Alert archive / Massachusetts / Flash Flood Warnings in 2014

Flash Flood Warning 41, NWS Boston/Norton, MA

August 13, 20144 counties in Massachusetts

NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued this flash flood warning at Aug 13, 2014, 3:46 PM EDT for 4 counties in Massachusetts. It was in force for 4 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 13, 2014, 3:46 PM EDT (19:46 UTC)
Expired
Aug 13, 2014, 7:45 PM EDT
In force
4 hr
Issued by
NWS Boston/Norton, MA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties Franklin County, MA, Hampshire County, MA, Middlesex County, MA, Worcester County, MA

The radar

The Boston radar (KBOX), 94 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:47 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

Albany, NY (KALY), launched 12:00Z, 7.8 hours before the alert went out and 147 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, Albany, NY at 12:00Z on 2014-08-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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, Albany, NY at 12:00Z on 2014-08-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 204 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
723 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
31 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
204 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
283 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.

619 
WGUS51 KBOX 131946
FFWBOX
MAC011-015-017-027-132345-
/O.NEW.KBOX.FF.W.0041.140813T1946Z-140813T2345Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
346 PM EDT WED AUG 13 2014

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  EAST CENTRAL HAMPSHIRE COUNTY IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS...
  SOUTHEASTERN FRANKLIN COUNTY IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS...
  CENTRAL WORCESTER COUNTY IN CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS...
  NORTHWESTERN MIDDLESEX COUNTY IN NORTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS...

* UNTIL 745 PM EDT

* AT 342 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR AND AUTOMATED RAIN GAUGES INDICATED 
  THAT HEAVY RAIN WAS FALLING OVER NORTH CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS. THE 
  HEAVIEST RAIN WAS LOCATED IN THE VICINITY OF QUABBIN RESERVOIR 
  NORTHWARD TO WINCHENDON...MOVING GRADUALLY TO THE EAST.  AS THIS 
  HEAVY RAIN CROSSES THROUGH NORTH CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS...RAINFALL 
  RATES OF UP TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR OR MORE ARE POSSIBLE.  THIS IS 
  EXPECTED TO PRODUCE FLASH FLOODING.  URBAN FLASH FLOODING IS OF 
  PARTICULAR CONCERN. 

* SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...
  WORCESTER...LEOMINSTER...FITCHBURG...SHREWSBURY...ORANGE...
  GARDNER...GRAFTON...HOLDEN...AUBURN...BELCHERTOWN...CLINTON...
  MILLBURY...SPENCER...ATHOL...LEICESTER...WINCHENDON...LUNENBURG...
  WARE...TOWNSEND...LANCASTER...TEMPLETON...RUTLAND...STERLING...WEST
  BOYLSTON...WESTMINSTER...ASHBURNHAM...BARRE...WARREN...PAXTON AND
  NORTH BROOKFIELD.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

RAPID FLOODING OF STREETS AND UNDERPASSES IS IMMINENT. DO NOT DRIVE 
THROUGH FLOODED ROADS AND FIND ALTERNATE ROUTES.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS ISSUED FOR RAPID AND POTENTIALLY LIFE
THREATENING FLOODING. IN URBAN AREAS AVOID FLOODED ROADS AND OBEY 
ROAD CLOSURES. THOSE NEAR SMALL STREAMS SHOULD MONITOR CONDITIONS 
CLOSELY AND HEAD FOR HIGHER GROUND IF FLOODWATERS ENCROACH.

&&

LAT...LON 4226 7236 4272 7228 4270 7167 4220 7171

$$

NMB
2 follow-up statements
900 
WGUS71 KBOX 132121
FFSBOX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
521 PM EDT WED AUG 13 2014

MAC011-015-017-027-132345-
/O.CON.KBOX.FF.W.0041.000000T0000Z-140813T2345Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
HAMPSHIRE MA-FRANKLIN MA-WORCESTER MA-MIDDLESEX MA-
521 PM EDT WED AUG 13 2014

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 745 PM EDT FOR
EAST CENTRAL HAMPSHIRE...SOUTHEASTERN FRANKLIN...CENTRAL WORCESTER
AND NORTHWESTERN MIDDLESEX COUNTIES...

AT 515 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THAT THE AREA OF HEAVY RAIN 
HAD MOVED EASTWARD. WITHIN THE WARNING AREA THE HEAVY RAIN EXTENDED 
FROM ASHBY AND FITCHBURG...SOUTHWARD TO WEST BOYLSTON.  IN THAT AREA 
UP TO AN ADDITIONAL INCH OF RAIN IS POSSIBLE THROUGH 6 PM. URBAN 
AND POOR DRAINAGE FLASH FLOODING IS LIKELY. 

ELSEWHERE IN THE WARNING AREA...SOME STREAMS MAY NEAR BANKFULL 
LEVELS.  IN ADDITION STANDING WATER IN URBAN AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS 
MAY LINGER...AND TAKE SOME TIME TO RECEDE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

RAPID AND POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING FLOODING OF STREETS AND
UNDERPASSES IS IMMINENT. DO NOT DRIVE THROUGH FLOODED ROADS AND FIND
ALTERNATE ROUTES.

&&

LAT...LON 4226 7236 4272 7228 4270 7167 4220 7171

$$

NMB
310 
WGUS71 KBOX 132248
FFSBOX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
648 PM EDT WED AUG 13 2014

MAC011-015-017-027-132252-
/O.CAN.KBOX.FF.W.0041.000000T0000Z-140813T2345Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
HAMPSHIRE MA-FRANKLIN MA-WORCESTER MA-MIDDLESEX MA-
648 PM EDT WED AUG 13 2014

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR EAST CENTRAL HAMPSHIRE...SOUTHEASTERN
FRANKLIN...CENTRAL WORCESTER AND NORTHWESTERN MIDDLESEX COUNTIES IS
CANCELLED...

THE HEAVY RAIN THAT AFFECTED THE AREA EARLIER HAS DIMINISHED AND 
MOVED TO THE EAST...AND THE THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING HAS SUBSIDED.  
AS A RESULT...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR NORTH 
CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS HAS BEEN CANCELED. 
 
MINOR PONDING OF WATER IN POOR DRAINAGE AREAS MAY LINGER THIS 
EVENING.   

LAT...LON 4226 7236 4272 7228 4270 7167 4220 7171

$$

NMB

The office that day

Everything else NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 13, 8:58 AM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBOXWorcester2 hr
Aug 13, 10:33 AM EDTCoastal Flood AdvisoryBOXBarnstable, Essex, Nantucket, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk5 hr
Aug 13, 10:59 AM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBOXBristol, Middlesex, Norfolk, Worcester4 hr
Aug 13, 11:24 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningBOXBristol, Norfolk, Worcester4 hr
Aug 13, 12:43 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBOXFranklin, Hampden, Hampshire2 hr
Aug 13, 1:30 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningBOXHampden, Hampshire4 hr
Aug 13, 1:59 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningBOXFranklin, Hampshire4 hr
Aug 13, 4:23 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXWorcester32 min
Aug 13, 4:28 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningBOX62 min
Aug 13, 5:00 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningBOXMiddlesex, Worcester4 hr
Aug 13, 6:16 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBOXEssex, Middlesex119 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Massachusetts, 2014Every flash flood warning in 2014

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.