Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 2013

Flash Flood Warning 48, NWS Flagstaff, AZ

September 10, 2013Yavapai County, Arizona

NWS Flagstaff, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Sep 10, 2013, 9:30 AM MST for Yavapai County, Arizona. It was in force for 3 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
Sep 10, 2013, 9:30 AM MST (16:30 UTC)
Expired
Sep 10, 2013, 12:15 PM MST
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Flagstaff, AZ
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

County Yavapai County, AZ

The radar

The Phoenix radar (KIWA), 105 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 16:31 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.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this flash flood warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The nearest sounding before it

Phoenix, AZ (KPSR), launched 12:00Z, 4.5 hours before the alert went out and 76 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, Phoenix, AZ at 12:00Z on 2013-09-10Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 786 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Phoenix, AZ at 12:00Z on 2013-09-10The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 43 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
786 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-24 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
764 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
26 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
43 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
73 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

365 
WGUS55 KFGZ 101630
FFWFGZ
AZC025-101915-
/O.NEW.KFGZ.FF.W.0048.130910T1630Z-130910T1915Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
930 AM MST TUE SEP 10 2013

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FLAGSTAFF HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  SOUTH CENTRAL YAVAPAI COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ARIZONA...

* UNTIL 1215 PM MST

* AT 920 AM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  FLASH FLOODING FROM SEVERAL THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM BLACK 
  CANYON CITY WEST TO HWY 93 NORTH OF WICKENBURG.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO BUMBLE BEE...
  BLACK CANYON CITY...BUMBLE BEE AND CASTLE HOT SPRINGS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THIS INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING STREAMS AND DRAINAGES...
BADGER SPRING WASH...ANTELOPE CREEK...AGUA FRIA RIVER...CASTLE CREEK...
ROCK CREEK...BOULDER CREEK...HASSAYAMPA RIVER...BITTER CREEK...
BUCKHORN CREEK...COTTONWOOD CREEK...FRENCH CREEK...HUMBUG CREEK...TULE CREEK...
POLAND CREEK...MINNEHAHA CREEK..WILLOW CREEK...BISHOP CREEK...SLATE CREEK...
BLACK CANYON CREEK...TURKEY CREEK...SAN DOMINGO WASH...MITCHELL WASH...
LITTLE BUCKHORN CREEK AND CEMETERY WASH.

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 3404 11284 3429 11206 3403 11207 3404 11215
      3398 11219 3395 11223 3390 11224 3388 11228
      3399 11274 3399 11280

$$

RB
1 follow-up statement
179 
WGUS75 KFGZ 101737
FFSFGZ

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
1037 AM MST TUE SEP 10 2013

AZC025-101915-
/O.CON.KFGZ.FF.W.0048.000000T0000Z-130910T1915Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
YAVAPAI AZ-
1037 AM MST TUE SEP 10 2013

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1215 PM MST FOR
SOUTH CENTRAL YAVAPAI COUNTY...

AT 1030 AM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR SHOWS HEAVY RAIN 
HAS DECREASED OVER THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING AREA FROM BLACK CANYON CITY WESTWARD 
TO HIGHWAY 93 NORTH OF WICKENBURG. EXPECT FLASH FLOODING CONDITIONS WITH HIGH 
WATER LEVELS IN AREA WASHES AND CREEKS. A RAPID 3 FOOT RISE WAS REPORTED FROM A 
STREAM GAUGE ALONG THE AGUA FRIA RIVER NEAR ROCK SPRINGS.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO ROCK
SPRINGS...BUMBLE BEE AND BLACK CANYON CITY

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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 3404 11284 3429 11206 3403 11207 3404 11215
      3398 11219 3395 11223 3390 11224 3388 11228
      3399 11274 3399 11280

$$

RB

What forecasters said that day

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

NWS Flagstaff, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Sep 10, 4:19 AM MST, 5 hours 11 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 10, 4:19 AM MST, 5 hours 11 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
410 AM MST TUE SEP 10 13

.SYNOPSIS...THE WET MONSOON WEATHER PATTERN WILL CONTINUE THROUGH
WEDNESDAY WITH SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.
LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TODAY ACROSS WESTERN ARIZONA AND
A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT. SHARPLY LOWER CHANCES FOR SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST FROM THURSDAY ONWARD AS DRIER AIR
MOVES IN FROM THE WEST.

&&

.DISCUSSION...

FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT...RADAR AND AT IMAGERY THIS MORNING SHOW
SCATTERED SHOWERS EAST OF I-17 AND HIGHWAY 89 DUE TO THE NORTHWARD
MOVEMENT OF A SHORTWAVE. THE LARGER SCALE UPPER LOW IS SITTING OVER
NW ARIZONA. WIDESPREAD PRECIP ACROSS MOHAVE COUNTY NOW IS ON THE
BACKSIDE OF THE LOW. AREAS OF FOG EXIST...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND NORTH
OF THE MOGOLLON RIM AND SHOULD COME AND GO THROUGH MID MORNING.

PROGS HOLD THE UPPER LOW OVER NW ARIZONA THROUGH TONIGHT. A FLASH
FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR AREAS WEST OF A LINE FROM KAYENTA TO
HOLBROOK THRU SHOW LOW GIVEN THE RAINFALL OVER THE LAST TWO DAYS AND
TODAYS EXPECTED PRECIP AMOUNTS. PROGS ARE BRINGING IN DRIER AIR
THIS AFTERNOON TO EASTERN AZ BEHIND THE WAVE THAT IS CURRENTLY
MOVING THROUGH. EXPECT ANOTHER ACTIVE DAY WITH WIDESPREAD SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS...BUT THE GREATEST RAINFALL SHOULD OCCUR ACROSS
WESTERN AZ THROUGH THIS EVENING.

