Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 2014

Flash Flood Warning 3, NWS Fort Worth, TX

April 3, 2014Collin County, Hunt County, Texas

NWS Fort Worth, TX issued this flash flood warning at Apr 3, 2014, 8:40 PM CDT for Collin County, Hunt County, Texas. It was in force for 2 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: Apr 3, 2014, 8:40 PM CDT (01:40 UTC)
Expired: Apr 3, 2014, 10:45 PM CDT
In force: 2 hr
Issued by: NWS Fort Worth, TX
Area: Storm-based polygon
Flood severity: None

Counties Collin County, TX, Hunt County, TX

The radar

The Dallas/Ft Worth radar (KFWS), 116 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:42 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

Fort Worth, TX (KFWD), launched 00:00Z, 1.7 hours before the alert went out and 100 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 949 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -174 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1694 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 58 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 211 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 252 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.1
Supercell composite: 8.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

466 
WGUS54 KFWD 040140
FFWFWD
TXC085-231-040345-
/O.NEW.KFWD.FF.W.0003.140404T0140Z-140404T0345Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
840 PM CDT THU APR 3 2014

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FORT WORTH HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  COLLIN COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS
  HUNT COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS

* UNTIL 1045 PM CDT

* AT 838 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED
  THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS MUCH OF THE WARNED AREA.
  THE STORMS PRODUCING THE HEAVY RAINFALL ARE MOVINE EAST AT 30 MPH. 
  VERY   HEAVY RAINS HAVE ALREADY OCCURRED ACROSS THE WARNED AREA...AND
  ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL WILL RESULT IN FLASH FLOODING THROUGH
  1045 PM CDT.

* LOCATIONS THAT WILL CONTINUE TO BE AFFECTED BY HEAVY RAIN
  INCLUDE...WOLFE CITY...PROSPER...COMMERCE...CELINA...CELESTE AND
  ANNA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

DO NOT DRIVE THROUGH WATER OF UNKNOWN DEPTH. TURN AROUND...DONT
DROWN. IT ONLY TAKES TWO FEET OF MOVING WATER TO CARRY AWAY MOST
VEHICLES...INCLUDING PICKUPS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. TAKE A
DIFFERENT ROUTE TO REACH YOUR DESTINATION OR WAIT UNTIL WATER
RECEDES. CHILDREN SHOULD NEVER PLAY AROUND HIGH WATER...DRAINAGE
DITCHES...STORM DRAINS...OR FLOODED STREAMS.

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE
DANGERS OF FLASH FLOODS. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT AT NIGHT TO TELL HOW
MUCH WATER IS ON THE ROADS OR IF THE ROAD HAS BEEN DAMAGED OR WASHED
AWAY. TAKE A DIFFERENT ROUTE TO REACH YOUR DESTINATION OR WAIT UNTIL
WATER RECEDES.

&&

LAT...LON 3299 9587 3301 9630 3298 9630 3299 9685
      3340 9683 3340 9639 3335 9639 3334 9634
      3341 9586

$$

1 follow-up statement

878 
WGUS74 KFWD 040341
FFSFWD

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
1041 PM CDT THU APR 3 2014

TXC085-231-040351-
/O.EXP.KFWD.FF.W.0003.000000T0000Z-140404T0345Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
HUNT TX-COLLIN TX-
1041 PM CDT THU APR 3 2014

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR COLLIN AND HUNT COUNTIES EXPIRES AT
1045 PM CDT...

THE HEAVY RAINFALL HAS ENDED ACROSS THE WARNED AREA...THEREFORE THE
FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.

