Alert archive / California / Flash Flood Watches in 2015
Flash Flood Watch 4, NWS Reno, NV
NWS Reno, NV issued this flash flood watch at Jul 6, 2015, 9:32 PM PDT for 5 counties in Nevada; 8 counties in California. It took effect at Jul 7, 2015, 12:00 PM PDT. It was in force for 7 hr.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Jul 6, 2015, 9:32 PM PDT (04:32 UTC)
- In effect from
- Jul 7, 2015, 12:00 PM PDT
- Expired
- Jul 7, 2015, 6:45 PM PDT
- In force
- 7 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Reno, NV
- Flood severity
- None
Counties Alpine County, CA, El Dorado County, CA, Lassen County, CA, Mono County, CA, Nevada County, CA, Placer County, CA, Plumas County, CA, Sierra County, CA, Douglas County, NV, Lyon County, NV, Mineral County, NV, Storey County, NV, Washoe County, NV
The radar
The Reno radar (KRGX), 67 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 04:32 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
Reno, NV (KREV), launched 00:00Z, 4.5 hours before the alert went out and 152 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 177 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -69 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 2526 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 24 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 11 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 58 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this flash flood watch went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Reno, NV wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood watch went out at Jul 6, 2:11 PM PDT, 7 hours 21 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jul 6, 2:11 PM PDT, 7 hours 21 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV 211 PM PDT MON JUL 6 2015 .SYNOPSIS... LOW PRESSURE NEAR THE CALIFORNIA COAST WILL SLOWLY MOVE ONSHORE AND BRING THE THREAT FOR THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE WEEK, ESPECIALLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE HIGHEST PROBABILITY OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR TODAY AND TOMORROW, BUT LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE ANY DAY THIS WEEK. && .SHORT TERM... ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS REMAIN IN PLACE TODAY FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE EASTERN SIERRA AND WESTERN NV FROM RENO-SPARKS SOUTH TO LYON-MINERAL COUNTIES WHERE THE COVERAGE OF THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO BE GREATEST. LOCATIONS IN NORTHEAST CA AND WESTERN NV THAT ARE NORTH AND EAST OF THIS AREA COULD ALSO SEE ISOLATED STORMS PRODUCING BRIEF HEAVY RAIN, AND MAY ACTUALLY HAVE A BETTER CHANCE FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO CREATE HAIL UP TO ONE INCH IN DIAMETER AND STRONG OUTFLOW WINDS 50-60 MPH. THE MORNING ATMOSPHERIC SOUNDING AT THE RENO FORECAST OFFICE SHOWED STEEP MID-LEVEL LAPSE RATES BUT WITH A CAP AROUND 600 MB. THIS CAP IS EXPECTED TO ERODE BY MID-AFTERNOON AS TEMPERATURES HEAT UP ALLOWING CONVECTION TO BECOME DEEPER AND STRONGER. THOUGH NOT STRONG, THERE IS ALSO MODERATE 0-6K SHEAR THIS AFTERNOON WHICH INCREASES THE POTENTIAL FOR LONGER-LASTING STRONG UPDRAFTS WITHIN ANY STORMS. THE ACTIVE THUNDERSTORM PATTERN WILL CONTINUE ALL WEEK AS A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM SLOWLY MOVES EAST OVER CA/NV. CURRENT SATELLITE ESTIMATES SHOW ABUNDANT MOISTURE OFFSHORE WHICH WILL PROVIDE A MOIST SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT TUESDAY-WEDNESDAY. BY TUESDAY, THE LOW WILL HAVE MOVED FAR ENOUGH ONSHORE TO INCREASE THE POTENTIAL FOR UPPER IMPULSES TO INFLUENCE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. CURRENT MODELS SHOW POTENTIAL FOR AN IMPULSE TO ARRIVE EARLY TUESDAY MORNING WITH