Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 2012

Flash Flood Warning 30, NWS Phoenix, AZ

July 31, 2012San Bernardino County, California; La Paz County, Yuma County, Arizona

NWS Phoenix, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Jul 31, 2012, 1:31 PM PDT for San Bernardino County, California; La Paz County, Yuma County, Arizona. It was in force for 119 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Jul 31, 2012, 1:31 PM PDT (20:31 UTC)
Expired
Jul 31, 2012, 3:30 PM PDT
In force
119 min
Issued by
NWS Phoenix, AZ
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties La Paz County, AZ, Yuma County, AZ, San Bernardino County, CA

The radar

The Yuma radar (KYUX), 161 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:32 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

Phoenix, AZ (KPSR), launched 12:00Z, 8.5 hours before the alert went out and 221 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, Phoenix, AZ at 12:00Z on 2012-07-31Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 808 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, Phoenix, AZ at 12:00Z on 2012-07-31The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 24 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
808 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-119 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1373 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
11 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
24 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
15 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.

325 
WGUS55 KPSR 312031
FFWPSR
AZC012-027-CAC071-312230-
/O.NEW.KPSR.FF.W.0030.120731T2031Z-120731T2230Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
131 PM MST TUE JUL 31 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PHOENIX HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHEASTERN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA...
  THIS INCLUDES PARKER DAM...EARP...BIG RIVER...
  NORTH CENTRAL YUMA COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST ARIZONA...
  CENTRAL LA PAZ COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ARIZONA...
  THIS INCLUDES PARKER...

* UNTIL 330 PM MST/330 PM PDT/

* AT 118 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED   
  SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUING TO MOVE ACROSS      
  PORTIONS OF THE WARNED AREA PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL. BETWEEN 
  TWO AND THREE INCHES HAVE FALLEN BETWEEN 11 AM AND 1 PM IN SOME    
  LOCATIONS. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT EVENT...WITH RAINFALL             
  TOTALS APPROACHING THE 100 YEAR AVERAGE RECURRENCE INTERVAL EVENT.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO BUCKSKIN
  MOUNTAIN PARK...PARKER DAM AND BOUSE

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT PEOPLE ALONG THE BANKS OF WASHES AND
CREEKS SHOULD MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY. NORMALLY DRY WASHES
AND STREAMS WILL SUDDENLY HAVE RUNNING WATER AND MAKE UNBRIDGED
CROSSINGS IMPASSABLE. STREETS...UNDERPASSES...AND LOW SPOTS WILL
BECOME INUNDATED MAKING DRIVING HAZARDOUS IN THE WARNED AREA.

MOST FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN MOTORIZED VEHICLES. WHEN ENCOUNTERING
FLOODED ROADS...MAKE THE SMART CHOICE...TURN AROUND...DONT DROWN.

TO REPORT FLOODING...PLEASE RELAY YOUR REPORT TO LOCAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT WHEN YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY.

&&

LAT...LON 3424 11383 3335 11388 3328 11426 3352 11457
      3355 11453 3368 11453 3370 11450 3386 11453
      3387 11450 3394 11453 3403 11443 3410 11442
      3417 11425 3429 11413 3430 11415 3431 11411

$$

MCLANE
1 follow-up statement
278 
WGUS75 KPSR 312205
FFSPSR

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
305 PM MST TUE JUL 31 2012

CAC071-312214-
/O.CAN.KPSR.FF.W.0030.000000T0000Z-120731T2230Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
SAN BERNARDINO CA-
305 PM PDT TUE JUL 31 2012

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR EXTREME
SOUTHEASTERN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY...

