Alert archive / Colorado / Flash Flood Warnings in 2015

Flash Flood Warning 15, NWS Grand Junction, CO

August 3, 2015Dolores County, San Miguel County, Colorado; San Juan County, Utah

NWS Grand Junction, CO issued this flash flood warning at Aug 3, 2015, 5:41 PM MDT for Dolores County, San Miguel County, Colorado; San Juan County, Utah. It was in force for 2 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Aug 3, 2015, 5:41 PM MDT (23:41 UTC)
Expired
Aug 3, 2015, 7:45 PM MDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Grand Junction, CO
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties Dolores County, CO, San Miguel County, CO, San Juan County, UT

The radar

The Grand Junction radar (KGJX), 153 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:44 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

Grand Junction, CO (KGJT), launched 12:00Z, 11.7 hours before the alert went out and 153 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, Grand Junction, CO at 12:00Z on 2015-08-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 37 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Grand Junction, CO at 12:00Z on 2015-08-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 68 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
37 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-97 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1396 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
17 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
68 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
113 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

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 Grand Junction, CO wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Aug 3, 5:38 PM MDT, 3 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 3, 5:38 PM MDT, 3 minutes before
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 3, 5:30 AM MDT, 12 hours 11 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
530 AM MDT MON AUG 3 2015

COZ001>014-017>023-UTZ022>025-027>029-041130-
LOWER YAMPA RIVER BASIN-CENTRAL YAMPA RIVER BASIN-
ROAN AND TAVAPUTS PLATEAUS-ELKHEAD AND PARK MOUNTAINS-
UPPER YAMPA RIVER BASIN-GRAND VALLEY-DEBEQUE TO SILT CORRIDOR-
CENTRAL COLORADO RIVER BASIN-GRAND AND BATTLEMENT MESAS-
GORE AND ELK MOUNTAINS/CENTRAL MOUNTAIN VALLEYS-
CENTRAL GUNNISON AND UNCOMPAHGRE RIVER BASIN-
WEST ELK AND SAWATCH MOUNTAINS-FLATTOPS-
UPPER GUNNISON RIVER VALLEY-UNCOMPAHGRE PLATEAU AND DALLAS DIVIDE-
NORTHWEST SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-SOUTHWEST SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-
PARADOX VALLEY/LOWER DOLORES RIVER-
FOUR CORNERS/UPPER DOLORES RIVER-ANIMAS RIVER BASIN-
SAN JUAN RIVER BASIN-SOUTHEAST UTAH-EASTERN UINTA MOUNTAINS-
EASTERN UINTA BASIN-TAVAPUTS PLATEAU-ARCHES/GRAND FLAT-
LA SAL AND ABAJO MOUNTAINS-CANYONLANDS/NATURAL BRIDGES-
530 AM MDT MON AUG 3 2015

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN
COLORADO.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THE FOCUS FOR THUNDERSTORMS AND HEAVY SHOWERS TODAY WILL BE
CENTERED FROM NORTHEAST UTAH TO NORTHWEST COLORADO. SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NUMEROUS IN COVERAGE BY THIS
AFTERNOON...WITH THE FLASH FLOOD THREAT DECREASING BUT STRONG WIND
AND POTENTIAL HAIL THREAT INCREASING. BACKCOUNTRY TRAVELERS SHOULD
REMAIN AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL FOR RAPIDLY RISING SMALL STREAMS OR
NORMALLY DRY WASHES ESPECIALLY IN AREAS WHERE CREEKS ARE SWOLLEN
FROM RAIN ON SUNDAY. THE HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED MAINLY
NORTH OF THE BOOKCLIFFS AND TAVAPUTS TODAY.

DRY AIR WILL BEGIN TO MOVE INTO THE REGION TONIGHT AS THE
THUNDERSTORMS MOVE NORTH OUT OF UTAH AND COLORADO.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

TUESDAY...SCATTERED AFTERNOON SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE
EXPECTED OVER THE WESTERN COLORADO HIGH COUNTRY. THESE STORMS WILL
BE WEAKER AND THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAIN IS LOW.

