Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 2012

Flash Flood Warning 33, NWS Tucson, AZ

August 17, 2012Cochise County, Arizona

NWS Tucson, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Aug 17, 2012, 1:00 PM MST for Cochise 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
Aug 17, 2012, 1:00 PM MST (20:00 UTC)
Expired
Aug 17, 2012, 3:00 PM MST
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Tucson, AZ
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

County Cochise County, AZ

The radar

The Tucson radar (KEMX), 121 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:00 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 (KDMA), launched 12:00Z, 8.0 hours before the alert went out and 151 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 2012-08-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 560 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 2012-08-17The 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
560 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-41 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1232 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
6 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-2 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
47 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.

335 
WGUS55 KTWC 172000
FFWTWC
AZC003-172200-
/O.NEW.KTWC.FF.W.0033.120817T2000Z-120817T2200Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
100 PM MST FRI AUG 17 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TUCSON HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  EAST CENTRAL COCHISE COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST ARIZONA...

* UNTIL 300 PM MST

* AT 1250 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED  
  FLASH FLOODING FROM A THUNDERSTORM OVER THE CHIRICAHUA MOUNTAINS   
  AND THE HORSESHOE 2 BURN SCAR. DOPPLER RADAR RAINFALL ESTIMATED 1  
  TO 1.5 INCHES OF RAINFALL UPSTREAM OF PORTAL IN THE CHIRICAHUA     
  MOUNTAINS. 

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO PORTAL...
  PARADISE AND CHIRICAHUA NATIONAL MONUMENT

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A SHORT PERIOD OF MODERATE RAINFALL ON A BURNED WATERSHED CAN LEAD TO
FLASH FLOODS. SEEK HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY...BUT IF IT IS UNSAFE TO
EVACUATE DUE TO FLASH FLOODING...HEAVY RAIN...OR POOR VISIBILITY THE
BEST ACTION MAY BE TO SHELTER IN PLACE IN A STURDY STRUCTURE. THE
FORCE OF RUSHING WATER AND DEBRIS CAN DAMAGE OR DESTROY CULVERTS...
BRIDGES...ROADWAYS...AND BUILDINGS. REMEMBER NEVER TO DRIVE THROUGH
RAPIDLY FLOWING WATER...YOU MAY BE SWEPT AWAY.

&&

LAT...LON 3186 10951 3206 10941 3206 10906 3163 10905
      3163 10954

$$

GL
2 follow-up statements
944 
WGUS75 KTWC 172054
FFSTWC

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
154 PM MST FRI AUG 17 2012

AZC003-172200-
/O.CON.KTWC.FF.W.0033.000000T0000Z-120817T2200Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
COCHISE AZ-
154 PM MST FRI AUG 17 2012

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 300 PM MST FOR EAST
CENTRAL COCHISE COUNTY...

AT 147 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE A THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING FLASH FLOODING OVER THE HORSESHOE 
2 BURN SCAR IN THE CHIRICAHUA MOUNTAINS. THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL IS 
NOW IN THE RUCKER CANYON AREA WITH 1 TO 1.5 INCHES HAVING EARLIER 
OCCURRED UPSTREAM OF PORTAL. 

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO PORTAL...
PARADISE AND CHIRICAHUA NATIONAL MONUMENT

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A SHORT PERIOD OF MODERATE RAINFALL ON A BURNED WATERSHED CAN LEAD TO
FLASH FLOODS. SEEK HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY...BUT IF IT IS UNSAFE TO
EVACUATE DUE TO FLASH FLOODING...HEAVY RAIN...OR POOR VISIBILITY THE
BEST ACTION MAY BE TO SHELTER IN PLACE IN A STURDY STRUCTURE. THE
FORCE OF RUSHING WATER AND DEBRIS CAN DAMAGE OR DESTROY CULVERTS...
BRIDGES...ROADWAYS...AND BUILDINGS. REMEMBER NEVER TO DRIVE THROUGH
RAPIDLY FLOWING WATER...YOU MAY BE SWEPT AWAY.

&&

LAT...LON 3186 10951 3206 10941 3206 10906 3163 10905
      3163 10954

$$

GL
708 
WGUS75 KTWC 172152
FFSTWC

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
252 PM MST FRI AUG 17 2012

AZC003-172200-
/O.EXP.KTWC.FF.W.0033.000000T0000Z-120817T2200Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
COCHISE AZ-
252 PM MST FRI AUG 17 2012

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 300 PM MST FOR EAST CENTRAL
COCHISE COUNTY...

RAINFALL ACROSS THE HORSESHOE 2 BURN AREA IN THE CHIRICAHUA 
MOUNTAINS HAS SUBSIDED OVER THE LAST HOUR OR SO. ALTHOUGH THERE 
CONTINUES TO BE SOME FLOW CONTINUING DOWNSTREAM OFF THE 
MOUNTAINS...THE THREAT FOR FLASH FLOODING HAS ENDED. THUS...THE 
FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE. 

LAT...LON 3186 10951 3206 10941 3206 10906 3163 10905
      3163 10954

$$

GL

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 16, 10:01 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCGraham119 min
Aug 17, 10:23 AM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCSanta Cruz3 hr
Aug 17, 10:28 AM MSTFlash Flood WatchTWCCochise, Graham, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz6 hr
Aug 17, 11:02 AM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCPima, Pinal118 min
Aug 17, 12:26 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCPima3 hr
Aug 17, 12:39 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCPima117 min
Aug 17, 1:20 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCPinal3 hr
Aug 17, 2:05 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCPima, Pinal115 min
Aug 17, 2:36 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCPima3 hr

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.