Alert archive / Alaska / Flood Watches in 2013

Flood Watch 2, NWS Anchorage, AK

May 20, 2013

NWS Anchorage, AK issued this flood watch at May 20, 2013, 8:09 PM AKDT. It was in force for 14 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 20, 2013, 8:09 PM AKDT (04:09 UTC)
Expired
May 21, 2013, 9:45 AM AKDT
In force
14 hr
Issued by
NWS Anchorage, AK
Flood severity
None

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

816 
WGAK68 PAFC 210409
FFAAFC

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
FLOOD WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
809 PM AKDT MON MAY 20 2013


AKZ152-211615-
/X.NEW.PAFC.FA.A.0002.130521T0409Z-130522T0000Z/
/00000.0.IJ.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
LOWER KUSKOKWIM VALLEY-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ANIAK...SLEETMUTE
809 PM AKDT MON MAY 20 2013

...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON FOR THE
KUSKOKWIM RIVER NEAR RED DEVIL..

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ANCHORAGE HAS ISSUED A

* FLOOD WATCH FOR LOWER KUSKOKWIM VALLEY. 

* THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON

* ICE JAM

* THE JUMBLED ICE WAS HOLDING THIS EVENING IN RED DEVIL...BUT
  THERE WAS SOME MOVEMENT UPSTREAM EARLIER IN THE DAY. IF THIS
  UPSTREAM ICE MOVES DOWN TO THE VILLAGE OF RED DEVIL WATER
  LEVELS COULD RISE QUICKLY.


PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING.

RESIDENTS OF THE VILLAGE SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR FAST RISING WATER
AND MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IF NECESSARY

YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO CLOSELY MONITOR THIS WEATHER SITUATION.
PREPARATION FOR THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS WEATHER EVENT SHOULD
BEGIN NOW.

&&

$$
2 follow-up statements
556 
WGAK68 PAFC 211611
FFAAFC

FLOOD WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
811 AM AKDT TUE MAY 21 2013

AKZ152-220000-
/X.CON.PAFC.FA.A.0002.000000T0000Z-130522T0000Z/
/00000.0.IJ.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
LOWER KUSKOKWIM VALLEY-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ANIAK...SLEETMUTE
811 AM AKDT TUE MAY 21 2013

...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM AKDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR
THE KUSKOKWIM RIVER NEAR RED DEVIL...

THE FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR

* THE LOWER KUSKOKWIM VALLEY NEAR RED DEVIL. 

* UNTIL 4 PM AKDT THIS AFTERNOON

* FOR ICE JAM FLOODING

* THE JUMBLED ICE WAS HOLDING THIS MORNING NEAR RED DEVIL...BUT
  THERE WAS SOME MOVEMENT UPSTREAM YESTERDAY. IF THIS UPSTREAM
  ICE MOVES DOWN TO THE VILLAGE OF RED DEVIL WATER LEVELS COULD
  RISE QUICKLY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING.

RESIDENTS OF THE VILLAGE SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR FAST RISING
WATER AND MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IF NECESSARY

YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO CLOSELY MONITOR THIS WEATHER SITUATION.
PREPARATION FOR THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS WEATHER EVENT SHOULD
BEGIN NOW.

&&

$$
877 
WGAK68 PAFC 211745
FFAAFC

FLOOD WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
945 AM AKDT TUE MAY 21 2013

AKZ152-211845-
/X.CAN.PAFC.FA.A.0002.000000T0000Z-130522T0000Z/
/00000.0.IJ.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
LOWER KUSKOKWIM VALLEY-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ANIAK...SLEETMUTE
945 AM AKDT TUE MAY 21 2013

...FLOOD WATCH IS CANCELLED NEAR RED DEVIL...