DRIER CONDITIONS EXPECTED WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY...ALTHOUGH AN
ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM MAY OCCUR OVER THE WESTERN COLORADO HIGH
COUNTRY.

THE SUMMER MONSOON RETURNS LATE ON FRIDAY OR SATURDAY AND BRINGS
A CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NECESSARY THIS AFTERNOON OVER NORTHEAST
UTAH AND NORTHWEST COLORADO.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Aug 3, 2:16 PM MDT, 3 hours 25 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
216 PM MDT MON AUG 3 2015

COZ008>010-012-013-032045-
GRAND AND BATTLEMENT MESAS CO-CENTRAL COLORADO RIVER BASIN CO-
FLATTOPS CO-WEST ELK AND SAWATCH MOUNTAINS CO-
GORE AND ELK MOUNTAINS/CENTRAL MOUNTAIN VALLEYS CO-
216 PM MDT MON AUG 3 2015

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WEST CENTRAL EAGLE...NORTHWESTERN
PITKIN AND SOUTHEASTERN GARFIELD COUNTIES UNTIL 245 PM MDT...

AT 215 PM MDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS
NEAR GLENWOOD SPRINGS...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.  BRIEF HEAVY
RAIN AND OCCASIONAL LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THE PASSAGE OF
THESE STORMS.  WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE WITH
THESE STORMS.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
GLENWOOD SPRINGS...CARBONDALE...DOTSERO...CATTLE CREEK...SHOSHONE AND
EL JEBEL.

LAT...LON 3919 10749 3949 10749 3974 10712 3951 10692
TIME...MOT...LOC 2015Z 235DEG 25KT 3947 10735

TGR
Local storm report, Aug 3, 4:30 PM MDT, 1 hour 11 minutes before
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>
Special weather statement, Aug 3, 4:45 PM MDT, 56 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
445 PM MDT MON AUG 3 2015

COZ019>021-UTZ028-032315-
PARADOX VALLEY/LITTLE DOLORES RIVER CO-
FOUR CORNERS/UPPER DOLORES RIVER CO-SOUTHWEST SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS CO-
LA SAL AND ABAJO MOUNTAINS UT-
445 PM MDT MON AUG 3 2015

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WEST CENTRAL SAN MIGUEL AND
NORTHWESTERN DOLORES COUNTIES UNTIL 515 PM MDT...

AT 445 PM MDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 7
MILES NORTHWEST OF DOVE CREEK...OR 17 MILES EAST OF MONTICELLO...
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH.

WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
DOVE CREEK...UCOLO AND EGNAR.

LAT...LON 3770 10904 3786 10914 3801 10891 3777 10875
TIME...MOT...LOC 2245Z 242DEG 8KT 3782 10901

JAM
Local storm report, Aug 3, 4:58 PM MDT, 43 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
458 PM MDT MON AUG 03 2015

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

0456 PM     HAIL             1 SE STEAMBOAT SPRINGS  40.47N 106.81W
08/03/2015  E0.25 INCH       ROUTT              CO   TRAINED SPOTTER

            1 SE OF SBS .31 IN 20 MIN. PEA SIZED HAIL

&&

EVENT NUMBER GJT1500953

ADL

The office that day

Everything else NWS Grand Junction, CO issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 2, 6:17 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementGJTGarfield43 min
Aug 2, 7:38 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementGJTMoffat52 min
Aug 3, 2:16 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementGJTPitkin29 min
Aug 3, 4:45 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementGJTDolores30 min
Aug 3, 5:59 PM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryGJTDolores3 hr
Aug 2, 7:25 PM MDTFlash Flood WarningGJTSan Juan3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Colorado, 2015Flash Flood Warnings in Utah, 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.