Alert archive / California / Special Weather Statements in 2012

Special Weather Statement, NWS Eureka, CA

March 31, 2012Humboldt County, California

NWS Eureka, CA issued this special weather statement at Mar 31, 2012, 3:27 PM PDT for Humboldt County, California. It was in force for 48 min. 2 reports 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: Mar 31, 2012, 3:27 PM PDT (22:27 UTC)
Expired: Mar 31, 2012, 4:15 PM PDT
In force: 48 min
Issued by: NWS Eureka, CA

County Humboldt County, CA

The radar

The Eureka (Bunker Hill) radar (KBHX), 45 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:29 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.

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Mar 31, 3:30 PM PDT	TSTM WND GST 45	1 N Eureka, CA	45 MPH WIND ON INDIAN ISLAND AT 330 PM.
Mar 31, 3:30 PM PDT	TSTM WND GST 85	3 N Westhaven-Moonstone, CA	TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTED A THUNDERSTORM WIND GUST OF 85 MPH AT PATRICKS POINT.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Medford/Jackson, OR (KMFR), launched 12:00Z, 10.5 hours before the alert went out and 199 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 1654 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 110 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 349 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 608 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.

514 
WWUS86 KEKA 312227
SPSEKA

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EUREKA CA
327 PM PDT SAT MAR 31 2012

CAZ001-003-312315-
HUMBOLDT CA-
327 PM PDT SAT MAR 31 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN EUREKA HAS ISSUED A

SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN HUMBOLDT COUNTY IN NORTHWEST CALIFORNIA

UNTIL 415 PM PDT

AT 320 PM PDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A 
LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORM FROM NEAR EUREKA TO NORTH OF 
TRINIDAD...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

WIND GUSTS UP TO 55 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM....ALONG WITH 
SMALL HAIL...HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
   EUREKA...ARCATA...TRINIDAD...ORICK

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A
STURDY BUILDING.

LAT...LON 4071 12426 4070 12423 4072 12426 4077 12425
      4085 12418 4098 12413 4104 12414 4105 12418
      4145 12407 4143 12379 4059 12382 4058 12429
TIME...MOT...LOC 2225Z 207DEG 28KT 4086 12413

$$

JCA

What forecasters said that day

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

NWS Eureka, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this special weather statement went out at Mar 31, 3:19 PM PDT, 8 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 31, 3:19 PM PDT, 8 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EUREKA CA
319 PM PDT SAT MAR 31 2012

.SYNOPSIS...ONE FINAL FRONT WILL SWEEP THROUGH NW CALIFORNIA THIS
EVENING WITH A CONTINUED CHANCE FOR RAIN...SNOW...AND THUNDERSTORMS.
HIGH PRESSURE WILL TAKE HOLD LATER TONIGHT BRINGING MAINLY DRY
WEATHER THROUGH AT LEAST MONDAY.

&&

.DISCUSSION...988 MB LOW APPROX 200 MI DUE WEST OF CRESCENT CITY
WILL CONTINUE TO FILL AS IT SHIFTS EAST. THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT
SWUNG THROUGH ABOUT 7 AM THIS MORNING...DROPPING SNOW LEVELS AS
LOW AS 2500 FT. THE AIR HAS SINCE WARMED A LITTLE...WITH SNOW
LEVELS CLOSER TO 3500 FT. BESIDES THE ISSUE OF SNOW...SEVERAL
CONVECTIVE BANDS AROUND THE LOW WILL BE APPROACHING THE COAST YET
THIS AFTN/EVE. LIGHTNING HAS BEEN OBSERVED WITH QUITE A FEW CELLS
OFFSHORE ALREADY TODAY...AND SEE NO REASON THAT FUTURE STORMS
WOULD HAVE ANY TROUBLE PRODUCING A LITTLE LIGHTNING...ESPECIALLY
AS THE COLD CORE LOW APPROACHES THE COAST. THE SAME INGREDIENTS
THAT MAY SPAWN THUNDER WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL.
WINDS WILL REMAIN GUSTY ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST...ESPECIALLY IN
DEL NORTE COUNTY WHERE WINDS HAVE BEEN APPROACHING 50 MPH. WE WILL
LEAVE ALL CURRENT HEADLINES IN PLACE..BUT TWEAK WITH THE WINTER
WX ADVISORY TO BETTER CAPTURE SNOW LEVELS BASED ON CURRENT OBS AND
TRENDS.

