Alert archive / Massachusetts / Flash Flood Warnings in 2015

Flash Flood Warning 1, NWS Boston/Norton, MA

May 31, 20155 counties in Massachusetts

NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued this flash flood warning at May 31, 2015, 3:14 PM EDT for 5 counties in Massachusetts. It was in force for 3 hr. 4 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: May 31, 2015, 3:14 PM EDT (19:14 UTC)
Expired: May 31, 2015, 6:15 PM EDT
In force: 3 hr
Issued by: NWS Boston/Norton, MA
Area: Storm-based polygon
Flood severity: None

Counties Essex County, MA, Middlesex County, MA, Norfolk County, MA, Suffolk County, MA, Worcester County, MA

The radar

The Boston radar (KBOX), 66 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:17 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

Time	Report	Where	Remark
May 31, 3:27 PM EDT	FLOOD	Concord, MA	SUDBURY ROAD FLOODED AT HEATHS BRIDGE. CAMBRIDGE TURNPIKE FLOODED.
May 31, 3:40 PM EDT	FLOOD	Framingham, MA	INTERSECTION FLOODED AT ROUTE 126 AND ROUTE 9.
May 31, 4:00 PM EDT	FLOOD	Sudbury, MA	CAR STRANDED IN FLOOD WATERS ON BENT ROAD.
May 31, 4:31 PM EDT	FLOOD	Newton, MA	SEVERAL INCHES OF STANDING WATER ON ROUTE 9 EAST AT SHELDON ROAD.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Chatham, MA (KCHH), launched 12:00Z, 7.2 hours before the alert went out and 122 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: 6 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -295 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 745 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 2 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -11 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 33 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.

059 
WGUS51 KBOX 311914
FFWBOX
MAC009-017-021-025-027-312215-
/O.NEW.KBOX.FF.W.0001.150531T1914Z-150531T2215Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
314 PM EDT SUN MAY 31 2015

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL ESSEX COUNTY IN NORTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS...
  NORTHERN NORFOLK COUNTY IN EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS...
  SOUTHEASTERN WORCESTER COUNTY IN CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS...
  NORTHWESTERN SUFFOLK COUNTY IN EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS...
  SOUTHEASTERN MIDDLESEX COUNTY IN NORTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS...

* UNTIL 615 PM EDT

* AT 312 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED RAIN AND EMBEDDED 
  THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN ACROSS THE WARNED AREA. UP TO 
  TWO INCHES OF RAIN HAVE ALREADY FALLEN IN SOME LOCATIONS. AN 
  ADDITIONAL 1 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN IS EXPECTED IN THE NEXT HOUR OR 
  TWO. FLASH FLOODING IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN SHORTLY.

* SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...
  BOSTON...WORCESTER...CAMBRIDGE...LYNN...NEWTON...SOMERVILLE...
  FRAMINGHAM...WALTHAM...MALDEN...BROOKLINE...MEDFORD...REVERE...
  PEABODY...ARLINGTON...EVERETT...SALEM...BILLERICA...BEVERLY...
  MARLBOROUGH...WOBURN...SHREWSBURY...CHELSEA...ANDOVER...NATICK...
  WATERTOWN...LEXINGTON...TEWKSBURY...NEEDHAM...GLOUCESTER AND NORTH
  ANDOVER.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS ISSUED FOR RAPID AND POTENTIALLY LIFE
THREATENING FLOODING. IN URBAN AREAS AVOID FLOODED ROADS AND OBEY
ROAD CLOSURES. THOSE NEAR SMALL STREAMS MUST HEAD FOR HIGHER GROUND
IMMEDIATELY.

