Alert archive / Arizona / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2015

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 28, NWS Las Vegas, NV

July 18, 2015Mohave County, Arizona

NWS Las Vegas, NV issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 18, 2015, 3:19 PM MST for Mohave County, Arizona. It was in force for 26 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued: Jul 18, 2015, 3:19 PM MST (22:19 UTC)
Expired: Jul 18, 2015, 3:45 PM MST
In force: 26 min
Issued by: NWS Las Vegas, NV
Area: Storm-based polygon

County Mohave County, AZ

The radar

The Cedar City radar (KICX), 110 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:18 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.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this severe thunderstorm warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

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 watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Jul 18, 1:07 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Las Vegas, NV (KVEF), launched 12:00Z, 10.3 hours before the alert went out and 168 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: 512 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -180 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 2251 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 21 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 84 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 72 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.

842 
WUUS55 KVEF 182219
SVRVEF
AZC015-182245-
/O.NEW.KVEF.SV.W.0028.150718T2219Z-150718T2245Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
319 PM MST SAT JUL 18 2015

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAS VEGAS  HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTH CENTRAL MOHAVE COUNTY IN NORTHWESTERN ARIZONA...

* UNTIL 345 PM MST

* AT 318 PM MST...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
  CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. THIS STORM
  WAS LOCATED OVER LITTLEFIELD...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  BEAVER DAM...LITTLEFIELD...VIRGIN RIVER GORGE AND VIRGIN RIVER
  CAMPGROUND.

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 15 IN ARIZONA BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 0 AND 29.
 
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THIS STORM WILL PRODUCE HIGH WINDS WHICH CAN BRING DOWN TREES AND
POWER LINES AND CAUSE BLOWING DUST. ALSO...LIGHTNING CAN KILL! TAKE
COVER IN A STURDY BUILDING AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE STORM
PASSES. REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE LAS VEGAS NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE VIA FACEBOOK OR TWITTER.

&&

LAT...LON 3698 11353 3670 11405 3695 11405 3700 11400
      3700 11356
TIME...MOT...LOC 2218Z 225DEG 26KT 3688 11397 

$$

WOLCOTT

2 follow-up statements

429 
WWUS55 KVEF 182232
SVSVEF

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
332 PM MST SAT JUL 18 2015

AZC015-182245-
/O.CON.KVEF.SV.W.0028.000000T0000Z-150718T2245Z/
MOHAVE AZ-
332 PM MST SAT JUL 18 2015

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 345 PM MST
FOR NORTH CENTRAL MOHAVE COUNTY...

AT 331 PM MST...DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATED A SEVERE 
THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 
MPH. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR VIRGIN RIVER GORGE...MOVING 
NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
BEAVER DAM...LITTLEFIELD...VIRGIN RIVER GORGE AND VIRGIN RIVER
CAMPGROUND.

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 15 IN ARIZONA BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 0 AND 29.
 
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

&&

LAT...LON 3698 11353 3670 11405 3695 11405 3700 11400
      3700 11356
TIME...MOT...LOC 2231Z 225DEG 26KT 3695 11389 

$$

WOLCOTT

480 
WWUS55 KVEF 182239
SVSVEF

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
339 PM MST SAT JUL 18 2015

AZC015-182248-
/O.EXP.KVEF.SV.W.0028.000000T0000Z-150718T2245Z/
MOHAVE AZ-
339 PM MST SAT JUL 18 2015

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR NORTH CENTRAL MOHAVE COUNTY
WILL EXPIRE AT 345 PM MST...
        
THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING IS MOVING OUT OF THE WARNED 
AREA AND INTO SOUTHWEST UTAH. THEREFORE THE WARNING WILL BE ALLOWED 
TO EXPIRE AT 345 PM. HOWEVER GUSTY WINDS ARE STILL POSSIBLE WITH 
THIS THUNDERSTORM IN THE VIRGIN RIVER GORGE ALONG INTERSTATE 15.