WEDNESDAY...PROGS CONTINUE TO SHOW THE UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL MOVE
INTO UTAH AND ALLOW DRIER AIR TO SLOWLY INVADE WESTERN ARIZONA.
ENOUGH MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY WILL LINGER FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF
SHOWER AND STORM ACTIVITY THROUGH THE EVENING.

THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY...
PROGS ARE MOVING THE UPPER LOW CIRCULATION AWAY FROM AZ BUT KEEP A
WEAK CYCLONIC FLOW OVER THE AREA THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. DEEP
NORTHWEST TO WEST FLOW ALOFT THEN MOVES FOR THE WEEKEND AND PUSHES
ANY REMAINING MOISTURE TO THE NEW MEXICO LINE. AT THIS TIME WE
EXPECT SCATTERED DAYTIME STORMS ALONG AND NORTH OF THE RIM THURSDAY
AND FRIDAY AND THEN JUST A SLIGHT CHANCE OF STORM FOR EASTERN AZ FOR
THE WEEKEND.

&&

.AVIATION....FOR THE 12Z PACKAGE...EXPECT AREAS OF LOW CLOUDS AND
FOG FROM THE MOGOLLON RIM NORTHWARD THIS MORNING PRODUCING
INTERMITTENT MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS. SCT SHRA/TSRA WILL AFFECT NORTHERN
AZ EAST OF A LINE FROM KOV7 TO KPAN...ISOLD SHRA/TSRA TO THE WEST OF
THE LINE UNTIL 15Z. INCREASING SHRA/TSRA COVERAGE EXPECTED FROM
15Z-18Z...SHRA/TSRA WILL BECOME NUMEROUS. MVFR CIGS/VSBYS WILL
ASSOCIATED WITH THE SHRA/TSRA ACTIVITY. HEAVIER SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE ISOLD IFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES.
SHRA/TSRA DECREASING TO SCT ACTIVITY OVERNIGHT...HOWEVER BREAKS IN
THE CLOUD COVER WILL ALLOW AREAS OF LOW CLOUDS AND FOG TO DEVELOP
AND LINGER THROUGH DAY BREAK.  AVIATION DISCUSSION NOT UPDATED FOR
AMENDMENTS.
&&

.FGZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FLASH FLOOD WATCH TODAY 11 AM MST THROUGH 11 PM MST
AZ ZONES 004>009-012-013-015-016-018-037>040.

&&

PUBLIC.....DL
AVIATION...TEC

FOR NORTHERN ARIZONA WEATHER INFORMATION VISIT WEATHER.GOV/FLAGSTAFF
Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 10, 3:30 AM MST, 6 hours before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
330 AM MST TUE SEP 10 2013

AZZ004>018-037>040-110700-
KAIBAB PLATEAU-MARBLE AND GLEN CANYONS-GRAND CANYON COUNTRY-
COCONINO PLATEAU-YAVAPAI COUNTY MOUNTAINS-
NORTHEAST PLATEAUS AND MESAS HWY 264 NORTHWARD-CHINLE VALLEY-
CHUSKA MOUNTAINS AND DEFIANCE PLATEAU-
LITTLE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY IN COCONINO COUNTY-
LITTLE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY IN NAVAJO COUNTY-
LITTLE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY IN APACHE COUNTY-
WESTERN MOGOLLON RIM-EASTERN MOGOLLON RIM-WHITE MOUNTAINS-
NORTHERN GILA COUNTY-YAVAPAI COUNTY VALLEYS AND BASINS-
OAK CREEK AND SYCAMORE CANYONS-BLACK MESA AREA-
NORTHEAST PLATEAUS AND MESAS SOUTH OF HWY 264-
330 AM MST TUE SEP 10 2013

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR APACHE...COCONINO...
NORTHERN GILA...NAVAJO...AND YAVAPAI COUNTIES IN NORTHERN
ARIZONA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT TODAY FROM 11 AM THROUGH 11 PM MST
FOR AREAS WEST OF A LINE FROM KAYENTA TO HOLBROOK THROUGH SHOW LOW.
NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED AGAIN TODAY AND AND
SOME STORMS MAY PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED WEDNESDAY.
LOOK FOR DECREASING MOISTURE AND PRECIPITATION COVERAGE ACROSS
WESTERN ARIZONA STARTING THURSDAY. MONSOON MOISTURE WILL BE PUSHED
SLOWLY EASTWARD WITH TIME THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 9, 6:57 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryFGZYavapai4 hr
Sep 10, 3:00 AM MSTFlash Flood WatchFGZApache, Coconino, Gila, Navajo, Yavapai20 hr
Sep 10, 8:10 AM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryFGZYavapai3 hr
Sep 10, 8:43 AM MSTFlash Flood WarningFGZYavapai3 hr
Sep 10, 8:44 AM MSTFlash Flood WarningFGZYavapai2 hr
Sep 10, 11:46 AM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryFGZYavapai3 hr
Sep 10, 12:18 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryFGZYavapai3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Arizona, 2013Every flash flood warning 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.