Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 2012

Flash Flood Warning 45, NWS Phoenix, AZ

August 21, 2012La Paz County, Arizona

NWS Phoenix, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Aug 21, 2012, 5:37 PM MST for La Paz County, Arizona. It was in force for 83 min. 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
Aug 21, 2012, 5:37 PM MST (00:37 UTC)
Expired
Aug 21, 2012, 7:00 PM MST
In force
83 min
Issued by
NWS Phoenix, AZ
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

County La Paz County, AZ

The radar

The Yuma radar (KYUX), 165 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:40 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
Aug 21, 5:40 PM MSTHEAVY RAIN 08 Wnw Vicksburg, AZREPORT OF WASHES RUNNING ALONG STATE ROUTE 72 WITH DEBRIS AND POOR VISIBILITIES DUE TO HEAVY RAINS AND STRONG WINDS.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Yuma Intl Airpor, AZ (KYUM), launched 00:00Z, 0.6 hours before the alert went out and 147 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, Yuma Intl Airpor, AZ at 00:00Z on 2012-08-22Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 970 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Yuma Intl Airpor, AZ at 00:00Z on 2012-08-22The 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
970 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-80 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2360 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
9 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-24 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
21 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.

880 
WGUS55 KPSR 220037
FFWPSR
AZC012-220200-
/O.NEW.KPSR.FF.W.0045.120822T0037Z-120822T0200Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
537 PM MST TUE AUG 21 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PHOENIX HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL LA PAZ COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ARIZONA...

* UNTIL 700 PM MST

* AT 531 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED
  VERY HEAVY RAIN FROM TRAINING THUNDERSTORMS THAT WILL CAUSE 
  FLASH FLOODING.

* THE STORM PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN THAT WILL CAUSE FLASH 
  FLOODING ALONG STATE ROUTE 72 APPROXIMATELY 12 MILES 
  SOUTHEAST OF BOUSE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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 3385 11395 3389 11390 3382 11378 3377 11379
      3374 11381

$$

NOLTE
2 follow-up statements
168 
WGUS75 KPSR 220126
FFSPSR

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
626 PM MST TUE AUG 21 2012

AZC012-220200-
/O.CON.KPSR.FF.W.0045.000000T0000Z-120822T0200Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
LA PAZ AZ-
626 PM MST TUE AUG 21 2012

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM MST FOR
CENTRAL LA PAZ COUNTY...

AT 618 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED AN 
AREA OF TRAINING THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING FLASH FLOODING.

DEBRIS AND RUNNING WASHES IMPACTING STATE ROUTE 72 BETWEEN MILEPOSTS 
37 AND 40 HAVE BEEN REPORTED DUE TO THE HEAVY RAINFALL. STORMS 
CONTINUED TO REDEVELOP AND MOVE OVER THE WARNED AREA...ADDING NEW 
RAINFALL TO CONTINUE TO ALREADY FLOWING WASHES AND PONDING WATER AND 
DEPOSITING DEBRIS ACROSS THE STATE ROUTE 72 ROAD SURFACE. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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 3385 11395 3389 11390 3382 11378 3377 11379
      3374 11381

$$

NOLTE
319 
WGUS75 KPSR 220159
FFSPSR

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
659 PM MST TUE AUG 21 2012

AZC012-220208-
/O.EXP.KPSR.FF.W.0045.000000T0000Z-120822T0200Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
LA PAZ AZ-
659 PM MST TUE AUG 21 2012

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 700 PM MST FOR CENTRAL LA
PAZ COUNTY...

THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL THREAT HAS ENDED ACROSS STATE ROUTE 72...
HOWEVER RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE TO FALL FROM PASSING 
THUNDERSHOWERS FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS. EXPECT AREA WASHES TO CONTINUE
TO RUN AND PONDING OF WATER ALONG ROADWAY SURFACES. REMEMBER...TURN
AROUND DO NOT DROWN. AVOID DRIVING THROUGH ROADWAYS WHERE WATER IS
ACROSS IT.

LAT...LON 3385 11395 3389 11390 3382 11378 3377 11379
      3374 11381

$$

NOLTE

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 21, 5:10 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementPSRLa Paz80 min
Aug 21, 5:29 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementPSRPinal46 min
Aug 21, 5:55 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPSRLa Paz65 min
Aug 21, 5:59 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementPSRMaricopa76 min
Aug 21, 6:00 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPSRLa Paz39 min
Aug 21, 6:09 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementPSRPinal51 min
Aug 21, 6:12 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningPSRLa Paz71 min
Aug 21, 6:51 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningPSRLa Paz75 min
Aug 21, 6:56 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryPSRGila, Maricopa, Pinal3 hr
Aug 21, 6:57 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPSRPinal33 min
Aug 21, 7:03 PM MSTBlowing Dust AdvisoryPSR57 min
Aug 21, 7:05 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningPSRPinal55 min
Aug 21, 7:09 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementPSRLa Paz66 min
Aug 21, 7:30 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPSRPinal30 min
Aug 21, 7:37 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementPSRMaricopa53 min
Aug 21, 7:49 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryPSRLa Paz90 min
Aug 21, 8:00 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningPSRPinal30 min
Aug 21, 8:16 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryPSRMaricopa119 min
Aug 21, 8:28 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningPSRMaricopa2 hr
Aug 21, 9:02 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryPSRMaricopa118 min
Aug 21, 9:32 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryPSRMaricopa, Pinal118 min
Aug 21, 9:53 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementPSR37 min
Aug 21, 10:07 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementPSRYuma38 min
Aug 21, 10:24 PM MSTBlowing Dust AdvisoryPSR3 hr
Aug 21, 10:40 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryPSRLa Paz81 min
Aug 21, 10:54 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementPSR66 min
Aug 21, 11:15 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementPSRLa Paz75 min
Aug 22, 1:34 PM MSTFlash Flood WatchPSR15 hr
Aug 22, 1:44 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningPSRMaricopa, Pinal3 hr
Aug 22, 2:32 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryPSRMaricopa118 min

Nearby

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