WEAK HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN LATER TONIGHT BEHIND THE DEPARTING
LOW. THE HIGH HOLDS TOUGH INTO MON MORNING. DESPITE HIGH PRESSURE
OVERHEAD...PLENTY OF UPPER LEVEL MOISTURE WILL BE STREAMING BY
LEADING TO VARIABLE CLOUDINESS. THE NEXT TROUGH DROPS OUT OF THE
GULF OF ALASKA ON MON...WITH THE FRONT TAKING ITS TIME SAGGING
SOUTH. MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT IN KEEPING RAIN OUT OF NW CA
UNTIL TUE MORNING...THEN THE BAND OF PRECIPITATION WILL BE FAIRLY
SWIFT IN MOVING THROUGH. QPF TOTALS FROM THIS FRONT WILL BE
MINISCULE IN COMPARISON TO OUR PAST SYSTEM (GENERALLY AN INCH OR
LESS). THE TROUGH FINALLY DROPS INTO THE PACNW WED-THU USHERING IN
COLDER AIR WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS. JCA

&&

.MARINE...MINOR CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE FORECAST. A STRONG LINE OF
STORMS IS CROSSING THE WATERS AT THIS TYPING. SOUTH WINDS AHEAD OF
THE LINE WILL CHANGE TO THE NORTHWEST BEHIND THE LINE. GALE
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ACROSS MOST OF THE WATERS THIS
EVENING, THEN BEGIN TO EASE EARLY SUNDAY MORNING AS THE MAIN STORM
SYSTEM MOVES INLAND. THE GALE WARNINGS ARE ON TRACK, SO LEFT THEM
UNCHANGED. THE SWAN AND ENP STILL HAVE SWELL AT OR ABOVE 20 FEET
TONIGHT, WHICH IS STILL TOO HIGH. BASED ON SWELL DECAY FROM BUOY 6
HAVE KEPT WITH THE RUNNING FORECAST OF GOING A FEW FEET BELOW
THEM. HAVE THE SWELL PEAKING AROUND 18 FEET LATE TONIGHT, SO
ISSUED A HAZARDOUS SEAS WARNING FOR THE SOUTHERN WATERS FOR LATE
TONIGHT WHERE THE WAVES WILL BE THE HIGHEST. WAVES WILL REMAIN
ELEVATED THROUGH THE WEEKEND DUE TO A LARGE WEST SWELL.

&&

.AVIATION...REGIONAL AIRPORTS WILL CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE BANDS
SHOWERS THROUGH THE EVENING...SOME HEAVY WITH SMALL HAIL. ACV
WILL PROBABLY EXPERIENCE THUNDER AND LIGHTNING AT LEAST
THROUGH EARLY EVENING. WINDS WILL ALSO REMAIN BREEZY TO GUSTY
THROUGH EVENING. RAIN SHOULD TAPER AROUND MIDNIGHT.WINDS WILL ALSO
DIMINISH AND CEILINGS SHOULD BECOME CONSISTENTLY VFR. TA

&&

.EKA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 5 PM PDT THIS AFTERNOON CAZ001.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 11 PM PDT THIS EVENING ABOVE 3500
FT CAZ003-004.

GALE WARNING UNTIL 11 PM PDT THIS EVENING PZZ450-470-475.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM PDT SUNDAY PZZ455.

&&

VISIT US AT HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/EUREKA

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK AT:
HTTP://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/US.NATIONALWEATHERSERVICE.EUREKA.GOV

Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 31, 2:49 PM PDT, 38 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EUREKA CA
249 PM PDT SAT MAR 31 2012

CAZ001-012200-
REDWOOD COAST-
249 PM PDT SAT MAR 31 2012

...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM PDT THIS AFTERNOON...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST CALIFORNIA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

A WIND ADVISORY IS CURRENTLY IN EFFECT. FOR FURTHER DETAILS
PLEASE REFER TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR WEATHER.GOV/EUREKA.

SHOWERS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING.

THERE IS ALSO A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER TO THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN EUREKA.

CAZ003-004-012200-
NORTH COAST INTERIOR-UPPER TRINITY RIVER-
249 PM PDT SAT MAR 31 2012

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM PDT THIS EVENING...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST CALIFORNIA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS CURRENTLY IN EFFECT ABOVE 3500 FT.
FOR FURTHER DETAILS PLEASE REFER TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR
WEATHER.GOV/EUREKA.

SHOWERS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING.

THERE IS ALSO A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER TO THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN EUREKA.

CAZ002-076-012200-
MENDOCINO COAST-MENDOCINO INTERIOR-
249 PM PDT SAT MAR 31 2012

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST CALIFORNIA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

SHOWERS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING.

THERE IS ALSO A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER TO THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN EUREKA.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Mar 31, 10:56 AM PDT, 4 hours 31 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EUREKA CA
1056 AM PDT SAT MAR 31 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1004 AM     HAIL             4 W ETTERSBURG          40.12N 124.07W
03/31/2012  E0.25 INCH       HUMBOLDT           CA   TRAINED SPOTTER

            NEAR HONEYDEW AT 1700 FEET...SMALL HAIL AND VERY LIGHT
            SNOW. TEMPERATURE 38 DEGREES.

1004 AM     LIGHTNING        CRESCENT CITY           41.75N 124.20W
03/31/2012                   DEL NORTE          CA   PUBLIC

            SPOTTER REPORTING GUSTY WINDS AND LIGHTNING.

