Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 2012

Flash Flood Warning 20, NWS Tucson, AZ

July 28, 2012Pima County, Arizona

NWS Tucson, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Jul 28, 2012, 3:15 PM MST for Pima 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 28, 2012, 3:15 PM MST (22:15 UTC)
Expired
Jul 28, 2012, 5:15 PM MST
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Tucson, AZ
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

County Pima County, AZ

The radar

The Tucson radar (KEMX), 30 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:15 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, 10.3 hours before the alert went out and 13 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 2012-07-28Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 34 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 2012-07-28The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -2 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
34 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-67 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1726 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
9 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-2 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
71 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.

887 
WGUS55 KTWC 282215
FFWTWC
AZC019-290015-
/O.NEW.KTWC.FF.W.0020.120728T2215Z-120729T0015Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
315 PM MST SAT JUL 28 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TUCSON HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  EAST CENTRAL PIMA COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL ARIZONA...

* UNTIL 515 PM MST

* AT 306 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED   
FLASH FLOODING FROM A THUNDERSTORM ON THE EAST AND SOUTHEAST SIDES 
OF TUCSON. RADAR ESTIMATES INDICATE THAT LOCALLY ONE TO TWO INCHES 
OF RAINFALL HAVE OCCURRED ALONG AND TO THE EAST OF HOUGHTON ROAD. 

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO SAGUARO
  NATIONAL PARK EAST AND RITA RANCH

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF WASHES
AND STREAMS...URBAN AREAS...HIGHWAYS...STREETS AND UNDERPASSES AS
WELL AS OTHER DRAINAGE AREAS AND LOW LYING SPOTS.

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.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING.
IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNING AREA MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY.
RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE
PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS
SWIFTLY FLOWING WATERS OR WATERS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH BY FOOT OR BY
AUTOMOBILE.

&&

LAT...LON 3222 11086 3224 11063 3199 11064 3201 11087

$$

GL
3 follow-up statements
215 
WGUS75 KTWC 282248
FFSTWC

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
348 PM MST SAT JUL 28 2012

AZC019-290015-
/O.CON.KTWC.FF.W.0020.000000T0000Z-120729T0015Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
PIMA AZ-
348 PM MST SAT JUL 28 2012

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 515 PM MST FOR EAST
CENTRAL PIMA COUNTY...

AT 339 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE A THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING FLASH FLOODING OVER THE EAST AND 
SOUTHEAST SIDES OF TUCSON. AN AUTOMATED RAIN GAUGE EAST OF HOUGHTON 
ROAD AND I-10 HAS RECORDED 1.18 INCHES OF RAINFALL. 
MEANWHILE...DOPPLER RADAR ESTIMATES INDICATE UP TO TWO INCHES OF 
RAIN HAS OCCURRED IN THIS AREA AS WELL PRODUCING FLASH FLOODING. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL
CREEKS AND STREAMS...URBAN AREAS...HIGHWAYS...STREETS AND UNDERPASSES
AS WELL AS OTHER DRAINAGE AREAS AND LOW LYING SPOTS.

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.

&&

LAT...LON 3222 11086 3224 11063 3199 11064 3201 11087

$$

GL
792 
WGUS75 KTWC 282320
FFSTWC

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
420 PM MST SAT JUL 28 2012

AZC019-290015-
/O.CON.KTWC.FF.W.0020.000000T0000Z-120729T0015Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
PIMA AZ-
420 PM MST SAT JUL 28 2012

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 515 PM MST FOR EAST
CENTRAL PIMA COUNTY...

AT 412 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED 
HEAVY RAINFALL HAS COME TO AN END OVER THE FAR EAST AND SOUTHEAST 
SIDES OF TUCSON. HOWEVER...WITH RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF ONE TO TWO 
INCHES IN THIS AREA...FLASH FLOODING WILL CONTINUE IN THIS AREA. 
LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO SAGUARO 
NATIONAL PARK EAST.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL
CREEKS AND STREAMS...HIGHWAYS AND UNDERPASSES. ADDITIONALLY...COUNTRY
ROADS AND FARMLANDS ALONG THE BANKS OF CREEKS...STREAMS AND OTHER LOW
LYING AREAS ARE SUBJECT TO FLOODING.

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.

&&

LAT...LON 3222 11086 3224 11063 3199 11064 3201 11087

$$

GL
496 
WGUS75 KTWC 290008
FFSTWC

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
508 PM MST SAT JUL 28 2012

AZC019-290016-
/O.EXP.KTWC.FF.W.0020.000000T0000Z-120729T0015Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
PIMA AZ-
508 PM MST SAT JUL 28 2012

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 515 PM MST FOR EAST CENTRAL
PIMA COUNTY...

HEAVY RAINFALL HAS GENERALLY ENDED FOR MORE THAN AN HOUR ACROSS THE 
EAST AND SOUTHEAST SIDES OF TUCSON. THUS...FLASH FLOODING ACROSS 
THIS AREA HAS NOW SUBSIDED AND THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL BE 
ALLOWED TO EXPIRE. SOME WASHES WILL CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE ELEVATED 
FLOWS INTO THE EARLY EVENING. 

LAT...LON 3222 11086 3224 11063 3199 11064 3201 11087

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 27, 6:43 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWC47 min
Jul 27, 8:49 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWC41 min
Jul 28, 11:45 AM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCCochise30 min
Jul 28, 1:06 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCCochise39 min
Jul 28, 1:45 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCCochise, Graham3 hr
Jul 28, 2:26 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWC34 min
Jul 28, 2:35 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCGraham40 min
Jul 28, 2:44 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPima31 min
Jul 28, 3:02 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCSanta Cruz43 min
Jul 28, 3:08 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCPima3 hr
Jul 28, 3:11 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCSanta Cruz60 min
Jul 28, 3:29 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWC31 min
Jul 28, 3:33 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWC42 min
Jul 28, 3:54 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCPima2 hr
Jul 28, 4:04 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCCochise41 min
Jul 28, 4:23 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCCochise2 hr
Jul 28, 4:44 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCPinal46 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.