEA COAST NORTHWEST OF CAPE KRUSENSTERN...
MAXIMUM SEA LEVELS ARE EXPECTED TO BE 1.3 TO 1.8 FOOT ABOVE
NORMAL FROM MID DAY WEDNESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY EVENING...THEN
DIMINISHING SOME WEDNESDAY NIGHT. SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS
30-40 KT FROM MID DAY WEDNESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY EVENING.
SEAS WILL BE AS HIGH AS 7-10 FEET OFFSHORE. WAVES WILL
DIMINISH SOME AS THEY BREAK ONSHORE. AT KIVALINA...MAXIMUM
WIND SPEEDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE AROUND 30 KT BUT PROBABLY
LASTING NO MORE THAN AROUND 12 HOURS IN DURATION BEFORE
BEGINNING TO DIMINISH.

ALONG THE NORTHWEST COAST OF ALASKA NORTH AND EAST OF CAPE
LISBURNE...SEA LEVELS WILL RISE TO 1 TO 2 FEET ABOVE NORMAL...BUT
WITH THE WINDS BEING SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST...THE HIGHEST SEAS...7-10
FEET...WILL BE WELL OFFSHORE AND HIGH WAVES ARE NOT EXPECTED TO
BREAK ALONG THIS SECTION OF THE COAST.

NEAR POINT HOPE...SEA LEVELS ARE EXPECTED TO MAX OUT NEAR 2 FEET
ABOVE NORMAL WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WITH SOUTH TO
SOUTHWEST WINDS TO 40 KT AND SEAS TO 9-10 FEET OFFSHORE. WAVES
WILL DIMINISH SOME AS THEY BREAK ONSHORE.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
CONTINUED WARM AND DRY THROUGH THURSDAY. MIN RH AT MANY
INTERIOR SITES WILL BE 30-35 PERCENT. WINDS WILL BE MAINLY
LIGHT TODAY...BECOMING SOUTHWEST 10-15 MPH OVER MANY PARTS
OF THE INTERIOR WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. NO RED FLAGS EXPECTED.

&&

.HYDROLOGY...
RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 0.5 TO 1 INCH HAVE OCCURRED DURING THE
LAST 24 HOURS AT SEVERAL GAGES IN ZONES 207 AND 208. SIGNIFICANT
AMOUNTS OF ADDITIONAL RAINFALL ARE EXPECTED THROUGH FRIDAY OVER
THE WEST COAST...PARTS OF NORTHWEST ALASKA...THE NORTHWEST
INTERIOR...AND THE WESTERN BROOKS RANGE. MODELS CONCUR WITH
ESTIMATES OF 4 TO 5+ INCHES IN ZONE 208...2-4 INCHES IN ZONE
207 AND PARTS OF ZONE 207. HEAVIEST AMOUNTS WILL BE ON SOUTH AND
SOUTHWEST FACING SLOPES IN THE MOUNTAINS. ZONE 211 AND THE
SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS IN ZONES 210 MAY SEE 2-3 INCHES OF RAIN.
A FLOOD WATCH WILL BE ISSUED FOR ZONES 207 AND 208 LATER
TODAY. THERE COULD BE POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING IN ZONE 217 LATER
ON BUT THAT ZONE WILL NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE WATCH AT THIS TIME.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FLOOD WATCH FOR AKZ207-AKZ208.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR PKZ210-PKZ215-PKZ220-PKZ225.

GALE WARNING FOR PKZ210-PKZ220-PKZ225.

BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ235.
&&

AUG 12

The office that day

Everything else NWS Fairbanks, AK issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 14, 1:09 PM AKDTGale WarningAFG38 hr
Aug 14, 1:09 PM AKDTSmall Craft AdvisoryAFG7 hr
Aug 14, 1:35 PM AKDTGale WarningAFG37 hr
Aug 14, 1:35 PM AKDTSmall Craft AdvisoryAFG61 hr

Nearby

Flood Watches in Alaska, 2012Every flood watch in 2012

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text.