LAT...LON 3299 9587 3301 9630 3298 9630 3299 9685
      3340 9683 3340 9639 3335 9639 3334 9634
      3341 9586

$$

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 Fort Worth, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Apr 3, 3:45 PM CDT, 4 hours 55 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 3, 3:45 PM CDT, 4 hours 55 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
345 PM CDT THU APR 3 2014

.DISCUSSION...
A DRYLINE HAS SURGED THROUGH BOWIE AND BRIDGEPORT BUT REMAINS WELL
WEST OF COMANCHE AND GOLDTHWAITE. THE BULGE HAS HELPED MAXIMIZE
LOW-LEVEL CONVERGENCE WHERE THE INITIAL SURFACE-BASED STORMS
DEVELOPED. DESPITE PERSISTENT CLOUD COVER EAST OF THE BOUNDARY...
TEMPERATURES CLIMBED INTO THE 80S WITH DEW POINTS IN THE MID TO
UPPER 60S. MID-AFTERNOON MLCAPE VALUES HAVE EXCEEDED 3000J/KG...
AND NEW UPDRAFTS ROOTED IN THIS VERY UNSTABLE BOUNDARY LAYER WILL
QUICKLY BE ABLE TO SUPPORT LARGE HAIL. ALTHOUGH THERE HAS BEEN
SOME MOISTURE RECOVERY IN THE MID-LEVELS...THERE REMAINS AMPLE DRY
AIR TO ENHANCE THE DOWNBURST POTENTIAL WITH STORMS THIS AFTERNOON.
WITH THE INITIAL STORMS...HIGH LCLS AND VEERING WINDS AHEAD OF THE
BOUNDARY WILL TEND TO REDUCE THE TORNADO THREAT. ALTHOUGH THE
DRYLINE WILL ENHANCE THE LOW-LEVEL SHEAR...CONVECTIVE ELEMENTS
WILL HAVE A TENDENCY TO GRADUALLY SEPARATE FROM THE BOUNDARY.
HOWEVER...DEEP LAYER SHEAR FAVORS ROTATING UPDRAFTS. AND WITH
DISCRETE CELLS IN A VERY UNSTABLE ENVIRONMENT...THE TORNADO THREAT
WILL GRADUALLY INCREASE AS THE ACTIVITY MOVES EAST...EVEN WITHOUT
THE AID OF NEAR-BOUNDARY MECHANICS.

HOWEVER...INHIBITION REMAINS FARTHER EAST AND MAY PREVENT DEEP
CONVECTION FROM INITIATING FAR IN ADVANCE OF THE BOUNDARY. THIS
COULD KEEP THE SOUTHEASTERN HALF OF THE CWA...WHICH WILL REMAIN
WELL SEPARATED FROM THE LARGE-SCALE FORCING FOR ASCENT...
RELATIVELY QUIET UNTIL THE EVENING HOURS. A COLD FRONT IS JUST
NORTH OF THE RED RIVER AND WILL EVENTUALLY OVERWHELM THE LINGERING
DRYLINE THIS EVENING...INCREASING STORM CHANCES ACROSS CENTRAL AND
EAST TEXAS. WITH THIS SURFACE FOCUS... DISCRETE CELLS MAY
EVENTUALLY CONGEAL INTO A LINEAR MCS...WHICH WOULD INCREASE THE
WIND THREAT WHILE DIMINISHING THE POTENTIAL FOR LARGE HAIL AND
TORNADOES.

WARM AND HUMID WEATHER HAS PREVAILED MUCH OF THE WEEK...BUT FRIDAY
MORNING WILL BE NOTICEABLY COOLER WITH GUSTY NORTH WINDS.
TEMPERATURES MAY DIP INTO THE 30S IN NORTHERN ZONES SATURDAY
MORNING. ALTHOUGH DEW POINTS ARE MARGINAL FOR FROST...ANYONE
CONCERNED ABOUT SENSITIVE VEGETATION SHOULD KEEP ABREAST OF THE
FORECAST.

