Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 2014

Flash Flood Warning 104, NWS Las Vegas, NV

August 12, 2014Mohave County, Arizona

NWS Las Vegas, NV issued this flash flood warning at Aug 12, 2014, 5:23 PM MST for Mohave 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: Aug 12, 2014, 5:23 PM MST (00:23 UTC)
Expired: Aug 12, 2014, 8:15 PM MST
In force: 3 hr
Issued by: NWS Las Vegas, NV
Area: Storm-based polygon
Flood severity: None

County Mohave County, AZ

The radar

The Las Vegas radar (KESX), 22 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:24 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

Verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow matched 2 storm reports to this flash flood warning; the first came 33 minutes after it went out.

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

Las Vegas, NV (KVEF), launched 00:00Z, 0.4 hours before the alert went out and 103 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: 466 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -52 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 2549 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 9 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 16 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 114 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.

309 
WGUS55 KVEF 130023
FFWVEF
AZC015-130315-
/O.NEW.KVEF.FF.W.0104.140813T0023Z-140813T0315Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
523 PM MST TUE AUG 12 2014

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAS VEGAS HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  WEST CENTRAL MOHAVE COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ARIZONA...

* UNTIL 815 PM MST/815 PM PDT/

* AT 520 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  FLASH FLOODING FROM A THUNDERSTORM OVER EXTREME WEST CENTRAL MOHAVE
  COUNTY...OR 15 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BOULDER CITY. THE STORM PRODUCING
  FLASH FLOODING WAS NEARLY STATIONARY AND EXTENDED FROM THE ACCESS  
  ROAD TO WILLOW BEACH ON SOUTHWARD. RUNOFF FROM THIS STORM WILL     
  DRAIN TOWARD WILLOW BEACH AND AREAS ON THE ARIZONA SIDE OF THE     
  COLORADO RIVER ON SOUTH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  WILLOW BEACH.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

FLASH FLOODING IS EXPECTED ON ROADS...IN NORMALLY DRY WASHES AND LOW
LYING AREAS. NEVER TRY TO CROSS A FLOODED ROAD OR ENTER A FLOOD
CHANNEL. TURN AROUND...DONT DROWN!

REPORT FLOODING TO THE LAS VEGAS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VIA
FACEBOOK OR TWITTER.

&&

LAT...LON 3563 11467 3569 11469 3570 11471 3579 11470
      3581 11472 3583 11469 3585 11471 3587 11466
      3591 11469 3598 11462 3566 11449

$$

STACHELSKI

3 follow-up statements

172 
WGUS75 KVEF 130107
FFSVEF

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
607 PM MST TUE AUG 12 2014

AZC015-130315-
/O.CON.KVEF.FF.W.0104.000000T0000Z-140813T0315Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
MOHAVE AZ-
607 PM MST TUE AUG 12 2014

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 815 PM MST/815 PM
PDT/ FOR WEST CENTRAL MOHAVE COUNTY...

AT 600 PM MST...THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE REPORTED THAT THE ACCESS 
ROAD TO WILLOW BEACH WAS CLOSED DUE TO FLASH FLOODING ON THE ROAD. 
HEAVY RAIN CONTINUES TO FALL NEAR WILLOW BEACH WHICH WILL RESULT IN 
ADDITIONAL RUNOFF INTO THE WILLOW BEACH AREA AS WELL AS ALONG THE 
ARIZONA SIDE OF THE COLORADO RIVER SOUTH OF WILLOW BEACH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
WILLOW BEACH

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

FLASH FLOODING IS EXPECTED IN WASHES...LOW WATER CROSSINGS AND ON
ROADS. TO ESCAPE RISING WATER...MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND. NEVER TRY TO
CROSS A FLOODED ROAD OR ENTER A FLOOD CHANNEL. TURN AROUND...DONT
DROWN!

REPORT FLOODING TO THE LAS VEGAS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VIA
FACEBOOK OR TWITTER.

&&

LAT...LON 3563 11467 3569 11469 3570 11471 3579 11470
      3581 11472 3583 11469 3585 11471 3587 11466
      3591 11469 3598 11462 3566 11449

$$

STACHELSKI

361 
WGUS75 KVEF 130213
FFSVEF

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
713 PM MST TUE AUG 12 2014

AZC015-130315-
/O.CON.KVEF.FF.W.0104.000000T0000Z-140813T0315Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
MOHAVE AZ-
713 PM MST TUE AUG 12 2014

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 815 PM MST FOR WEST 
CENTRAL MOHAVE COUNTY...

AT 712 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED 
ANOTHER THUNDERSTORM WITH HEAVY RAIN APPROACHING THE WILLOW BEACH 
AREA. THE ACCESS ROAD HAS ALREADY BEEN CLOSED DUE TO FLOODING...AND 
ANY ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN WILL ONLY WORSEN THE EXISTING FLOODING.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
WILLOW BEACH.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

CAMPERS AND HIKERS SHOULD MOVE QUICKLY TO HIGHER GROUND IF RISING
WATER APPROACHES.

