Alert archive / Washington / Flash Flood Warnings in 2015

Flash Flood Warning 3, NWS Spokane, WA

May 28, 2015Okanogan County, Washington

NWS Spokane, WA issued this flash flood warning at May 28, 2015, 4:58 PM PDT for Okanogan County, Washington. It was in force for 3 hr. 1 report 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 28, 2015, 4:58 PM PDT (23:58 UTC)
Expired
May 28, 2015, 8:00 PM PDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Spokane, WA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

County Okanogan County, WA

The radar

The Seattle radar (KATX), 185 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:02 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
May 28, 5:15 PM PDTFLASH FLOOD3 Ese Carlton, WAEMERGENCY MANAGER REPORTED RAPID RISE ON TEXAS CREEK WHICH CAUSED RESIDENTS OF A HOUSE TO MOVE TO THE ROOF OF THE HOUSE.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Spokane, WA (KOTX), launched 12:00Z, 12.0 hours before the alert went out and 274 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, Spokane, WA at 12:00Z on 2015-05-28Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2 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, Spokane, WA at 12:00Z on 2015-05-28The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 82 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
2 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-147 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1478 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
17 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
82 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
106 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.

310 
WGUS56 KOTX 282358
FFWOTX
WAC047-290300-
/O.NEW.KOTX.FF.W.0003.150528T2358Z-150529T0300Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
458 PM PDT THU MAY 28 2015

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SPOKANE HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHWESTERN OKANOGAN COUNTY IN NORTHEASTERN WASHINGTON...

* UNTIL 800 PM PDT
    
* AT 454 PM PDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING 
  HEAVY RAIN ACROSS THE WARNED AREA. FLASH FLOODING OR DEBRIS FLOWS 
  ARE POSSIBLE SHORTLY. THE DEBRIS FLOW CAN CONSIST OF ROCK...MUD...VEGETATION 
  AND OTHER LOOSE MATERIALS.

* FLASH FLOODING COULD IMPACT DRAINAGES ALONG HIGHWAY 153 BETWEEN METHOW 
AND TWISP IN SOUTHWESTERN OKANOGAN COUNTY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

THE AFFECTED AREAS ARE THE CARLTON COMPLEX FIRE BURN SCARS ABOVE THE
METHOW RIVER VALLEY. HIGH INTENSITY RAINFALL ON THE BURNED AREAS MAY
CAUSE DANGEROUS FLASH FLOODING AND DEBRIS FLOWS. RESIDENTS AND
MOTORISTS IN AND BELOW THE CARLTON COMPLEX FIRE BURN SCAR IN THE
METHOW VALLEY...INCLUDING MOTORISTS ON HIGHWAY 97A FROM CHELAN TO
BREWSTER...AND STATE HIGHWAY 153 FROM PATEROS TO TWISP...SHOULD TAKE
IMMEDIATE PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY.

&&

LAT...LON 4825 11985 4808 12010 4815 12018 4833 11999

$$

SB
2 follow-up statements
838 
WGUS76 KOTX 290058
FFSOTX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
558 PM PDT THU MAY 28 2015

WAC047-290300-
/O.CON.KOTX.FF.W.0003.000000T0000Z-150529T0300Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
OKANOGAN WA-
558 PM PDT THU MAY 28 2015

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM PDT FOR
SOUTHWESTERN OKANOGAN COUNTY...

AT 550 PM PDT...EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTED FLASH FLOODING ALONG 
AND NEAR TEXAS CREEK NEAR HIGHWAY 153 SOUTH OF TWISP AND NORTHWEST 
OF METHOW. THIS IS WITHIN THE CARLTON COMPLEX BURN SCAR.  
 
FLASH FLOODING IS ALREADY OCCURRING WITH SOME RESIDENTS HAVING TO  
TAKE REFUGE ON ROOFS. 

EXCESSIVE RAINFALL OVER THE BURN SCAR HAS RESULTED IN DEBRIS FLOW 
MOVING THROUGH THE TEXAS CREEK DRAINAGE. THE DEBRIS FLOW CAN CONSIST 
OF ROCK...MUD...VEGETATION AND OTHER LOOSE MATERIALS.


LAT...LON 4825 11985 4808 12010 4815 12018 4833 11999

$$

BZ
322 
WGUS76 KOTX 290114
FFSOTX

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
614 PM PDT THU MAY 28 2015

WAC047-290300-
/O.CON.KOTX.FF.W.0003.000000T0000Z-150529T0300Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
OKANOGAN WA-
614 PM PDT THU MAY 28 2015

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM PDT FOR
SOUTHWESTERN OKANOGAN COUNTY...

AT 605 PM PDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED PONDING OF WATER 
AND SOME DEBRIS FLOWS ON GRAVEL ROADS. THE REPORT WAS 4 MILES WEST 
OF THE TOWN OF CARLTON ALONG HIGHWAY 153. THIS FLASH FLOODING IN IS 
IN THE SAME AREA AS THE TEXAS CREEK DEBRIS FLOW ALONG HIGHWAY 153. 

PERSONS DOWNSTREAM OF ANY OF THESE DEBRIS FLOWS SHOULD ACT AND 
PREPARE FOR THESE FLOWS COMING DOWNSTREAM. PERSONS TRAVELING ALONG 
HIGHWAY 153 BETWEEN METHOW...CARLTON AND TWISP SHOULD PREPARE FOR 
POSSIBLE ROAD CLOSURES OR WASHOUTS.  

EXCESSIVE RAINFALL OVER THE CARLTON COMPLEX BURN SCAR WILL RESULT IN 
DEBRIS FLOWS. THE DEBRIS FLOW CAN CONSIST OF ROCK...MUD...VEGETATION 
AND OTHER LOOSE MATERIALS.

LAT...LON 4825 11985 4808 12010 4815 12018 4833 11999

$$

BZ

The office that day

Everything else NWS Spokane, WA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 28, 1:55 PM PDTAreal Flood AdvisoryOTXChelan2 hr
May 28, 4:25 PM PDTAreal Flood AdvisoryOTXChelan3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Washington, 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.