A STRONGER UPPER WAVE FOR AFTERNOON. TIMING THESE IMPULSES IS DIFFICULT BUT ANOTHER FLASH FLOOD WATCH MAY BE WARRANTED FOR TUESDAY AFTERNOON. THE ONLY LIMITING FACTOR COULD BE IF THE MORNING IMPULSE CREATES ENOUGH CLOUD COVER TO LIMIT INSTABILITY DURING THE AFTERNOON. FOR WEDNESDAY, A BROAD AREA OF SLOW RISING MOTION IN THE NORTHEAST QUADRANT OF THE UPPER-LOW SHOULD LEAD TO AN INCREASE IN CLOUD COVER AND RAIN SHOWERS BUT COULD LEAD TO A DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN. HOWEVER, MODEL GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO SHOW THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG INSTABILITY, AND ANY CLOUD BREAKS WOULD AGAIN PROVIDE A THREAT FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. JCM .LONG TERM...THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY... AN UPPER LOW OFF THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA COAST WILL MOVE INLAND ACROSS NEVADA BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON. THIS WILL PROVIDE MUCH COOLER TEMPERATURES WITH A BETTER POTENTIAL TO SEE WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE REGION. OVERALL LOOKING FOR AMPLE MOISTURE/CLOUD COVER TO SPREAD INLAND WITH THE LOW WHICH MAY INHIBIT INSTABILITY AND LEAD TO MORE WIDESPREAD SHOWER ACTIVITY WITH ISOLATED STORM COVERAGE. THE INCREASED CLOUDS COULD ALSO KEEP HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 70S TO LOWER 80S ACROSS WESTERN NEVADA WITH UPPER 60S TO LOWER 70S ACROSS SIERRA VALLEYS. MAIN CHANGES TO THE FORECAST FOR THURSDAY WERE TO INCREASE PRECIP CHANCES, INCREASE CLOUD COVER, AND ALSO TO LOWER HIGH TEMPERATURES. AN UPPER LOW WILL THEN DEVELOP JUST OFF THE WEST COAST BY FRIDAY WITH ADDITIONAL CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND STORMS ACROSS THE SIERRA AND INTO FAR NORTHWESTERN NEVADA. THE LOW WILL MAINTAIN CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND STORMS ON SATURDAY BUT CHANCES WILL SLIP MAINLY ACROSS THE NORTHERN FORECAST AREA ROUGHLY NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80. BY SUNDAY, MODEL GUIDANCE INTRODUCES A DRY SOUTHWEST FLOW WHICH WILL TRANSITION US INTO A DRIER PATTERN INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. HIGH TEMPERATURES LOOK TO RETURN TO NEAR SEASONABLE LEVELS WITH UPPER 80S ACROSS WESTERN NEVADA AND MID TO UPPER 70S ACROSS THE SIERRA. FUENTES && .AVIATION... THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE SIERRA AND NORTHEAST CA WILL BECOME STRONGER AND SPREAD EASTWARD THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. ERRATIC OUTFLOW WINDS UP TO 50 KTS AND LOW VSBY DUE TO HEAVY RAIN ARE THE MAIN AVIATION THREATS FROM THESE STORMS. MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION IS ALSO LIKELY ESPECIALLY NEAR THE CREST OF THE SIERRA. STORMS SHOULD BECOME LESS INTENSE AFTER 0900 PDT BUT SHOWERS MAY PERSIST OVERNIGHT. EXPECT SIMILAR CONDITIONS TOMORROW (TUESDAY), EXCEPT THUNDERSTORMS MAY START EARLIER THAN TODAY, ESPECIALLY OVER THE SIERRA WHERE STORMS MAY INITIATE BY MID-MORNING. JCM && .REV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NV...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING NVZ001>003. CA...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING CAZ072-073. && FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT... HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/RENO (ALL LOWER CASE)
In the hours before
Local storm report, Jul 6, 5:56 PM PDT, 3 hours 36 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
556 PM PDT MON JUL 06 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0545 PM HAIL 1 E SOUTH LAKE TAHOE 38.94N 119.96W
07/06/2015 M0.25 INCH EL DORADO CA TRAINED SPOTTER
TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTED PEA SIZED HAIL AND VERY
HEAVY RAINFALL.