&&

LAT...LON 3563 11467 3569 11469 3570 11471 3579 11470
      3581 11472 3583 11469 3585 11471 3587 11466
      3591 11469 3598 11462 3566 11449

$$

MORGAN

376 
WGUS75 KVEF 130306
FFSVEF

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
806 PM MST TUE AUG 12 2014

AZC015-130315-
/O.EXP.KVEF.FF.W.0104.000000T0000Z-140813T0315Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
MOHAVE AZ-
806 PM MST TUE AUG 12 2014

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 815 PM MST FOR WEST 
CENTRAL MOHAVE COUNTY...

AT 805 PM MST...RADAR INDICATED LITTLE OR NO RAIN FALLING IN THE 
WILLOW BEACH AREA. THEREFORE...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL BE 
ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.

THE PARK SERVICE REPORTED THAT THE WILLOW BEACH ACCESS ROAD HAD BEEN 
CLOSED EARLIER DUE TO FLOODING. PLEASE OBEY ALL BARRICADES.

LAT...LON 3563 11467 3569 11469 3570 11471 3579 11470
      3581 11472 3583 11469 3585 11471 3587 11466
      3591 11469 3598 11462 3566 11449

$$

MORGAN

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 Las Vegas, NV wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Aug 12, 2:50 PM MST, 2 hours 33 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 12, 2:50 PM MST, 2 hours 33 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
250 PM PDT TUE AUG 12 2014

.SYNOPSIS...MONSOON MOISTURE OVER MOST OF THE REGION WILL
RESULT IN SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH WEDNESDAY. DRIER AIR WILL
GRADUALLY MOVE IN FROM THE WEST STARTING THURSDAY WITH THUNDERSTORM
CHANCES CONFINED TO MOHAVE COUNTY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. SEASONAL
TEMPERATURES AND AREA WIDE DRY CONDITIONS EXPECTED FOR THE WEEKEND.
&&

.SHORT TERM...THROUGH FRIDAY...
MOST INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON HAVE DEVELOPED ALONG A
LINE FROM SOUTH CENTRAL SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY EXTENDING NORTHEAST
INTO WESTERN CLARK AND LINCOLN COUNTIES. THESE STORMS HAVE DEVELOPED
ALONG THE MOIST/DRY AIR INTERFACE AS NOTED ON WATER VAPOR IMAGERY.
LOOKS TO BE A QUITE EVENING FOR MUCH OF INYO...ESMERALDA AND CENTRAL
NYE COUNTIES.

AS FOR ARIZONA. SEVERAL CIRCULATIONS NOTED ON SATELLITE OVER THE
GRAND CANYON STATE. ONE WAS OVER NORTHERN MOHAVE COUNTY AND SHOULD
BE MOVING INTO SOUTHWEST UTAH OVER THE NEXT 2-3 HOURS. A SECOND WAS
OVER SOUTHWEST ARIZONA...OR JUST TO THE WEST OF GILA BEND. STARTING
TO SEE A SMALL CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP AHEAD OF THE
FEATURE OVER SOUTHERN MOHAVE COUNTY. THE DISTURBANCE IS PROGGED TO
LIFT NORTH ACROSS WESTERN ARIZONA TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY MORNING
PROVIDING ADDITIONAL DYNAMICS TO AN ALREADY MOIST/UNSTABLE AIR MASS.
THE TROUGH WILL REMAIN OVER NORTHERN ARIZONA THROUGH WEDNESDAY WITH
ENOUGH MOISTURE/INSTABILITY EAST OF A LINE FROM MORONGO VALLEY TO
PAHRUMP TO RACHEL FOR ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS. ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...DRIER AND MORE STABLE AIR
WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH EAST LIMITING THE THREAT FOR ANY STORMS TO
MAINLY MOHAVE COUNTY.

WILL LEAVE THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH AS IS AND ALLOW THE MID SHIFT TO
MAKE ANY ADJUSTMENTS EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING.

.LONG TERM...FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY...DEEPER MOISTURE
ASSOCIATED WITH THE MONSOONAL FLOW PUSHES EAST OF THE AREA AND
THUNDERSTORM CHANCES DWINDLE BY THE WEEKEND. MODELS HINT AT A WEAK
RETURN OF MOISTURE TO START THE WORK WEEK BUT CONFINE IT TO MAINLY
THE SOUTHEASTERN PORTION OF MOHAVE COUNTY. WITH LESS EXPECTED CLOUD
COVER AND A DRIER AIRMASS IN PLACE, TEMPERATURES SHOULD RETURN TO
SEASONAL LEVELS FOR A WARM AND DRY MID AUGUST WEEKEND.
&&

.AVIATION...FOR MCCARRAN...CONVECTION SHOULD IMPACT ALL CORRIDORS
THIS EVENING...THEN PRIMARILY THE MORMON MESA AND PEACH SPRINGS
CORRIDORS INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS SOUTHWEST
OF LAS VEGAS COULD AFFECT THE TERMINALS THROUGH THIS EVENING WITH
GUSTY AND ERRATIC WINDS AND HEAVY RAINFALL. CEILINGS COULD LWR TO 6
KFT WITH VSBYS BRIEFLY REDUCED BY MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN. AFTER
WEDNESDAY MORNING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BECOME MORE
ISOLATED.