THE FLOOD WATCH FOR THE KUSKOKWIM RIVER NEAR RED DEVIL HAS BEEN
CANCELLED. THE ICE JAM HAS RELEASED AND WATER LEVELS ARE DROPPING
IN RED DEVIL.

$$

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flood watch went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Anchorage, AK wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flood watch went out at May 20, 1:30 PM AKDT, 6 hours 39 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 20, 1:30 PM AKDT, 6 hours 39 minutes before
SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
130 PM AKDT MON MAY 20 2013

.ANALYSIS AND UPPER LEVELS...
THE AXIS OF A BROAD LONGWAVE TROUGH ACROSS THE REGION HAS SHIFTED
WESTWARD AND IS NOW LOCATED OVER THE BERING SEA. THIS IS ALLOWING A
NORTH PACIFIC RIDGE TO CONTROL THE WEATHER OVER MUCH OF THE
MAINLAND...WHERE ABUNDANT SUNSHINE AND MODERATING TEMPERATURES ARE
THE GENERAL RULE. THE MOST ACTIVE WEATHER ACROSS THE REGION IS
UNDOUBTEDLY A 993 MB LOW CENTERED NEAR ADAK WITH AN ASSOCIATED STRONG
GALE-FORCE FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE ALASKA PENINSULA. A MIXTURE OF
RAIN AND SNOW HAS MOVED INTO THE COASTAL AREAS OF THE KUSKOKWIM DELTA
AND WESTERN CAPES OF THE BRISTOL BAY ZONE...WITH ALL RAIN FURTHER
SOUTH ALONG THE ALASKA PENINSULA AND EASTERN ALEUTIANS. RAIN BECOMES
MORE SHOWERY OVER THE CENTRAL AND WESTERN ALEUTIANS AS SHOWERS ROTATE
AROUND THE LOW CENTER. WINDS UPWARD OF 65 MPH HAVE BEEN OBSERVED
THROUGH THE CHANNELED TERRAIN OF THE ALASKA PENINSULA...WHICH IS A
SIGNIFICANT DEPARTURE FROM THE TRANQUIL WEATHER OF RECENT WEEKS.

.MODEL DISCUSSION...
MODELS CONTINUE TO BE IN ABOVE AVERAGE SYNOPTIC AGREEMENT THROUGH
NEXT WEEKEND. ALL THE MODELS SEEM TO BE SLIGHTLY TOO SLOW WITH THE
NORTHWARD PROGRESS OF THE CURRENT BERING LOW...WITH THE ECMWF GIVEN A
SLIGHT EDGE OVER THE OTHER MODELS IN THIS RESPECT. OVERALL...THE
LONGWAVE TROUGH WILL REMAIN OVER THE BERING SEA...WHICH WILL KEEP
MOST OF THE MAINLAND UNDER GENERALLY HIGHER PRESSURES WITH GRADUALLY
WARMING TEMPERATURES. THE LOW CURRENTLY AFFECTING THE ALEUTIANS WILL
STALL AND WEAKEN IN THE CENTRAL BERING SEA THROUGH MIDWEEK...BEFORE
ANOTHER PACIFIC LOW MOVES INTO THE SOUTHERN BERING BY NEXT WEEKEND.
THIS WILL KEEP MOST OF THE ACTIVE WEATHER WEST OF THE MAINLAND THIS
WEEK.

.SHORT TERM FORECAST...
SOUTHCENTRAL...HIGH CLOUDS ASSOCIATED WITH A LEADING SHORTWAVE FROM
THE BERING STORM ARE MOVING INTO THE AREA FROM THE SOUTHWEST. THIS IS
HAPPENING AS THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE DRIFTS SLOWLY EASTWARD. DESPITE
THE INCREASING CLOUDS...RAIN IS ONLY EXPECTED TO MAKE IT AS FAR EAST
AS KODIAK ISLAND THIS EVENING...AS THE BERING LOW BEGINS TO RE-CURVE
WESTWARD INTO THE LONGWAVE TROUGH. UPPER LEVEL CLOUDS SHOULD HAVE
ENOUGH BREAKS TO ALLOW SEA BREEZES TO DEVELOP AGAIN TOMORROW AROUND
COOK INLET AND PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND. EACH DAY THIS WEEK SHOULD BE
WARMER THAN THE PREVIOUS...WITH TEMPERATURES AT OR ABOVE NORMAL BY
THE END OF THE WEEK. HOWEVER...EVEN THOUGH WARMING TEMPERATURES WILL
GRADUALLY DESTABILIZE THE LOWER ATMOSPHERE...LITTLE MORE THAN DIURNAL
MIDLEVEL CLOUDINESS IS EXPECTED AT MOST LOCATIONS.