LAT...LON 3424 11402 3422 11383 3335 11388 3328 11426
      3352 11457 3355 11453 3372 11450 3386 11453
      3387 11450 3394 11453 3403 11443 3409 11441
      3416 11424 3426 11411 3429 11412

$$

AZC012-027-312230-
/O.CON.KPSR.FF.W.0030.000000T0000Z-120731T2230Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
LA PAZ AZ-YUMA AZ-
305 PM MST TUE JUL 31 2012

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 330 PM MST/330 PM
PDT/ FOR NORTH CENTRAL YUMA AND CENTRAL LA PAZ COUNTIES...

AT 257 PM MST...SHOWER AND THUDERSTORM ACTIVITY HAS DIMINSHED ALONG 
WITH THE THRERAT OF CONTINUED HEAVY RAINFALL. HOWEVER...RUNOFF WILL 
CONTINUE TO FLOW IN TO AREA WASHES AND STREAMS FOR THE NEXT COUPLE 
OF HOURS...WITH HEIGHTENED FLOW IN THE OSBORNE WASH AND BOUSE WASH. 

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO BUCKSKIN
MOUNTAIN PARK...PARKER DAM...PARKER AND BOUSE

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT PEOPLE ALONG THE BANKS OF WASHES AND
CREEKS SHOULD MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY. NORMALLY DRY WASHES
AND STREAMS WILL SUDDENLY HAVE RUNNING WATER AND MAKE UNBRIDGED
CROSSINGS IMPASSABLE. STREETS...UNDERPASSES...AND LOW SPOTS WILL
BECOME INUNDATED MAKING DRIVING HAZARDOUS IN THE WARNED AREA.

MOST FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN MOTORIZED VEHICLES. WHEN ENCOUNTERING
FLOODED ROADS...MAKE THE SMART CHOICE...TURN AROUND...DONT DROWN.

TO REPORT FLOODING...PLEASE RELAY YOUR REPORT TO LOCAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT WHEN YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY.

&&

LAT...LON 3424 11402 3422 11383 3335 11388 3328 11426
      3352 11457 3355 11453 3372 11450 3386 11453
      3387 11450 3394 11453 3403 11443 3409 11441
      3416 11424 3426 11411 3429 11412

$$

MEYERS

The office that day

Everything else NWS Phoenix, AZ issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 30, 6:15 PM PDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPSRImperial2 hr
Jul 30, 7:31 PM PDTAreal Flood WarningPSRImperial15 hr
Jul 31, 3:42 AM PDTFlash Flood WatchPSR15 hr
Jul 31, 4:49 AM PDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPSRImperial116 min
Jul 31, 4:58 AM PDTFlash Flood WarningPSRImperial3 hr
Jul 31, 9:02 AM PDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPSRRiverside, San Bernardino3 hr
Jul 31, 10:16 AM PDTFlash Flood WarningPSRImperial, Riverside, San Bernardino3 hr
Jul 31, 12:12 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPSRRiverside, San Bernardino49 min
Jul 31, 1:28 PM PDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPSRImperial, Riverside3 hr
Jul 31, 3:40 PM PDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPSRRiverside, San Bernardino2 hr
Jul 30, 5:12 PM PDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPSRLa Paz2 hr
Jul 30, 11:26 PM PDTSpecial Weather StatementPSRGila79 min
Jul 31, 12:31 AM PDTSpecial Weather StatementPSRGila59 min
Jul 31, 1:15 AM PDTSpecial Weather StatementPSR45 min
Jul 31, 10:47 AM PDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPSRLa Paz, Yuma52 min
Jul 31, 11:06 AM PDTSpecial Weather StatementPSRLa Paz39 min
Jul 31, 11:37 AM PDTFlash Flood WarningPSRLa Paz, Yuma113 min
Jul 31, 12:05 PM PDTSpecial Weather StatementPSRLa Paz40 min
Jul 31, 4:10 PM PDTBlowing Dust AdvisoryPSR19 min
Jul 31, 4:29 PM PDTDust Storm WarningPSR82 min
Jul 31, 4:48 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPSRMaricopa27 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Arizona, 2012Flash Flood Warnings in California, 2012Every flash flood warning 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.