FOR THE REST OF SOUTHERN NEVADA...NORTHWEST ARIZONA...AND SOUTHEAST
CALIFORNIA...SCATTERED-BROKEN CLOUDS ALONG WITH ISOLATED TO
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS ALL OF SOUTHEAST
CALIFORNIA...SOUTHERN NEVADA AND NORTHWEST ARIZONA THROUGH
WEDNESDAY. WINDS WILL FAVOR TYPICAL DIURNAL WIND PATTERNS THROUGH
...EXCEPT NEAR THUNDERSTORMS. CEILINGS COULD LOWER TO 5 KFT WITH
VSBYS REDUCED BY MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN.
&&

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...SPOTTERS SHOULD REPORT INSTANCES OF
FLASH FLOODING...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...HAIL...AND BLOWING DUST TODAY
THROUGH WEDNESDAY.
&&

SHORT TERM/AVIATION...PIERCE
LONG TERM...SALMEN

FOR MORE FORECAST INFORMATION...SEE US ON OUR WEBPAGE:

HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/LASVEGAS OR FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER

In the hours before

Local storm report, Aug 12, 2:36 PM MST, 2 hours 47 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
236 PM PDT TUE AUG 12 2014

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

0211 PM     FLASH FLOOD      5 E MOUNTAIN PASS       35.47N 115.45W
08/12/2014                   SAN BERNARDINO     CA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            CHP REPORTS NIPTON RD. WASHED OUT AND SEMI TRUCK STUCK IN
            WASH.

&&

JPULLIN

Local storm report, Aug 12, 4:18 PM MST, 1 hour 5 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
418 PM PDT TUE AUG 12 2014

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

0400 PM     TSTM WND DMG     1 NNE NEEDLES           34.83N 114.61W
08/12/2014                   SAN BERNARDINO     CA   TRAINED SPOTTER

            THUNDERSTORM WINDS DAMAGED SEVERAL ROOFS ON HOMES IN
            NEEDLES. ONE LARGE TREE WAS REPORTED DOWN AS WELL.

0400 PM     FLASH FLOOD      2 NNE NEEDLES           34.84N 114.60W
08/12/2014                   SAN BERNARDINO     CA   TRAINED SPOTTER

            AT LEAST 6 INCHES OF WATER WERE FLOWING ACROSS BROADWAY
            IN NEEDLES.

&&

STACHELSKI

Local storm report, Aug 12, 4:26 PM MST, 57 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
426 PM PDT TUE AUG 12 2014

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

0350 PM     FLASH FLOOD      OATMAN                  35.03N 114.38W
08/12/2014                   MOHAVE             AZ   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

            THE OATMAN FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTED SEVERAL INCHES OF
            WATER ALONG WITH SMALL ROCKS AND MUD CROSSED ROADS IN
            OATMAN. WATERFALLS WERE REPORTED FORMING IN THE BLACK
            MOUNTAINS FROM THE HEAVY RAIN.

&&

STACHELSKI

Local storm report, Aug 12, 4:37 PM MST, 46 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
437 PM PDT TUE AUG 12 2014

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

0426 PM     TSTM WND DMG     1 NE NEEDLES            34.83N 114.60W
08/12/2014                   SAN BERNARDINO     CA   PUBLIC

            SPOTTER NETWORK SPOTTER REPORTS SIGNS AND SOME TELEPHONE
            POLES BLOWN OVER WITH HEAVY PONDING ON FREEWAY EXIT AND
            SURROUNDING STREETS.

&&

JPULLIN

The office that day

Everything else NWS Las Vegas, NV issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Aug 12, 7:20 PM MST	Flash Flood Warning	VEF	Mohave	115 min
Aug 12, 7:53 PM MST	Flash Flood Warning	VEF	Mohave	3 hr
Aug 12, 8:00 PM MST	Flash Flood Warning	VEF	Mohave	3 hr
Aug 12, 8:54 PM MST	Flash Flood Warning	VEF	Mohave	3 hr
Aug 12, 10:07 PM MST	Flash Flood Warning	VEF	Mohave	113 min
Aug 12, 11:16 PM MST	Areal Flood Warning	VEF	Mohave	8 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Arizona, 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.