Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 2012

Flash Flood Warning 52, NWS Tucson, AZ

September 3, 2012Cochise County, Arizona

NWS Tucson, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Sep 3, 2012, 1:47 PM MST for Cochise County, Arizona. It was in force for 118 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
Sep 3, 2012, 1:47 PM MST (20:47 UTC)
Expired
Sep 3, 2012, 3:45 PM MST
In force
118 min
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 20:48 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, 8.8 hours before the alert went out and 150 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 2012-09-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 65 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 2012-09-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 29 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
65 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-358 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2003 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
5 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
29 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-41 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.

402 
WGUS55 KTWC 032047
FFWTWC
AZC003-032245-
/O.NEW.KTWC.FF.W.0052.120903T2047Z-120903T2245Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
147 PM MST MON SEP 3 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TUCSON HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 345 PM MST

* AT 139 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED   
  FLASH FLOODING FROM A THUNDERSTORM OVER THE CHIRICAHUA             
  MOUNTAINS. RADAR ESTIMATED RAINFALL OF ONE TO TWO INCHES HAS       
  OCCURRED IN THE MOUNTAINS UPSTREAM FROM RUCKER CANYON. 

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO PORTAL AND
  PARADISE

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 3195 10952 3205 10913 3170 10909 3163 10951

$$

GL
2 follow-up statements
596 
WGUS75 KTWC 032137
FFSTWC

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
237 PM MST MON SEP 3 2012

AZC003-032245-
/O.CON.KTWC.FF.W.0052.000000T0000Z-120903T2245Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
COCHISE AZ-
237 PM MST MON SEP 3 2012

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 345 PM MST FOR EAST
CENTRAL COCHISE COUNTY...

AT 226 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
THE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING HEAVY RAINFALL OVER THE CHIRICAHUA 
MOUNTAINS ARE IN THE PROCESS OF WEAKENING. THERE WILL STILL BE LIGHT 
TO MODERATE RAINFALL OVER THE CHIRICAHUA MOUNTAINS FOR THE NEXT 30 
MINUTES OR SO. RADAR ESTIMATES INDICATE ONE TO TWO INCHES OF 
RAINFALL HAS FALLEN IN THE MOUNTAINS UPSTREAM OF RUCKER CANYON AND 
THIS WATER WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE DOWNSTREAM INTO THE CANYON. 

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO PORTAL AND
PARADISE

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 3195 10952 3205 10913 3170 10909 3163 10951

$$

GL
474 
WGUS75 KTWC 032240
FFSTWC

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
340 PM MST MON SEP 3 2012

AZC003-032246-
/O.EXP.KTWC.FF.W.0052.000000T0000Z-120903T2245Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
COCHISE AZ-
340 PM MST MON SEP 3 2012

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 345 PM MST FOR EAST CENTRAL
COCHISE COUNTY...

RAINFALL HAS ENDED OVER THE CHIRICAHUA MOUNTAINS IN THE LAST HOUR. 
AFTER ONE TO TWO INCHES OF RAINFALL EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON...FLOWS 
WILL CONTINUE THROUGH WASHES EXITING THE CHIRICAHUA 
MOUNTAINS...HOWEVER THE THREAT FOR FLASH FLOODING HAS SUBSIDED. 
THUS...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE. 

LAT...LON 3195 10952 3205 10913 3170 10909 3163 10951

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 2, 5:02 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCPima118 min
Sep 2, 5:10 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCPima80 min
Sep 2, 5:25 PM MSTBlowing Dust AdvisoryTWCPima, Pinal100 min
Sep 2, 5:52 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCPima38 min
Sep 2, 6:59 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCPima, Pinal2 hr
Sep 2, 8:22 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCPima, Pinal3 hr
Sep 2, 8:40 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCPima80 min
Sep 3, 3:03 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCSanta Cruz42 min
Sep 3, 3:25 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCSanta Cruz2 hr
Sep 3, 3:35 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCSanta Cruz40 min
Sep 3, 3:57 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCCochise93 min
Sep 3, 4:05 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCCochise115 min
Sep 3, 4:28 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPima47 min
Sep 3, 4:46 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCPima119 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.