&&

ASHFORD

Local storm report, Mar 31, 12:53 PM PDT, 2 hours 34 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EUREKA CA
1253 PM PDT SAT MAR 31 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1251 PM     HAIL             GASQUET                 41.85N 123.97W
03/31/2012  E0.25 INCH       DEL NORTE          CA   PUBLIC

            STRONG DOWNBURST WITH SMALL THIN HAIL WITH DARK FAST
            MOVING CLOUDS HEADING NORTH.

&&

ASHFORD

Special weather statement, Mar 31, 2:52 PM PDT, 35 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
252 PM PDT SAT MAR 31 2012

CAZ001>004-076-312245-
HUMBOLDT CA-DEL NORTE CA-MENDOCINO CA-
252 PM PDT SAT MAR 31 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN EUREKA HAS ISSUED A

SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR...
  MENDOCINO COUNTY IN NORTHWEST CALIFORNIA
  DEL NORTE COUNTY IN NORTHWEST CALIFORNIA
  HUMBOLDT COUNTY IN NORTHWEST CALIFORNIA

UNTIL 345 PM PDT

AT 248 PM PDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 13 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF BROOKINGS TO 16 MILES WEST OF FORTUNA TO 32 MILES WEST OF FORT
BRAGG...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.

WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS....ALONG WITH
HEAVY RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
   PETROLIA...
   CRESCENT CITY AND  SMITH RIVER...
   EUREKA... FORTUNA... HONEYDEW... RIO DELL AND  SCOTIA...
   ARCATA... CARLOTTA... ORICK AND  SHELTER COVE...
   KLAMATH...
   GASQUET...

THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND
TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

LAT...LON 4201 12364 4183 12369 4171 12365 4160 12371
      4153 12364 4015 12362 3987 12391 3987 12392
      4008 12410 4025 12437 4043 12442 4092 12415
      4103 12413 4113 12418 4114 12424 4116 12414
      4139 12408 4172 12416 4178 12427 4200 12421
TIME...MOT...LOC 2151Z 220DEG 45KT 4192 12438 4069 12439
          3955 12436

BFG

Local storm report, Mar 31, 3:09 PM PDT, 18 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EUREKA CA
309 PM PDT SAT MAR 31 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0259 PM     LIGHTNING        2 W PETROLIA            40.32N 124.32W
03/31/2012                   HUMBOLDT           CA   PUBLIC

            THUNDERSTORM AND LIGHTNING NEAR THE MOUTH OF THE MATTOLE
            RIVER OBSERVED FROM 2W PETROLIA.

&&

ASHFORD

Special weather statement, Mar 31, 3:27 PM PDT, 0 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EUREKA CA
327 PM PDT SAT MAR 31 2012

CAZ001-003-312315-
HUMBOLDT CA-
327 PM PDT SAT MAR 31 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN EUREKA HAS ISSUED A

SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN HUMBOLDT COUNTY IN NORTHWEST CALIFORNIA

UNTIL 415 PM PDT

AT 320 PM PDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORM FROM NEAR EUREKA TO NORTH OF
TRINIDAD...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

WIND GUSTS UP TO 55 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM....ALONG WITH
SMALL HAIL...HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
   EUREKA...ARCATA...TRINIDAD...ORICK

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A
STURDY BUILDING.

LAT...LON 4071 12426 4070 12423 4072 12426 4077 12425
      4085 12418 4098 12413 4104 12414 4105 12418
      4145 12407 4143 12379 4059 12382 4058 12429
TIME...MOT...LOC 2225Z 207DEG 28KT 4086 12413

JCA

The office that day

Everything else NWS Eureka, CA issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Mar 30, 5:11 PM PDT	Areal Flood Advisory	EKA	Del Norte, Humboldt	17 hr
Mar 30, 9:48 PM PDT	Hazardous Seas Warning	EKA		11 hr
Mar 31, 3:18 AM PDT	Winter Weather Advisory	EKA		20 hr
Mar 31, 2:46 PM PDT	Special Marine Warning	EKA		29 min
Mar 31, 2:52 PM PDT	Hazardous Seas Warning	EKA		24 hr
Mar 31, 2:52 PM PDT	Special Weather Statement	EKA	Del Norte, Humboldt	53 min
Mar 31, 3:14 PM PDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	EKA	Del Norte	16 min
Mar 31, 3:20 PM PDT	Special Marine Warning	EKA		40 min
Mar 31, 3:30 PM PDT	Special Weather Statement	EKA	Humboldt, Mendocino	60 min
Mar 31, 4:00 PM PDT	Special Marine Warning	EKA		45 min
Mar 31, 4:23 PM PDT	Special Weather Statement	EKA	Humboldt	37 min
Mar 31, 4:31 PM PDT	Special Weather Statement	EKA	Mendocino	44 min
Mar 31, 4:38 PM PDT	Special Weather Statement	EKA		52 min
Mar 31, 4:41 PM PDT	Special Weather Statement	EKA	Humboldt	34 min

Nearby

Special Weather Statements in California, 2012 Every special weather statement 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.