A LONGWAVE TROUGH APPROACHING THE WEST COAST WILL CREEP SLOWLY
TOWARD TEXAS THIS WEEKEND. PACIFIC MOISTURE WILL BEGIN STREAMING
OVER THE COOL SURFACE LAYER ON SATURDAY WHEN RAIN CHANCES WILL
RETURN TO THE FORECAST. THE CLOUDY AND UNSEASONABLY COOL WEATHER
WILL CONTINUE ON SUNDAY WHEN GULF MOISTURE RETURNS AT 850MB.
PROGGED ISENTROPIC LIFT OVER THE COOL SURFACE LAYER WOULD RESULT
IN WIDESPREAD RAIN. A 40 POP ON DAY 4 SHOWS MODERATE TO HIGH
CONFIDENCE IN RAIN OCCURRING...BUT THIS IS UNLIKELY TO YIELD THE
COPIOUS RAINFALL THAT THE DROUGHT-PLAGUED REGION NEEDS. HOWEVER...
A SLOW/GENTLE RAIN AND LIMITED EVAPORATION WILL ALLOW THE TOPSOIL
TO MAKE THE MOST OF WHAT DOES FALL. UNFORTUNATELY FOR THOSE
ENGAGED IN OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES...SUNDAY LOOKS TO BE AN UNSEASONABLY
COOL AND DAMP DAY FOR APRIL.

THE TROUGH WILL PASS EAST AROUND MONDAY...BRINGING AN END TO THE
RAIN CHANCES. REINFORCING SHOTS OF COOL AIR IN THE NORTHWEST FLOW
ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE SYSTEM WILL PREVENT TEMPERATURES FROM
RETURNING TO NORMAL UNTIL LATE NEXT WEEK.

25

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
DALLAS-FT. WORTH, TX  48  67  45  67  48 /  20   0   0  20  20
WACO, TX              50  70  44  68  48 /  30   0   0  20  30
PARIS, TX             48  65  41  65  46 /  70   0   0  10  20
DENTON, TX            45  67  42  65  46 /  20   0   0  20  20
MCKINNEY, TX          46  67  40  65  46 /  20   0   0  10  20
DALLAS, TX            49  68  46  66  48 /  20   0   0  20  20
TERRELL, TX           50  67  43  65  47 /  50   0   0  20  20
CORSICANA, TX         51  68  45  66  48 /  50   0   0  20  30
TEMPLE, TX            50  70  44  66  49 /  30   0   0  20  30
MINERAL WELLS, TX     43  69  40  66  46 /   5   0   0  20  20

&&

.FWD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR TXZ091-100>102-
115>117-129>132-141.

&&

09/25

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 3, 3:24 PM CDT, 5 hours 16 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
324 PM CDT THU APR 3 2014

TXZ091>095-100>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-041230-
MONTAGUE-COOKE-GRAYSON-FANNIN-LAMAR-YOUNG-JACK-WISE-DENTON-COLLIN-
HUNT-DELTA-HOPKINS-STEPHENS-PALO PINTO-PARKER-TARRANT-DALLAS-
ROCKWALL-KAUFMAN-VAN ZANDT-RAINS-EASTLAND-ERATH-HOOD-SOMERVELL-
JOHNSON-ELLIS-HENDERSON-COMANCHE-MILLS-HAMILTON-BOSQUE-HILL-NAVARRO-
FREESTONE-ANDERSON-LAMPASAS-CORYELL-BELL-MCLENNAN-FALLS-LIMESTONE-
LEON-MILAM-ROBERTSON-
324 PM CDT THU APR 3 2014

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
THERE WILL BE A RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THIS EVENING
ACROSS MUCH OF NORTH AND CENTRAL TEXAS. THE RISK AREA IS EAST OF A
LINE FROM ST JO TO MINERAL WELLS TO COMANCHE...AND INCLUDES THE
DFW METROPLEX AND THE WACO/TEMPLE/KILLEEN AREAS. LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING THUNDERSTORM WINDS ARE THE MAIN THREATS...BUT ONE OR TWO
TORNADOES MAY ALSO OCCUR.

ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE ALONG AND WEST OF
INTERSTATE 35. A RED FLAG WARNING WILL BE IN EFFECT THROUGH EARLY
THIS EVENING IN AREAS ALONG AND WEST OF A LINE FROM NOCONA...TO
GLEN ROSE...TO COMANCHE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.
LOW THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL RETURN SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
SUNDAY EVENING...BUT THE ACTIVITY IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE REQUESTED IN SOME AREAS THROUGH
THIS EVENING.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 3, 8:31 PM CDT, 9 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
831 PM CDT THU APR 03 2014

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0742 PM     HAIL             LITTLE ELM              33.15N  96.97W
04/03/2014  E1.00 INCH       DENTON             TX   PUBLIC

            FIELDSTONE DRIVE

Local storm report, Apr 3, 8:33 PM CDT, 7 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
833 PM CDT THU APR 03 2014

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0810 PM     HAIL             2 NW DENTON             33.24N  97.17W
04/03/2014  E0.75 INCH       DENTON             TX   SELECT

Local storm report, Apr 3, 8:34 PM CDT, 6 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
834 PM CDT THU APR 03 2014

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0810 PM     TSTM WND DMG     2 NW DENTON             33.24N  97.17W
04/03/2014                   DENTON             TX   PUBLIC

            TREES SNAPPED OR UPROOTED.

Local storm report, Apr 3, 8:35 PM CDT, 5 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
835 PM CDT THU APR 03 2014

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0820 PM     HAIL             LUCAS                   33.08N  96.58W
04/03/2014  E1.50 INCH       COLLIN             TX   PUBLIC

Local storm report, Apr 3, 8:36 PM CDT, 4 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
836 PM CDT THU APR 03 2014

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0835 PM     HAIL             MCKINNEY                33.20N  96.62W
04/03/2014  E1.50 INCH       COLLIN             TX   AMATEUR RADIO

            PING PONG TO GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL IN THE COMMUNITY OF
            CRAIG RANCH

Local storm report, Apr 3, 8:39 PM CDT, 1 minute before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
839 PM CDT THU APR 03 2014

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0818 PM     HAIL             MELISSA                 33.28N  96.58W
04/03/2014  E0.75 INCH       COLLIN             TX   PUBLIC

The office that day

Everything else NWS Fort Worth, TX issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 3, 7:02 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Denton	58 min
Apr 3, 7:05 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Collin	55 min
Apr 3, 7:07 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	FWD	Bosque, Hill, McLennan	53 min
Apr 3, 7:11 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Hood, Johnson, Parker, Tarrant	49 min
Apr 3, 7:11 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	FWD	Collin	49 min
Apr 3, 7:20 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Bosque, Hill, McLennan	55 min
Apr 3, 7:22 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	FWD	Denton	113 min
Apr 3, 7:43 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	FWD	Collin, Hunt	47 min
Apr 3, 7:45 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Collin	60 min
Apr 3, 7:54 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Dallas, Denton, Tarrant, Wise	66 min
Apr 3, 8:24 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	FWD	Kaufman	36 min
Apr 3, 8:27 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	FWD	Delta, Hopkins, Hunt	48 min
Apr 3, 9:11 PM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	FWD	Denton	3 hr
Apr 3, 9:11 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	FWD	Delta, Hopkins, Lamar	49 min
Apr 3, 9:41 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	FWD	Rains, Rockwall	34 min
Apr 3, 9:52 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Hopkins, Hunt, Rains	53 min
Apr 3, 9:56 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	FWD	Dallas	34 min
Apr 3, 10:59 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Rains, Van Zandt	46 min
Apr 3, 11:59 PM CDT	Wind Advisory	FWD	Bosque, Collin, Comanche, Cooke, Dallas, Delta and 26 more	3 hr
Apr 4, 2:37 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	FWD	Leon	23 min
Apr 4, 9:19 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	FWD	Hunt	26 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Texas, 2014 Every 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.