Alert archive / Minnesota / Flash Flood Watches in 2015

Flash Flood Watch 4, NWS Twin Cities, MN

August 18, 201510 counties in Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this flash flood watch at Aug 18, 2015, 3:08 AM CDT for 10 counties in Minnesota. It took effect at Aug 18, 2015, 10:00 AM CDT. It was in force for 3 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Aug 18, 2015, 3:08 AM CDT (08:08 UTC)
In effect from
Aug 18, 2015, 10:00 AM CDT
Expired
Aug 18, 2015, 12:46 PM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN
Flood severity
None

Counties Blue Earth County, MN, Brown County, MN, Faribault County, MN, Le Sueur County, MN, Martin County, MN, Nicollet County, MN, Redwood County, MN, Sibley County, MN, Waseca County, MN, Watonwan County, MN

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 98 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:09 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

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 00:00Z, 8.1 hours before the alert went out and 97 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 00:00Z on 2015-08-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 3 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 00:00Z on 2015-08-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -78 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
3 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-381 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
940 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-78 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
7 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.

381 
WGUS63 KMPX 180808
FFAMPX

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
FLOOD WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
308 AM CDT TUE AUG 18 2015

...HEAVY RAIN EXPECTED WITH FLASH FLOODING POSSIBLE ACROSS
SOUTHERN MINNESOTA TODAY...

.A STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING CHANCES FOR HEAVY RAIN ACROSS
SOUTHERN MINNESOTA TODAY. THIS AREA HAS RECEIVED OVER 2 INCHES OF
RAIN THE LAST FEW DAYS. ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN COULD LEAD TO FLASH
FLOODING.

MNZ067-073>076-082>084-091-092-181615-
/O.NEW.KMPX.FF.A.0004.150818T1500Z-150819T0000Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
SIBLEY-REDWOOD-BROWN-NICOLLET-LE SUEUR-WATONWAN-BLUE EARTH-WASECA-
MARTIN-FARIBAULT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...GAYLORD...REDWOOD FALLS...NEW ULM...
ST. PETER...LE SUEUR...ST. JAMES...MANKATO...WASECA...FAIRMONT...
BLUE EARTH
308 AM CDT TUE AUG 18 2015

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM CDT THIS MORNING
THROUGH THIS EVENING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN HAS ISSUED
A

* FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA...SOUTH 
  CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA...INCLUDING THE 
  FOLLOWING AREAS...IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA...SIBLEY. IN SOUTH 
  CENTRAL MINNESOTA...BLUE EARTH...BROWN...FARIBAULT...LE 
  SUEUR...MARTIN...NICOLLET...WASECA AND WATONWAN. IN SOUTHWEST 
  MINNESOTA...REDWOOD. 

* FROM 10 AM CDT THIS MORNING THROUGH THIS EVENING.

* ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN ON SATURDATED SOILS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD
TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION
SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED.

&&

$$

JRB
2 follow-up statements
249 
WGUS63 KMPX 181602
FFAMPX

FLOOD WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1102 AM CDT TUE AUG 18 2015

...HEAVY RAIN EXPECTED WITH FLASH FLOODING POSSIBLE ACROSS
SOUTHERN MINNESOTA THIS AFTEROON...

.A STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING CHANCES FOR HEAVY RAIN ACROSS
SOUTHERN MINNESOTA TODAY. THIS AREA HAS RECEIVED OVER 2 INCHES OF
RAIN THE LAST FEW DAYS AND UP TO AN INCH NEAR THE IOWA BORDER
THIS MORNING. ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN COULD LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING.

MNZ067-073>076-082>084-091-092-190000-
/O.CON.KMPX.FF.A.0004.000000T0000Z-150819T0000Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
SIBLEY-REDWOOD-BROWN-NICOLLET-LE SUEUR-WATONWAN-BLUE EARTH-WASECA-
MARTIN-FARIBAULT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...GAYLORD...REDWOOD FALLS...NEW ULM...
ST. PETER...LE SUEUR...ST. JAMES...MANKATO...WASECA...FAIRMONT...
BLUE EARTH
1102 AM CDT TUE AUG 18 2015

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS
EVENING...

THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR

* PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA...SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND 
  SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS...IN 
  CENTRAL MINNESOTA...SIBLEY. IN SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA...BLUE 
  EARTH...BROWN...FARIBAULT...LE SUEUR...MARTIN...NICOLLET... 
  WASECA AND WATONWAN. IN SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA...REDWOOD. 

* UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING

* ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN ON SATURDATED SOILS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD
TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION
SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED.

&&

$$
516 
WGUS63 KMPX 181746
FFAMPX

FLOOD WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1246 PM CDT TUE AUG 18 2015

...THE SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY HAS WEAKENED AND EVEN
ENDED ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA... 

.THE THREAT FOR FLASH FLOODING IS MINIMAL AT THIS TIME.
ADDITIONAL ISOLATED TO SCATTERED STORMS COULD INITIATE LATER THIS
AFTERNOON...BUT THE THREAT FOR FLASH FLOODING IS LOW.

MNZ067-073>076-082>084-091-092-181900-
/O.CAN.KMPX.FF.A.0004.000000T0000Z-150819T0000Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
SIBLEY-REDWOOD-BROWN-NICOLLET-LE SUEUR-WATONWAN-BLUE EARTH-WASECA-
MARTIN-FARIBAULT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...GAYLORD...REDWOOD FALLS...NEW ULM...
ST. PETER...LE SUEUR...ST. JAMES...MANKATO...WASECA...FAIRMONT...
BLUE EARTH
1246 PM CDT TUE AUG 18 2015

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS CANCELLED...

THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA...SOUTH
CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA HAS BEEN CANCELLED. DRY
SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW IN THE LOW LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE HAS CUT OFF
THE MOISTURE FEED AND ENDED OR WEAKENED THE PRECIPITATION
SIGNIFICANTLY ACROSS SOUTHERN MN.

$$

The office that day

Everything else NWS Twin Cities, MN issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 18, 12:14 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXMartin, Watonwan61 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Watches in Minnesota, 2015Every flash flood watch 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.