&&
MCGUIRELocal storm report, Jul 6, 6:17 PM PDT, 3 hours 15 minutes before
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</html>Local storm report, Jul 6, 6:23 PM PDT, 3 hours 9 minutes before
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</html>Local storm report, Jul 6, 6:33 PM PDT, 2 hours 59 minutes before
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</html>Special weather statement, Jul 6, 6:58 PM PDT, 2 hours 34 minutes before
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</html>Special weather statement, Jul 6, 8:58 PM PDT, 34 minutes before
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</html>The office that day
Everything else NWS Reno, NV issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 6, 5:16 PM PDT | Flash Flood Warning | REV | Churchill, Lyon | 3 hr |
| Jul 6, 5:47 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | REV | 43 min | |
| Jul 6, 6:12 PM PDT | Flash Flood Warning | REV | Washoe | 3 hr |
| Jul 7, 12:14 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | REV | Douglas | 46 min |
| Jul 7, 12:52 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | REV | Washoe | 38 min |
| Jul 7, 1:03 PM PDT | Flash Flood Warning | REV | Douglas, Lyon | 3 hr |
| Jul 7, 1:03 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | REV | 87 min | |
| Jul 7, 1:30 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | REV | 45 min | |
| Jul 7, 1:43 PM PDT | Flash Flood Warning | REV | Douglas, Lyon, Storey, Washoe | 3 hr |
| Jul 7, 1:59 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | REV | Storey | 31 min |
| Jul 7, 2:19 PM PDT | Flash Flood Warning | REV | Mineral | 3 hr |
| Jul 7, 2:23 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | REV | Lyon | 22 min |
| Jul 7, 2:24 PM PDT | Flash Flood Warning | REV | Storey, Washoe | 3 hr |
| Jul 7, 2:49 PM PDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | REV | Washoe | 41 min |
| Jul 7, 2:57 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | REV | 48 min | |
| Jul 7, 3:09 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | REV | Lyon | 36 min |
| Jul 7, 3:48 PM PDT | Flash Flood Warning | REV | Churchill | 3 hr |
| Jul 7, 4:04 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | REV | Churchill | 41 min |
| Jul 6, 5:19 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | REV | Lassen | 56 min |
| Jul 6, 6:58 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | REV | Mono | 62 min |
| Jul 6, 8:58 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | REV | Lassen | 62 min |
| Jul 7, 10:55 AM PDT | Special Weather Statement | REV | Alpine, Mono | 35 min |
| Jul 7, 11:40 AM PDT | Flash Flood Warning | REV | Alpine, Mono | 3 hr |
| Jul 7, 12:35 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | REV | Mono | 25 min |
| Jul 7, 1:24 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | REV | Mono | 36 min |
| Jul 7, 1:39 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | REV | Plumas | 51 min |
| Jul 7, 2:10 PM PDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | REV | Nevada, Sierra | 35 min |
| Jul 7, 2:20 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | REV | Sierra | 40 min |
| Jul 7, 2:39 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | REV | Mono | 36 min |
| Jul 7, 2:56 PM PDT | Flash Flood Warning | REV | Alpine, Mono | 3 hr |
| Jul 7, 3:17 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | REV | Mono | 28 min |
| Jul 7, 3:20 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | REV | Plumas | 40 min |
| Jul 7, 3:47 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | REV | Lassen | 43 min |
| Jul 7, 4:12 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | REV | Mono | 48 min |
| Jul 7, 4:41 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | REV | Mono | 34 min |
Nearby
Flash Flood Watches in California, 2015Flash Flood Watches in Nevada, 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.