LAT...LON 3698 11353 3670 11405 3695 11405 3700 11400
      3700 11356
TIME...MOT...LOC 2230Z 225DEG 26KT 3695 11389 

$$

WOLCOTT

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm 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 severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jul 18, 2:00 PM MST, 1 hour 19 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 18, 2:00 PM MST, 1 hour 19 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
200 PM PDT SAT JUL 18 2015

.SYNOPSIS...RICH MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH NOW DECAYING HURRICANE
DOLORES CONTINUES TO PUSH INTO THE REGION INCREASING THE POTENTIAL
FOR HEAVY DOWNPOURS...FLASH FLOODING...AND STRONG DOWNBURTS WINDS
THROUGH THIS EVENING. STORM CHANCES WILL BE GREATEST ACROSS SAN
BERNARDINO...CLARK...AND MOHAVE COUNTIES. MOISTURE WILL PUSH FARTHER
NORTH SUNDAY ENCOMPASSING THE ENTIRE AREA WITH CONTINUED FLASH FLOOD
POTENTIAL. MOISTURE WILL GRADUALLY DECREASE NEXT WEEK TOWARDS MORE
TYPICAL SUMMER VALUES BUT SLIGHT CHANCES FOR STORMS WILL REMAIN FOR
MANY AREAS THROUGH MIDWEEK.
&&

.SHORT TERM FORECAST...

IMPULSE CURRENTLY WORKING ACROSS THE AREA IS PUSHING INTO A VERY
UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE. ANOMALOUSLY MOIST ATMOSPHERE, UPPER LEVEL LIFT,
AND DESTABILIZATION THROUGH THE DAY HAVE ALLOWED THE RAPID RAMP UP
OF WIDESPREAD CONVECTION. EXPECT HEAVY RAINFALL, WITH RATES OF 2
INCHES PER HOUR. ALSO STRONG WINDS HAVE BEEN OBSERVED ACROSS
PORTIONS OF THE LAS VEGAS VALLEY AND EASTERN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED UNTIL 9 PM TONIGHT FOR
CLARK, LINCOLN, SAN BERNARDINO, AND MOHAVE COUNTIES. WE ARE ALSO
GETTING REDUCED VISIBILITY ON THE LEADING EDGE OF THESE STORMS AS
DUST IS KICKED UP. VISIBILITY MAY BE REDUCED BELOW A QUARTER MILE AT
TIMES. A DUST STORM WARNING IS CURRENTLY OUT FOR DEATH VALLEY WHERE
AREA WEBCAMS SHOWED VISIBILITY BELOW A QUARTER MILE. PLEASE BE
WEATHER AWARE THROUGH THIS EVENING AND DO NOT DRIVE THROUGH FLOODED
ROADWAYS!

EXPECT THE UPPER LEVEL FORCING TO WEAKEN AND SHIFT NORTHWARD
TOMORROW. WITH MOISTURE EXPECTED TO PUSH NORTH AS WELL, HAVE
EXPANDED THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL COUNTIES IN OUR FORECAST AREA
AND EXTENDED THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH TOMORROW. SOME COUNTIES
MAY NEED TO BE EXTENDED INTO MONDAY AS WELL, BUT WILL FIGHT THAT
BATTLE LATER.
&&

.LONG TERM...MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

MOISTURE WILL REMAIN ABUNDANT MONDAY AND IT IS POSSIBLE THE REMAINS
OF DOLORES AND ITS MID LEVEL CIRCULATION WILL DRIFT INTO SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA AND COULD RESULT IN ANOTHER DAY OF FLASH FLOOD CONCERNS.
BY TUESDAY WE MAY BEGIN TO DRY OUT SOMEWHAT AS FLOW TURNS
SOUTHWESTERLY BUT OFTEN TIMES MODELS SCOUR OUT OUR MOISTURE TOO
QUICKLY...SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WILL NEED TO BE CONSIDERED. IN
FACT...THE GFS MAINTAINS ELEVATED PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES THROUGH
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND AM TEMPTED TO BELIEVE THIS GIVEN THE SEASONS
TREND OF MOISTURE RELUCTANT TO SCOUR OUT OF THE REGION AFTER A
MOISTURE PUSH. DIDNT MAKE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE EXTENDED RANGE
AS MY FOCUS WAS MORE ON THE SHORT TERM BUT POPS IN THE EXTENDED MAY
NEED TO BE RAISED THROUGH WEDNESDAY. AFTER WEDNESDAY MOSTLY DRY
CONDITIONS SHOULD PREVAIL BUT DEPENDING ON WHERE THE MONSOON HIGH
BUILDS BACK IN...THE BREAK MAY BE BRIEF WITH HINTS OF MORE PACIFIC
TROPICAL ACTIVITY AND A POSSIBLE RETURN OF A SOUTHERLY FLOW BY NEXT
WEEKEND.
&&

.AVIATION...FOR MCCARRAN...SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS IN THE 15-20 KT
RANGE WITH GUSTS TO 30KTS EXPECTED...HOWEVER AS USUAL THUNDERSTORMS
WILL ADD A DEGREE OF VARIABILITY AND UNCERTAINTY TO THE FORECAST.
WIND GUSTS NEAR STORMS MAY EXCEED 35KTS WITH CIGS BELOW 10K POSSIBLE
AT TIMES AS WELL AS POCKETS OF CONVECTIVE TURBULENCE. OTHERWISE BKN-
OVC CLOUD COVER EXPECTED THROUGH THE AFTERNOON ABOVE 12K. SHOWER AND
THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL PERSIST OVERNIGHT. ALL APPROACH CORRIDORS
WILL BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY THROUGH THIS EVENING.