&&

LAT...LON 4264 7076 4269 7062 4264 7059 4258 7066
      4260 7065 4261 7066 4253 7078 4256 7078
      4254 7090 4254 7087 4242 7091 4246 7094
      4241 7099 4238 7097 4211 7177 4228 7184
      4276 7080

$$

FRANK

2 follow-up statements

236 
WGUS71 KBOX 312055
FFSBOX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
455 PM EDT SUN MAY 31 2015

MAC009-017-021-025-027-312215-
/O.CON.KBOX.FF.W.0001.000000T0000Z-150531T2215Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
ESSEX MA-NORFOLK MA-WORCESTER MA-SUFFOLK MA-MIDDLESEX MA-
455 PM EDT SUN MAY 31 2015

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 615 PM EDT FOR
CENTRAL ESSEX...NORTHERN NORFOLK...SOUTHEASTERN WORCESTER...
NORTHWESTERN SUFFOLK AND SOUTHEASTERN MIDDLESEX COUNTIES...

AT 453 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THAT THE HEAVIEST RAIN HAS 
PUSHED SOUTH OF THE REGION.  HOWEVER...IT WAS STILL RAINING 
MODERATELY ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE REGION.  SOME LOCATION HAVE SEEN 3 
OR MORE INCHES OF RAIN ALREADY...SO ADDITIONAL FLASH FLOODING 
REMAINS POSSIBLE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS ISSUED FOR RAPID AND POTENTIALLY LIFE
THREATENING FLOODING. IN URBAN AREAS AVOID FLOODED ROADS AND OBEY
ROAD CLOSURES. THOSE NEAR SMALL STREAMS MUST HEAD FOR HIGHER GROUND
IMMEDIATELY.

&&

LAT...LON 4264 7076 4269 7062 4264 7059 4258 7066
      4260 7065 4261 7066 4253 7078 4256 7078
      4254 7090 4254 7087 4242 7091 4246 7094
      4241 7099 4238 7097 4211 7177 4228 7184
      4276 7080

$$

FRANK

699 
WGUS71 KBOX 312131
FFSBOX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
531 PM EDT SUN MAY 31 2015

MAC009-017-021-025-027-312139-
/O.CAN.KBOX.FF.W.0001.000000T0000Z-150531T2215Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
ESSEX MA-NORFOLK MA-WORCESTER MA-SUFFOLK MA-MIDDLESEX MA-
531 PM EDT SUN MAY 31 2015

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR CENTRAL ESSEX...NORTHERN NORFOLK...
SOUTHEASTERN WORCESTER...NORTHWESTERN SUFFOLK AND SOUTHEASTERN
MIDDLESEX COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

ALTHOUGH IT WAS STILL RAINING ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE REGION...THE 
HEAVIEST OF THE RAIN HAS COME TO AN END.  THEREFORE...THE FLASH 
FLOOD WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.  HOWEVER...RESIDUAL FLOODING FROM 
THE EARLIER HEAVY RAIN MAY STILL BE OCCURRING IN A FEW LOCATIONS SO 
DRIVE WITH EXTRA CAUTION EARLY THIS EVENING.

LAT...LON 4264 7076 4269 7062 4264 7059 4258 7066
      4260 7065 4261 7066 4253 7078 4256 7078
      4254 7090 4254 7087 4242 7091 4246 7094
      4241 7099 4238 7097 4211 7177 4228 7184
      4276 7080

$$

FRANK

The office that day

Everything else NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 31, 2:20 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BOX	Hampden	55 min
May 31, 2:40 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BOX	Essex, Middlesex	65 min
May 31, 2:59 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BOX	Worcester	61 min
May 31, 3:22 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BOX	Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk	53 min
May 31, 3:29 PM EDT	Flash Flood Watch	BOX	Bristol, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex and 4 more	41 hr
May 31, 3:31 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BOX	Hampden, Hampshire	59 min
May 31, 4:01 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BOX	Bristol, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk, Worcester	119 min
May 31, 4:01 PM EDT	Small Craft Advisory	BOX		12 hr
May 31, 4:24 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BOX	Bristol, Plymouth	2 hr
May 31, 4:33 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	BOX	Worcester	3 hr
May 31, 4:51 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	BOX	Bristol, Norfolk, Worcester	3 hr
May 31, 6:40 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BOX	Plymouth	2 hr
May 31, 7:56 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BOX	Bristol, Plymouth	2 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Massachusetts, 2015 Every 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.