Alert archive / California / Flash Flood Warnings in 2015

Flash Flood Warning 36, NWS Las Vegas, NV

July 6, 2015Inyo County, California

NWS Las Vegas, NV issued this flash flood warning at Jul 6, 2015, 6:09 PM PDT for Inyo County, California. 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: Jul 6, 2015, 6:09 PM PDT (01:09 UTC)
Expired: Jul 6, 2015, 9:00 PM PDT
In force: 3 hr
Issued by: NWS Las Vegas, NV
Area: Storm-based polygon
Flood severity: None

County Inyo County, CA

The radar

The Edwards AFB radar (KEYX), 151 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:11 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
Jul 6, 8:15 PM PDT	FLASH FLOOD	15 N Stovepipe Wells, CA	TITUS CANYON ROAD WAS CLOSED DUE TO DEBRIS FROM FLOODING.

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

Did it verify

Verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow matched one storm report to this flash flood warning; the first came 126 minutes after it went out.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The nearest sounding before it

Las Vegas, NV (KVEF), launched 00:00Z, 1.2 hours before the alert went out and 130 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: 349 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -104 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 2961 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 14 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -7 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 57 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.

055 
WGUS55 KVEF 070109
FFWVEF
CAC027-070400-
/O.NEW.KVEF.FF.W.0036.150707T0109Z-150707T0400Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
609 PM PDT MON JUL 6 2015

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAS VEGAS  HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHEASTERN INYO COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL CALIFORNIA...

* UNTIL 900 PM PDT
    
* AT 607 PM PDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATES THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING 
  HEAVY RAIN OVER DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK. THESE STORMS ARE 
  NEARLY STATIONARY. DOPPLER RADAR ESTIMATED BETWEEN ONE HALF TO ONE 
  INCH OF RAIN HAS ALREADY FALLEN IN SOME AREAS WITH ADDITIONAL 
  ACCUMULATIONS LIKELY AS STORM COVERAGE INCREASES.

* SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...
  STOVEPIPE WELLS...FURNACE CREEK...SHOSHONE...BADWATER...DARWIN...
  TEXAS SPRINGS CAMPGROUND...PANAMINT SPRINGS...DEATH VALLEY JUNCTION
  AND DANTES VIEW.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

FLASH FLOODING IS EXPECTED IN WASHES...LOW WATER CROSSINGS AND ON
ROADS. TO ESCAPE RISING WATER...MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND. NEVER TRY TO
CROSS A FLOODED ROAD OR ENTER A FLOOD CHANNEL. TURN AROUND...DONT
DROWN! REPORT FLOODING TO THE LAS VEGAS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VIA
FACEBOOK OR TWITTER.

&&

LAT...LON 3686 11702 3625 11622 3581 11640 3580 11722
      3625 11765 3681 11742

$$

PULLIN

2 follow-up statements

725 
WGUS75 KVEF 070246
FFSVEF

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
746 PM PDT MON JUL 6 2015

CAC027-070400-
/O.CON.KVEF.FF.W.0036.000000T0000Z-150707T0400Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
INYO CA-
746 PM PDT MON JUL 6 2015

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM PDT FOR
SOUTHEASTERN INYO COUNTY...

AT 742 PM PDT...HEAVY RAIN CONTINUES TO OCCUR IN PORTIONS OF DEATH 
VALLEY NATIONAL PARK. DOPPLER RADAR ESTIMATES BETWEEN ONE HALF TO 
ONE INCH OF RAIN HAS ALREADY FALLEN IN SPOTS. EXCESSIVE RUNOFF INTO 
LOW LYING AREAS WILL CONTINUE TO BE A THREAT ACROSS THE AREA.

SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...
STOVEPIPE WELLS...FURNACE CREEK...SHOSHONE...BADWATER...DARWIN...
TEXAS SPRINGS CAMPGROUND...PANAMINT SPRINGS...DEATH VALLEY JUNCTION
AND DANTES VIEW.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

FLASH FLOODING IS EXPECTED IN WASHES...LOW WATER CROSSINGS AND ON
ROADS. TO ESCAPE RISING WATER...MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND. NEVER TRY TO
CROSS A FLOODED ROAD OR ENTER A FLOOD CHANNEL. TURN AROUND...DONT
DROWN! REPORT FLOODING TO THE LAS VEGAS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VIA
FACEBOOK OR TWITTER.

TURN AROUND...DONT DROWN WHEN ENCOUNTERING FLOODED ROADS. MOST FLOOD
DEATHS OCCUR IN VEHICLES.

&&

LAT...LON 3686 11702 3625 11622 3581 11640 3580 11722
      3625 11765 3681 11742

$$

PULLIN

287 
WGUS75 KVEF 070357
FFSVEF

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
857 PM PDT MON JUL 6 2015

CAC027-070405-
/O.EXP.KVEF.FF.W.0036.000000T0000Z-150707T0400Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
INYO CA-
857 PM PDT MON JUL 6 2015

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN INYO COUNTY WILL EXPIRE
AT 900 PM PDT...

THIS WARNING HAS BEEN REPLACED BY A NEW WARNING FOR STOVEPIPE 
WELLS...HWY 190...AND HWY 374 IN DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK.

LAT...LON 3686 11702 3625 11622 3581 11640 3580 11722
      3625 11765 3681 11742

$$

PULLIN

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 Las Vegas, NV wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Jul 6, 2:00 PM PDT, 4 hours 9 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 6, 2:00 PM PDT, 4 hours 9 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
200 PM PDT MON JUL 6 2015

.SYNOPSIS...LINGERING MOISTURE COMBINED WITH DAYTIME HEATING WILL
TRIGGER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE AREA THIS EVENING AND
AGAIN TUESDAY. AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE OFF THE CALIFORNIA COAST WILL
GRADUALLY MOVE INLAND WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. THIS WILL BRING
DRIER CONDITIONS TO THE AREA ALTHOUGH IT MAY SPARK A FEW SHOWERS
ACROSS THE SIERRA AND MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHERN NEVADA ON THURSDAY AS
THE SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH.  MUCH COOLER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITH
TEMPERATURES AVERAGING SEVERAL DEGREES BELOW NORMAL THROUGH THE
WEEKEND.

&&

.SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

ANOTHER ACTIVE AFTERNOON ON TAP WITH SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
DEVELOPING ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. MOST OF THE ACTIVITY THUS FAR
HAS BEEN ACROSS MOHAVE COUNTY BUT ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT HAS TAKEN
OFF IN THE PAST HOUR ACROSS SOUTHERN NEVADA AND EASTERN CALIFORNIA.
EXPECT THUNDERSTORMS TO CONTINUE DEVELOPING IN RESPONSE TO SURFACE
HEATING AND OUTFLOW BOUNDARY INTERACTIONS THROUGH THE EVENING.
STORMS TODAY HAVE BEEN EFFICIENT RAIN PRODUCERS WITH A STORM EAST OF
DEANS PEAK NEAR KINGMAN DROPPING A HALF INCH OF RAIN IN NINE
MINUTES. NEEDLESS TO SAY...FLASH FLOODING WILL BE THE BIGGEST
CONCERN WITH ANY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WHICH DEVELOP...ALONG WITH THE
POSSIBILITY OF GUSTY DOWNBURST WINDS.

DRIER AIR WILL BEGIN TO PUSH EAST ACROSS THE REGION TOMORROW THANKS
TO AN APPROACHING PACIFIC LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM. HOWEVER...LOW LEVEL
MOISTURE WILL BE SLOW TO PUSH EAST SO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS
WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE MAINLY ACROSS NORTHWEST ARIZONA...SOUTHERN
NEVADA...AND EXTREME EASTERN CALIFORNIA. DRIER CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED ACROSS THE WESTERN MOJAVE DESERT WHERE CONDITIONS WILL BE
MORE STABLE AND PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES DROP FROM DAYS PRIOR...BUT
SOME ISOLATED ACTIVITY MAY STILL DEVELOP IN THE INYO COUNTY
MOUNTAINS.

