Alert archive / Minnesota / Flash Flood Watches in 2014

Flash Flood Watch 7, NWS Twin Cities, MN

August 21, 201427 counties in Minnesota; Pierce County, Saint Croix County, Wisconsin

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this flash flood watch at Aug 21, 2014, 2:33 AM CDT for 27 counties in Minnesota; Pierce County, Saint Croix County, Wisconsin. It was in force for 4 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Aug 21, 2014, 2:33 AM CDT (07:33 UTC)
Expired
Aug 21, 2014, 6:05 AM CDT
In force
4 hr
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN
Flood severity
None
All 29 counties

Anoka County, MN, Blue Earth County, MN, Carver County, MN, Chippewa County, MN, Dakota County, MN, Douglas County, MN, Goodhue County, MN, Hennepin County, MN, Kandiyohi County, MN, Le Sueur County, MN, McLeod County, MN, Meeker County, MN, Nicollet County, MN, Pope County, MN, Ramsey County, MN, Renville County, MN, Rice County, MN, Scott County, MN, Sherburne County, MN, Sibley County, MN, Stearns County, MN, Steele County, MN, Stevens County, MN, Swift County, MN, Waseca County, MN, Washington County, MN, Wright County, MN, Pierce County, WI, Saint Croix County, WI

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 35 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 07:35 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

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 00:00Z, 7.6 hours before the alert went out and 33 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, Minneapolis, MN at 00:00Z on 2014-08-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 397 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, Minneapolis, MN at 00:00Z on 2014-08-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 19 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
397 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-58 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1160 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
18 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
19 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
162 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.

453 
WGUS63 KMPX 210733
FFAMPX

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
FLOOD WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
233 AM CDT THU AUG 21 2014

...VERY HEAVY RAIN CURRENTLY DEVELOPING WHICH WILL LEAD TO THE
POTENTIAL FOR FLASH FLOODING THROUGH MID MORNING...

.NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED ALONG A WARM FRONT
EXTENDING FROM EASTERN SOUTH DAKOTA SOUTHEAST INTO SOUTHWEST
MINNESOTA. WITH TIME...THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALIGN THEMSELVES IN A
WEST NORTHEAST TO EAST SOUTHEAST EARLY THIS MORNING AND WILL TRAIN
OVER THE SAME AREAS. VERY HIGH MOISTURE CONTENT IN THE ATMOSPHERE
WILL ALLOW FOR VERY EFFICIENT HEAVY RAIN PRODUCING STORMS WITH
RAINFALL RATES OF 2 INCHES PER HOUR POSSIBLE. THE HEAVIEST RAIN IS
CURRENTLY EXPECTED TO FALL ALONG AND JUST NORTH OF THE MINNESOTA
RIVER AND SOUTH OF I-94...TO AS FAR EAST AS RED WING MINNESOTA.
WIDESPREAD RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE EXPECTED...WITH
LOCALIZED TOTALS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES POSSIBLE. THIS MUCH RAIN IN A
SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME WILL LEAD TO A HEIGHTENED THREAT FOR FLASH
FLOODING THIS MORNING. 

MNZ041-047>049-051-055>063-065>070-075>078-083>085-WIZ023-024-
211500-
/O.NEW.KMPX.FF.A.0007.140821T0733Z-140821T1500Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
DOUGLAS-STEVENS-POPE-STEARNS-SHERBURNE-SWIFT-CHIPPEWA-KANDIYOHI-
MEEKER-WRIGHT-HENNEPIN-ANOKA-RAMSEY-WASHINGTON-RENVILLE-MCLEOD-
SIBLEY-CARVER-SCOTT-DAKOTA-NICOLLET-LE SUEUR-RICE-GOODHUE-
BLUE EARTH-WASECA-STEELE-ST. CROIX-PIERCE-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ALEXANDRIA...MORRIS...GLENWOOD...
ST. CLOUD...ELK RIVER...BENSON...MONTEVIDEO...WILLMAR...
LITCHFIELD...MONTICELLO...MINNEAPOLIS...BLAINE...ST. PAUL...
STILLWATER...OLIVIA...HUTCHINSON...GAYLORD...CHASKA...SHAKOPEE...
BURNSVILLE...ST. PETER...LE SUEUR...FARIBAULT...RED WING...
MANKATO...WASECA...OWATONNA...HUDSON...NEW RICHMOND...
RIVER FALLS...PRESCOTT
233 AM CDT THU AUG 21 2014

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM CDT THIS MORNING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN HAS ISSUED
A

* FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF MINNESOTA AND WEST CENTRAL 
  WISCONSIN...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS...IN MINNESOTA... 
  ANOKA...BLUE EARTH...CARVER...CHIPPEWA...DAKOTA...DOUGLAS... 
  GOODHUE...HENNEPIN...KANDIYOHI...LE SUEUR...MCLEOD...MEEKER... 
  NICOLLET...POPE...RAMSEY...RENVILLE...RICE...SCOTT... 
  SHERBURNE...SIBLEY...STEARNS...STEELE...STEVENS...SWIFT... 
  WASECA...WASHINGTON AND WRIGHT. IN WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN... 
  PIERCE AND ST. CROIX. 

* UNTIL 10 AM CDT THIS MORNING.

* NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING TORRENTIAL RAIN WILL TRACK OVER
  SOME OF THE SAME AREAS REPEATEDLY EARLY THIS MORNING. WIDESPREAD
  RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE FORECAST...WITH AS MUCH AS
  3 TO 6 INCHES FALLING IN LOCALIZED AREAS.

* DRIVING AT NIGHT DURING FLASH FLOOD SITUATION IS EXTREMELY 
  DANGEROUS AS DRIVERS MAY UNDERESTIMATE THE DEPTH OF THE WATER 
  OR MAY COME ACROSS AREAS PRONE TO WASHOUTS. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD
TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION
SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED.

&&

$$

BORGHOFF
1 follow-up statement
098 
WGUS63 KMPX 211105
FFAMPX

FLOOD WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
605 AM CDT THU AUG 21 2014

...HEAVY RAIN AND FLASH FLOOD THREAT QUICKLY DIMINISHING...

MNZ041-047>049-051-055>063-065>070-075>078-083>085-WIZ023-024-
211215-
/O.CAN.KMPX.FF.A.0007.000000T0000Z-140821T1500Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
DOUGLAS-STEVENS-POPE-STEARNS-SHERBURNE-SWIFT-CHIPPEWA-KANDIYOHI-
MEEKER-WRIGHT-HENNEPIN-ANOKA-RAMSEY-WASHINGTON-RENVILLE-MCLEOD-
SIBLEY-CARVER-SCOTT-DAKOTA-NICOLLET-LE SUEUR-RICE-GOODHUE-
BLUE EARTH-WASECA-STEELE-ST. CROIX-PIERCE-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ALEXANDRIA...MORRIS...GLENWOOD...
ST. CLOUD...ELK RIVER...BENSON...MONTEVIDEO...WILLMAR...
LITCHFIELD...MONTICELLO...MINNEAPOLIS...BLAINE...ST. PAUL...
STILLWATER...OLIVIA...HUTCHINSON...GAYLORD...CHASKA...SHAKOPEE...
BURNSVILLE...ST. PETER...LE SUEUR...FARIBAULT...RED WING...
MANKATO...WASECA...OWATONNA...HUDSON...NEW RICHMOND...
RIVER FALLS...PRESCOTT
605 AM CDT THU AUG 21 2014

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS CANCELLED...

THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF MINNESOTA AND WEST CENTRAL
WISCONSIN HAS BEEN CANCELLED. 

THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS GRADUALLY WANING AND IS BECOMING LESS
ORGANIZED. THEREFORE...WIDESPREAD HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLASH
FLOODING ARE NO LONGER EXPECTED.

$$

BORGHOFF

The office that day

Everything else NWS Twin Cities, MN issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 21, 12:24 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXLac qui Parle36 min
Aug 21, 12:52 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXStevens53 min
Aug 21, 2:01 AM CDTAreal Flood WarningMPXStevens, Swift6 hr
Aug 21, 2:50 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXBrown, Martin, Watonwan85 min
Aug 21, 3:07 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXChippewa, Kandiyohi, Pope, Swift83 min
Aug 21, 3:53 AM CDTAreal Flood WarningMPXBrown, Watonwan5 hr
Aug 21, 4:20 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXMartin40 min
Aug 21, 4:31 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXBlue Earth, Nicollet59 min
Aug 21, 4:47 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXFaribault43 min
Aug 21, 5:10 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXBlue Earth, Faribault, Waseca50 min
Aug 21, 7:16 AM CDTHeat AdvisoryMPXBlue Earth, Brown, Carver, Dakota, Faribault, Freeborn and 14 more13 hr
Aug 21, 6:20 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXWatonwan25 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Watches in Minnesota, 2014Flash Flood Watches in Wisconsin, 2014Every flash flood watch 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.