Alert archive / Colorado / Flash Flood Warnings in 2015

Flash Flood Warning 2, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO

May 8, 2015Elbert County, Colorado

NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued this flash flood warning at May 8, 2015, 11:19 PM MDT for Elbert County, Colorado. 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
May 8, 2015, 11:19 PM MDT (05:19 UTC)
Expired
May 9, 2015, 2:15 AM MDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

County Elbert County, CO

The radar

The Denver radar (KFTG), 56 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 05:22 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

Denver, CO (KDEN), launched 00:00Z, 5.3 hours before the alert went out and 114 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, Denver, CO at 00:00Z on 2015-05-09Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 182 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Denver, CO at 00:00Z on 2015-05-09The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 193 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
182 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-11 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
684 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
44 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
193 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
251 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.1
Supercell composite
3.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

280 
WGUS55 KBOU 090519
FFWBOU
COC039-090815-
/O.NEW.KBOU.FF.W.0002.150509T0519Z-150509T0815Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
1119 PM MDT FRI MAY 8 2015

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DENVER HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN ELBERT COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL COLORADO...

* UNTIL 215 AM MDT
    
* AT 1114 PM MDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS 
  PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN 8 MILES EAST OF ELBERT. THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE 
  MOVING NORTH AT 10 TO 15 MPH WITH ADDITIONAL STORMS EXPECTED TO 
  MOVE INTO THE AREA FROM THE SOUTH. UP TO TWO INCHES OF RAIN HAS 
  ALREADY FALLEN ON GROUND THAT IS ALREADY SATURATED. FLASH FLOODING 
  IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN SHORTLY. THE HEAVIEST RAIN IS FALLING OVER 
  THE WEST BIJOU CREEK DRAINAGE. 

* SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...
  KIOWA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND NOW. ACT QUICKLY TO PROTECT YOUR LIFE.

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL
CREEKS AND STREAMS...COUNTRY ROADS...AS WELL AS FARMLAND AS WELL AS
OTHER DRAINAGE AREAS AND LOW LYING SPOTS.

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

&&

LAT...LON 3914 10430 3914 10450 3956 10441 3955 10419

$$

DANKERS
2 follow-up statements
288 
WGUS75 KBOU 090714
FFSBOU

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
114 AM MDT SAT MAY 9 2015

COC039-090815-
/O.CON.KBOU.FF.W.0002.000000T0000Z-150509T0815Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
ELBERT CO-
114 AM MDT SAT MAY 9 2015

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 215 AM MDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN ELBERT COUNTY...

AT 107 AM MDT...A THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN WAS 
LOCATED 5 MILES EAST OF KIOWA...OR 35 MILES WEST OF LIMON.  THE 
THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING NORTHWARD AT 10 MPH. THE STRONGEST 
THUNDERSTORMS AND HEAVIEST RAIN HAS MOVED INTO EASTERN ARAPAHOE 
COUNTY. 

SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING MAY INCLUDE... 
KIOWA.

FLOOD WATERS ARE EXPECTED TO BE MOVING DOWN THE WESTERN...CENTRAL 
AND EASTERN BRANCHES OF BIJOU CREEK FROM THE SOUTHERN ELBERT COUNTY 
LINE  TO THE NORTHERN ELBERT COUNTY LINE. THE FLOOD CREST MAY ALSO 
MOVE INTO CENTRAL ARAPAHOE COUNTY...SOUTH OF BYERS...LATER THIS 
MORNING. 
 
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND NOW. ACT QUICKLY TO PROTECT YOUR LIFE.

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL 
CREEKS AND STREAMS...COUNTRY ROADS...FARMLAND AND OTHER LOW LYING 
SPOTS.

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

&&

LAT...LON 3914 10430 3914 10450 3956 10441 3955 10419

$$

DANKERS
721 
WGUS75 KBOU 090812
FFSBOU

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
212 AM MDT SAT MAY 9 2015

COC039-090821-
/O.EXP.KBOU.FF.W.0002.000000T0000Z-150509T0815Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
ELBERT CO-
212 AM MDT SAT MAY 9 2015

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR NORTHWESTERN ELBERT COUNTY WILL EXPIRE
AT 215 AM MDT...

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

LAT...LON 3914 10430 3914 10450 3956 10441 3955 10419

$$

DANKERS

The office that day

Everything else NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 8, 9:24 PM MDTAreal Flood WarningBOUBoulder, Broomfield, Larimer, Weld12 hr
May 8, 10:02 PM MDTRiver Flood WarningBOUWeld5 days
May 8, 10:02 PM MDTRiver Flood WarningBOULogan, Morgan, Washington6 days
May 9, 3:07 AM MDTFlash Flood WarningBOUMorgan3 hr
May 9, 3:26 AM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOULogan34 min
May 9, 4:49 AM MDTFlash Flood WarningBOULogan3 hr
May 9, 5:10 AM MDTFlash Flood WatchBOUAdams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Clear Creek, Denver and 11 more15 hr
May 9, 5:12 AM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBOUDouglas, Elbert3 hr
May 9, 5:15 AM MDTWinter Storm WarningBOUAdams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Clear Creek, Denver and 14 more25 hr
May 9, 5:51 AM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBOUArapahoe3 hr
May 9, 6:53 AM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBOUAdams, Arapahoe, Elbert, Morgan, Weld3 hr
May 9, 7:51 AM MDTFlash Flood WarningBOUAdams, Arapahoe, Morgan3 hr
May 9, 8:25 AM MDTFlash Flood WarningBOUMorgan3 hr
May 9, 8:50 AM MDTAreal Flood WarningBOUAdams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas and 3 more12 hr
May 9, 8:56 AM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBOUElbert, Lincoln3 hr
May 9, 9:09 AM MDTWinter Storm WatchBOUAdams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Clear Creek, Denver and 11 more4 hr
May 9, 9:21 AM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBOULogan3 hr
May 9, 10:52 AM MDTAreal Flood WarningBOUAdams, Arapahoe, Elbert, Logan, Morgan, Washington and 1 more9 hr
May 9, 11:43 AM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBOUElbert, Lincoln3 hr
May 9, 12:23 PM MDTRiver Flood WarningBOUMorgan5 days
May 9, 12:23 PM MDTRiver Flood WarningBOUSedgwick8 days
May 9, 12:23 PM MDTRiver Flood WarningBOUWeld7 days
May 9, 12:34 PM MDTAreal Flood WarningBOUWeld9 hr
May 9, 1:07 PM MDTWinter Weather AdvisoryBOUPark, Phillips, Sedgwick20 hr
May 9, 4:10 PM MDTTornado WarningBOUElbert35 min
May 9, 4:17 PM MDTTornado WarningBOULincoln17 min
May 9, 4:37 PM MDTTornado WarningBOUElbert, Lincoln23 min
May 9, 4:41 PM MDTTornado WarningBOUElbert34 min
May 9, 5:36 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBOULincoln54 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Colorado, 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.