BY WEDNESDAY...DRIER AND MORE STABLE AIR WILL INVADE THE ENTIRE
FORECAST AREA WITH MUCH CALMER CONDITIONS EXPECTED. SOME ISOLATED
CONVECTION WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE SIERRA AND NORTHERN INYO
COUNTY WHICH WILL BE IN CLOSER PROXIMITY TO THE APPROACHING
LOW...BUT ELSEWHERE DRY CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL.

.LONG TERM...THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY.

RATHER STRONG PACIFIC TROUGH WILL PUSH INTO THE REGION ON THURSDAY
AND TAKE ON A SLIGHT NEGATIVE TILT AS IT DOES SO. MODELS HAVE
TRENDED STRONGER AND FURTHER SOUTH WITH THIS SYSTEM THE PAST COUPLE
OF DAYS WHICH WILL MEAN COOLER TEMPERATURES...BREEZY
CONDITIONS...AND SOMEWHAT BETTER CHANCES FOR SHOWERS ACROSS OUR INYO
AND SOUTHERN NEVADA ZONES. TEMPERATURES THURSDAY WILL AVERAGE TEN
DEGREES OR MORE BELOW NORMAL WITH SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS
POSSIBLE MAINLY ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS OF INYO COUNTY AND THE SOUTHERN
GREAT BASIN...BUT A FEW SHOWERS MAY ALSO DEVELOP ACROSS THE SPRING
AND SHEEP RANGE IN FAR SOUTHERN NEVADA. I HAVE INCREASED POPS INTO
THE SLIGHT CHANCE CATEGORY FOR THE ABOVE MENTIONED AREAS...AND
FUTURE SHIFTS CAN TWEAK THEM AS NECESSARY.

THE TROUGH WILL LIFT NORTHEAST BY FRIDAY WITH HIGH PRESSURE SLOWLY
REBUILDING ACROSS THE FOUR CORNERS OVER THE WEEKEND. THIS WILL ALLOW
TEMPERATURES TO CLIMB UPWARDS AGAIN AND MONSOON MOISTURE TO BEGIN
SEEPING BACK INTO ARIZONA. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN A FEW DEGREES
BELOW NORMAL THROUGH THE WEEKEND BUT RETURN TO NEAR NORMAL BY
MONDAY.

&&

.AVIATION...FOR MCCARRAN...WINDS WILL BE HEAVILY INFLUENCED THIS
EVENING BY OUTFLOW BOUNDARY INTERACTIONS THUS MAKING FORECAST
CONFIDENCE LIMITED. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE IN
THE VICINITY OF THE AIRFIELD THROUGH AT LEAST 4Z BEFORE CHANCES
DECLINE THROUGH THE NIGHT. WINDS NEAR  THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL
MAY EXCEED 30 KTS BUT OTHERWISE LIGHT SOUTHERLY WINDS ARE EXPECTED
IN THE 8-12KT RANGE. THUNDERSTORM CHANCES RETURN TOMORROW AND WILL
IMPACT ALL APPROACH CORRIDORS.

FOR THE REST OF SOUTHERN NEVADA...NORTHWEST ARIZONA...AND SOUTHEAST
CALIFORNIA...SCT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE REGION THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING. EXPECT GUSTY SURFACE WINDS AND CONVECTIVE
TURBULENCE NEAR AND SHRA/TSRA ACTIVITY. CIGS OF 10-15K FEET EXPECTED
WITH LOWER BASES NEAR STORMS.  ACTIVITY WILL DIMINISH BY 6Z WITH
ACTIVITY AGAIN POSSIBLE MAINLY NORTH OF A KBIH TO KIGM LINE TUESDAY
AFTERNOON.

