Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 2012

Flash Flood Warning 10, NWS Tucson, AZ

July 15, 2012Pima County, Santa Cruz County, Arizona

NWS Tucson, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Jul 15, 2012, 4:15 PM MST for Pima County, Santa Cruz County, Arizona. It was in force for 2 hr. 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 15, 2012, 4:15 PM MST (23:15 UTC)
Expired
Jul 15, 2012, 6:15 PM MST
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Tucson, AZ
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties Pima County, AZ, Santa Cruz County, AZ

The radar

The Tucson radar (KEMX), 25 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:17 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

Tuscon, AZ (KTUS), launched 12:00Z, 11.3 hours before the alert went out and 26 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, Tuscon, AZ at 12:00Z on 2012-07-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 509 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, Tuscon, AZ at 12:00Z on 2012-07-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -5 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
509 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-217 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1287 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
15 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-5 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
30 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.

412 
WGUS55 KTWC 152315
FFWTWC
AZC019-023-160115-
/O.NEW.KTWC.FF.W.0010.120715T2315Z-120716T0115Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
415 PM MST SUN JUL 15 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TUCSON HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  EAST CENTRAL PIMA COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL ARIZONA...
  NORTH CENTRAL SANTA CRUZ COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST ARIZONA...

* UNTIL 615 PM MST

* AT 407 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  FLASH FLOODING FROM A THUNDERSTORM OVER THE WARNED AREA. SPOTTERS
  ALSO REPORTED WATER BEGINNING TO FLOW ACROSS SAHUARITA ROAD IN
  SOME SPOTS.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO ALL
  WASHES FLOWING NORTHWEST OUT OF THE SANTA RITA MOUNTAINS 
  TOWARD THE SANTA CRUZ RIVER...INCLUDING THOSE THAT ACROSS
  SAHUARITA ROAD.

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. MOST FLOOD RELATED DEATHS OCCUR
IN AUTOMOBILES. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS WATER COVERED BRIDGES...
DIPS...OR LOW WATER CROSSINGS. NEVER TRY TO CROSS A FLOWING STREAM...
EVEN A SMALL ONE...ON FOOT. TO ESCAPE RISING WATER MOVE UP TO HIGHER
GROUND.

&&

LAT...LON 3209 11094 3206 11077 3177 11074 3166 11105

$$

KD
2 follow-up statements
212 
WGUS75 KTWC 160048
FFSTWC

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
548 PM MST SUN JUL 15 2012

AZC019-023-160115-
/O.CON.KTWC.FF.W.0010.000000T0000Z-120716T0115Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
SANTA CRUZ AZ-PIMA AZ-
548 PM MST SUN JUL 15 2012

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 615 PM MST FOR EAST
CENTRAL PIMA AND NORTH CENTRAL SANTA CRUZ COUNTIES...

AT 541 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING FLASH FLOODING OVER THE WARNED
AREA. ADDITIONAL STORMS PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN WILL BE MOVING INTO
THE WARNED AREA EARLY THIS EVENING.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO WASHES
DRAINING NORTHWEST FROM THE SANTA RITA MOUNTAINS TO THE SANTA CRUZ
RIVER.

ANOTHER FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FARTHER NORTH IN 
EASTERN PIMA COUNTY UNTIL 7 PM MST.

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. MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

&&

LAT...LON 3209 11094 3206 11077 3177 11074 3166 11105

$$

KD
333 
WGUS75 KTWC 160121
FFSTWC

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
621 PM MST SUN JUL 15 2012

AZC019-023-160129-
/O.EXP.KTWC.FF.W.0010.000000T0000Z-120716T0115Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
SANTA CRUZ AZ-PIMA AZ-
621 PM MST SUN JUL 15 2012

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING HAS EXPIRED FOR EAST CENTRAL PIMA AND
NORTH CENTRAL SANTA CRUZ COUNTIES...

WHILE THE MOST INTENSE RAIN HAS ENDED IN THOSE AREAS...SCATTERED
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE WHICH WILL KEEP WASHES
AND STREAMS FLOWING THIS EVENING.  A SMALL STREAM FLOOD ADVISORY 
IS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEAST PIMA AND MUCH OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTIES 
UNTIL 915 PM MST.

LAT...LON 3209 11094 3206 11077 3177 11074 3166 11105

$$

KD

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 15, 1:35 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPima40 min
Jul 15, 2:25 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWC50 min
Jul 15, 2:36 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCPima114 min
Jul 15, 2:48 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCSanta Cruz27 min
Jul 15, 2:52 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPima38 min
Jul 15, 3:19 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCCochise, Pima, Santa Cruz3 hr
Jul 15, 3:32 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWC58 min
Jul 15, 3:45 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCCochise30 min
Jul 15, 4:05 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCPinal115 min
Jul 15, 4:09 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPima51 min
Jul 15, 4:20 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPima40 min
Jul 15, 4:38 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCGraham3 hr
Jul 15, 4:54 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPima, Pinal66 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.