Alert archive / Wisconsin / Flash Flood Warnings in 2015

Flash Flood Warning 9, NWS La Crosse, WI

September 17, 2015Wabasha County, Minnesota; Buffalo County, Trempealeau County, Wisconsin

NWS La Crosse, WI issued this flash flood warning at Sep 17, 2015, 6:44 PM CDT for Wabasha County, Minnesota; Buffalo County, Trempealeau County, Wisconsin. It was in force for 4 hr. 3 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Sep 17, 2015, 6:44 PM CDT (23:44 UTC)
Expired
Sep 17, 2015, 10:15 PM CDT
In force
4 hr
Issued by
NWS La Crosse, WI
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties Wabasha County, MN, Buffalo County, WI, Trempealeau County, WI

The radar

The La Crosse radar (KARX), 74 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:45 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.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Sep 17, 8:05 PM CDTHEAVY RAIN 2.5Wabasha, MN3 HOUR TOTAL OF 2.50 INCHES. DAYTIME TOTAL OF 3.00 INCHES.
Sep 17, 8:06 PM CDTHEAVY RAIN 2.151 Ssw Theilman, MN3 HOUR TOTAL ENDING AT 8PM. OBSERVER LOCATION THEILMAN 1SSW.
Sep 17, 8:15 PM CDTFLASH FLOOD1 E Alma, WIROCK FALLS NEAR INTERSECTION BUENA VISTA RD AND CTY RD E JUST EAST OF ALMA

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 12:00Z, 11.7 hours before the alert went out and 157 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 12:00Z on 2015-09-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1229 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 12:00Z on 2015-09-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 328 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
1229 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-53 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
620 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
28 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
328 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
353 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
10.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

866 
WGUS53 KARX 172344
FFWARX
MNC157-WIC011-121-180315-
/O.NEW.KARX.FF.W.0009.150917T2344Z-150918T0315Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
644 PM CDT THU SEP 17 2015

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LA CROSSE HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL WABASHA COUNTY IN SOUTHEASTERN MINNESOTA...
  TREMPEALEAU COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN...
  BUFFALO COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN...

* UNTIL 1015 PM CDT
    
* AT 642 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING 
  HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS THE WARNED AREA. UP TO TWO INCHES OF RAIN 
  HAS ALREADY FALLEN. FLASH FLOODING IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN SHORTLY.

* SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...
  ARCADIA...WABASHA...WHITEHALL...ALMA...BUFFALO...OSSEO...BLAIR...
  INDEPENDENCE...STRUM...BUFFALO CITY...KELLOGG...MODENA...
  WAUMANDEE...COCHRANE...GILMANTON...WEST NEWTON...PIGEON FALLS...
  WEST ALBANY...NELSON AND MONTANA.

ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES IS POSSIBLE THROUGH 8 
PM AS THUNDERSTORMS MOVE THROUGH. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE
DANGERS OF FLOODING.

TURN AROUND...DONT DROWN WHEN ENCOUNTERING FLOODED ROADS. MOST FLOOD
DEATHS OCCUR IN VEHICLES.

&&

LAT...LON 4442 9224 4441 9208 4447 9206 4459 9117
      4425 9117 4425 9115 4419 9116 4420 9236

$$

MW
2 follow-up statements
620 
WGUS73 KARX 180108
FFSARX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
808 PM CDT THU SEP 17 2015

MNC157-WIC011-121-180315-
/O.CON.KARX.FF.W.0009.000000T0000Z-150918T0315Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
WABASHA MN-TREMPEALEAU WI-BUFFALO WI-
808 PM CDT THU SEP 17 2015

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1015 PM CDT FOR
CENTRAL WABASHA...TREMPEALEAU AND BUFFALO COUNTIES...

AT 804 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED THAT THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL HAD 
MOVED OUT OF THE AREA. BUT RADAR ESTIMATES THAT BETWEEN 2 AND 3 
INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN...AND SOME REPORTS OF 2.5 INCHES HAVE BEEN 
RECEIVED. 

CALLS TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS INDICATE THAT THERE HAVE 
NOT BEEN TOO MANY FLOODING ISSUES SO FAR...BUT CREEKS AND RIVERS MAY 
STILL BE RUNNING HIGH DUE TO THE RAINFALL. 

SOME LOCATIONS THAT MAY EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...ARCADIA... 
WABASHA...WHITEHALL...ALMA...BUFFALO...OSSEO...BLAIR... 
INDEPENDENCE...STRUM...BUFFALO CITY...KELLOGG...MODENA... 
WAUMANDEE...COCHRANE...GILMANTON...WEST NEWTON...AND PIGEON FALLS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE
DANGERS OF FLOODING.

DO NOT ENTER OR CROSS FLOWING WATER OR WATER OF UNKNOWN DEPTH. 

PLEASE REPORT FLOODING TO YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY WHEN YOU
CAN DO SO SAFELY.

&&

LAT...LON 4442 9224 4441 9208 4447 9206 4459 9117
      4425 9117 4425 9115 4419 9116 4420 9236

$$

MW
486 
WGUS73 KARX 180202
FFSARX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
902 PM CDT THU SEP 17 2015

MNC157-WIC011-121-180210-
/O.CAN.KARX.FF.W.0009.000000T0000Z-150918T0315Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
WABASHA MN-TREMPEALEAU WI-BUFFALO WI-
902 PM CDT THU SEP 17 2015

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR CENTRAL WABASHA...TREMPEALEAU AND
BUFFALO COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

THE HEAVY RAIN HAS ENDED...AND FLOODING IS NO LONGER EXPECTED TO POSE
A THREAT.

THERE WERE VERY FEW FLOODING ISSUES REPORTED DUE TO THE HEAVY 
RAINFALL...BUT LAW ENFORCEMENT IN BUFFALO COUNTY DID REPORT THAT 
THERE WERE SOME ROCK SLIDES JUST EAST OF ALMA. 

ALTHOUGH THE HEAVY RAIN HAS ENDED...CREEKS AND RIVERS MAY STILL BE 
RUNNING HIGH THROUGH THE NIGHT. BE ALERT FOR HIGH WATER AS YOU 
VENTURE OUT TONIGHT. 

LAT...LON 4442 9224 4441 9208 4447 9206 4459 9117
      4425 9117 4425 9115 4419 9116 4420 9236

$$

MW

The office that day

Everything else NWS La Crosse, WI issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 17, 2:30 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementARXHouston60 min
Sep 17, 9:30 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementARXTaylor2 hr
Sep 17, 3:39 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementARXCrawford, Grant, Richland, Vernon36 min
Sep 17, 6:37 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementARXTrempealeau23 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Wisconsin, 2015Flash Flood Warnings in Minnesota, 2015Every flash flood warning in 2015

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.