&&

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT
ANY SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING
PROCEDURES.
&&

DISCUSSION...OUTLER

FOR MORE FORECAST INFORMATION...SEE US ON OUR WEBPAGE:

HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/LASVEGAS OR FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 6, 3:38 PM PDT, 2 hours 31 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
338 PM PDT MON JUL 6 2015

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

0330 PM     FLASH FLOOD      9 WNW VALENTINE         35.43N 113.81W
07/06/2015                   MOHAVE             AZ   EMERGENCY MNGR

            EMERGENCY MANAGER REPORTS ANTARES ROAD NORTH
            OF HWY 66 IS CLOSED DUE TO FLOODING.

&&

TL

Local storm report, Jul 6, 3:48 PM PDT, 2 hours 21 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
348 PM PDT MON JUL 6 2015

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

0345 PM     FLASH FLOOD      1 SSW BARSTOW           34.89N 117.02W
07/06/2015                   SAN BERNARDINO     CA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            CHP REPORTS STATE ROAD 247 FLOODED NEAR
            INTERCHANGE WITH I-15

&&

TL

Local storm report, Jul 6, 4:32 PM PDT, 1 hour 37 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
432 PM PDT MON JUL 06 2015

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

0427 PM     FLASH FLOOD      4 W TWENTYNINE PALMS MC 34.22N 116.13W
07/06/2015                   SAN BERNARDINO     CA   PUBLIC

            THREE INCHES OF WATER AND ROCKS WERE RUNNING OVER POLE
            LINE ROAD.

&&

MORGAN

Local storm report, Jul 6, 4:33 PM PDT, 1 hour 36 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
433 PM PDT MON JUL 6 2015

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

0407 PM     FLASH FLOOD      LENWOOD                 34.88N 117.11W
07/06/2015                   SAN BERNARDINO     CA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            CHP REPORTS ROADWAY FLOODED NEAR
            INTERSECTION OF BIRCH ROAD AND JASPER ROAD

&&

TL

Local storm report, Jul 6, 5:30 PM PDT, 39 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
530 PM PDT MON JUL 6 2015

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

0510 PM     FLASH FLOOD      22 WSW LENWOOD          34.79N 117.49W
07/06/2015                   SAN BERNARDINO     CA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            CHP REPORTS 1 FOOT OF WATER FLOWING OVER
            HIGHWAY 395.

&&

TL

Local storm report, Jul 6, 5:57 PM PDT, 12 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
557 PM PDT MON JUL 6 2015

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

0541 PM     FLASH FLOOD      4 NNW VALLEY OF FIRE STA36.49N 114.53W
07/06/2015                   CLARK              NV   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            WHITE DOME RD IN VALLEY OF FIRE STATE PARK
            IS CLOSED DUE TO FLASH FLOODING.

&&

TL

The office that day

Everything else NWS Las Vegas, NV issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 6, 6:21 PM PDT	Flash Flood Warning	VEF	Inyo	3 hr
Jul 6, 6:47 PM PDT	Flash Flood Warning	VEF	San Bernardino	3 hr
Jul 6, 7:37 PM PDT	Flash Flood Warning	VEF	Inyo, San Bernardino	3 hr
Jul 6, 8:54 PM PDT	Flash Flood Warning	VEF	Inyo	3 hr
Jul 7, 2:52 AM PDT	Flash Flood Watch	VEF	Inyo	17 hr
Jul 7, 1:11 PM PDT	Areal Flood Advisory	VEF	Inyo	4 hr
Jul 7, 2:23 PM PDT	Areal Flood Advisory	VEF	San Bernardino	3 hr
Jul 7, 3:07 PM PDT	Flash Flood Warning	VEF	San Bernardino	3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in California, 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.