Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 2012

Flash Flood Warning 53, NWS Tucson, AZ

September 3, 2012Cochise County, Arizona

NWS Tucson, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Sep 3, 2012, 4:05 PM MST for Cochise County, Arizona. It was in force for 115 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, 4:05 PM MST (23:05 UTC)
Expired
Sep 3, 2012, 6:00 PM MST
In force
115 min
Issued by
NWS Tucson, AZ
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

County Cochise County, AZ

The radar

The Tucson radar (KEMX), 58 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:05 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, 11.1 hours before the alert went out and 98 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.

653 
WGUS55 KTWC 032305
FFWTWC
AZC003-040100-
/O.NEW.KTWC.FF.W.0053.120903T2305Z-120904T0100Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TUCSON HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHWESTERN COCHISE COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST ARIZONA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF SIERRA VISTA...

* UNTIL 600 PM MST

* AT 400 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  FLASH FLOODING FROM A THUNDERSTORM NEAR SIERRA VISTA...MOVING
  SOUTHWEST AT 5 TO 10 MPH. IN ADDITION...AN AREA OF STRONG
  THUNDERSTORMS WERE SPREADING SOUTHWEST TOWARD THE HUACHUCA
  MOUNTAIN BURN AREA.

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
  HUACHUCA CITY

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THIS INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING STREAMS AND DRAINAGES...
SAN PEDRO RIVER...BABOCOMARI RIVER...CARR CANYON...MILLER CANYON...
STUMP CANYON...HUNTER CANYON...SLAUGHTER HOUSE WASH AND ASH CANYON.

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.

&&

LAT...LON 3133 11045 3160 11045 3166 11023 3151 11010
      3133 11018 3132 11043

$$

MEYER
2 follow-up statements
099 
WGUS75 KTWC 032353
FFSTWC

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

AZC003-040100-
/O.CON.KTWC.FF.W.0053.000000T0000Z-120904T0100Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
COCHISE AZ-
453 PM MST MON SEP 3 2012

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM MST FOR
SOUTHWESTERN COCHISE COUNTY...

AT 442 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS NEAR AND EAST OF SIERRA
VISTA MOVING SOUTHWEST INTO THE HUACHUCA MOUNTAINS. RAINFALL AMOUNTS
BETWEEN 1 AND 1.5 INCHES HAVE BEEN NOTED IN THE AREA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THIS INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING STREAMS AND DRAINAGES...
SAN PEDRO RIVER...CARR CANYON...MILLER CANYON...STUMP CANYON...HUNTER
CANYON...BABOCOMARI RIVER...SLAUGHTER HOUSE WASH AND ASH CANYON.

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 3133 11045 3160 11045 3166 11023 3151 11010
      3133 11018 3132 11043

$$

MEYER
873 
WGUS75 KTWC 040058
FFSTWC

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

AZC003-040104-
/O.EXP.KTWC.FF.W.0053.000000T0000Z-120904T0100Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
COCHISE AZ-
558 PM MST MON SEP 3 2012

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 600 PM MST FOR SOUTHWESTERN
COCHISE COUNTY...

AT 554 PM MST ONLY LIGHT TO MODERATE SHOWERS REMAINED IN 
SOUTHWESTERN COCHISE COUNTY. EARLIER A SPOTTER REPORTED 1.75 INCHES 
JUST EAST OF SIERRA VISTA. EXPECT HEAVY FLOW IN NORMALLY DRY 
STREAMBEDS AND WASHES INTO THE EVENING HOURS.

LAT...LON 3133 11045 3160 11045 3166 11023 3151 11010
      3133 11018 3132 11043

$$

MEYER

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, 1:47 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCCochise118 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, 4:28 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.