SOUTHWEST...STRONG WINDS AND STEADY PRECIP WILL STAY MOSTLY CONFINED
TO THE COASTLINE AS THE FRONT STALLS AND WEAKENS THROUGH MIDWEEK.
TEMPERATURES WILL SLOWLY MODERATE BACK TOWARD MORE SEASONABLE
TEMPERATURES...BUT CONTINUED ONSHORE FLOW WILL KEEP THE RISK OF LOW
CLOUDS/MARINE STRATUS AROUND COASTAL AREAS THROUGH THE END OF THE
WEEK.

BERING SEA AND ALEUTIANS...STRONG WINDS CURRENTLY AFFECTING THE
EASTERN HALF OF THE REGION WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH AS THE FRONT FALLS
APART AND WEAKENS BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON. WARMING TEMPERATURES AND SOME
AREAS OF SUNSHINE MAY MOVE THROUGH MIDWEEK AS A SHORTWAVE RIDGE
BUILDS IN FROM THE SOUTH. BY LATE THURSDAY NIGHT ANOTHER LOW MOVES
INTO THE CENTRAL ALEUTIANS AND FOLLOWS A FAMILIAR TRACK NORTHWARD
INTO THE BERING SEA.

.LONG TERM FORECAST...
LONG RANGE MODELS ARE SUGGESTING THAT THE BERING SEA LONGWAVE TROUGH
WILL REMAIN ENTRENCHED THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. THIS WILL LIKELY
RESULT IN A PROLONGED PERIOD OF NEAR OR ABOVE-AVERAGE TEMPERATURES
AND SUNNY SKIES SPREADING ACROSS MUCH OF THE SOUTHERN MAINLAND.

.AER/ALU...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...NONE
MARINE...GALE 155 160 165 170 180
FIRE WEATHER...NONE

DIXON MAY 13

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 20, 7:30 PM AKDT, 39 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
730 PM AKDT MON MAY 20 2013

AKZ181-211400-

...MINOR ASHFALL POSSIBLE IN NELSON LAGOON AND PORT MOLLER...

SIGNIFICANT CLOUD COVER AROUND AND TO THE NORTH OF PAVLOF VOLCANO IS
LIMITING OBSERVATION OF POSSIBLE ASH EMISSIONS. HOWEVER...MONITORING
INSTRUMENTATION INDICATES THAT THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR CONTINUED ASH
EMISSION. LOW LEVEL WINDS WOULD CARRY ANY ASH NORTHEAST FROM THE
VOLCANO.

AREAS NORTHEAST OF PAVLOF VOLCANO INCLUDING THE COMMUNITIES OF
NELSON LAGOON AND PORT MOLLER MAY SEE A DUSTING OF ASHFALL THROUGH
TONIGHT.

PEOPLE ARE CAUTIONED TO AVOID EXCESSIVE EXPOSURE TO ASH...ESPECIALLY
THOSE WITH RESPIRATORY SENSITIVITIES. PROTECT CRITICAL ELECTRONICS
AND OTHER EQUIPMENT FROM CONTAMINATION.

RMC

The office that day

Everything else NWS Anchorage, AK issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 20, 4:00 PM AKDTSmall Craft AdvisoryAFC48 hr
May 20, 4:00 PM AKDTSmall Craft AdvisoryAFC36 hr
May 21, 4:00 AM AKDTSmall Craft AdvisoryAFC48 hr
May 21, 10:02 AM AKDTFlood WatchAFC26 hr

Nearby

Flood Watches in Alaska, 2013Every flood watch in 2013

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text.