FOR THE REST OF SOUTHERN NEVADA...NORTHWEST ARIZONA...AND SOUTHEAST
CALIFORNIA...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE
EVENING ACROSS THE REGION. GREATEST CHANCES WILL BE ALONG A KDAG-
KLAS-KSGU LINE BUT ISOLATED STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ELSEWHERE. BKN-
OVC CONDITIONS ABOVE 10K POSSIBLE WITH AREAS OF GUSTY AND ERRATIC
SURFACE WINDS NEAR STORMS AS WELL AS POCKETS OF CONVECTIVE
TURBULENCE. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MAY PERSIST OVERNIGHT AS WELL.
&&

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED
TODAY IN MOHAVE...SAN BERNARDINO...AND CLARK COUNTIES.
OTHERWISE...SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
&&

SHORT TERM/AVIATION...PADDOCK
LONG TERM...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 18, 2:01 PM MST, 1 hour 18 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
201 PM PDT SAT JUL 18 2015

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

0155 PM     FLASH FLOOD      1 E COYOTE SPRINGS      36.80N 114.92W
07/18/2015                   CLARK              NV   TRAINED SPOTTER

            6-8 INCHES OF WATER FLOWING THROUGH PARKING
            LOT AT COYOTE SPRINGS GOLF COURSE. SPOTTER
            REPORTS HWY 93 AT A STANDSTILL LIKELY DUE TO
            FLOODING.

&&

NWS LAS VEGAS NV
IRIS SYSTEM

Local storm report, Jul 18, 2:19 PM MST, 1 hour before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
219 PM PDT SAT JUL 18 2015

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

0204 PM     FLASH FLOOD      2 WSW VIDAL JUNCTION    34.17N 114.61W
07/18/2015                   SAN BERNARDINO     CA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            CHP REPORTS ROADWAY IS FLOODED NEAR MILE
            MARKER 119

0157 PM     HAIL             17 S PEACH SPRINGS      35.29N 113.37W
07/18/2015  E0.50 INCH       MOHAVE             AZ   CO-OP OBSERVER

&&

NWS LAS VEGAS NV
IRIS SYSTEM

Local storm report, Jul 18, 2:25 PM MST, 54 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
225 PM PDT SAT JUL 18 2015

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

0148 PM     HEAVY RAIN       4 W VALENTINE           35.38N 113.73W
07/18/2015  M2.04 INCH       MOHAVE             AZ   MESONET

            2.04 INCHES OF RAIN IN THE LAST HOUR. PEAK
            FLOW DEPTH AT TRUXTON WASH @ HWY 66 3.49
            FEET.

&&

NWS LAS VEGAS NV
IRIS SYSTEM

Local storm report, Jul 18, 2:41 PM MST, 38 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
241 PM PDT SAT JUL 18 2015

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

0115 PM     DUST STORM       1 SW FURNACE CREEK      36.45N 116.87W
07/18/2015                   INYO               CA   PUBLIC

            WEB CAMERAS SHOW DUST STORM WITH NEAR ZERO
            VISIBILITY MOVING THROUGH DEATH VALLEY.

&&

NWS LAS VEGAS NV
IRIS SYSTEM

Local storm report, Jul 18, 2:52 PM MST, 27 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
252 PM PDT SAT JUL 18 2015

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

0250 PM     FLASH FLOOD      1 S COLORADO CITY       36.98N 112.98W
07/18/2015                   MOHAVE             AZ   TRAINED SPOTTER

            THREE PRIMARY ROADS IN COLORADO CITY ARE
            CLOSED DUE TO FLOOD FLOODING. 1 FOOT OVER
            WATER RUNNING OVER THESE ROADS WITH DEBRIS.

&&

TL

Local storm report, Jul 18, 3:01 PM MST, 18 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
301 PM PDT SAT JUL 18 2015

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

0154 PM     FLASH FLOOD      8 W CALIENTE            37.60N 114.65W
07/18/2015                   LINCOLN            NV   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            FLOODING WITH ROCKS AND DEBRIS ON HWY 93 AT
            MILE MARKER 86 NEAR CALIENTE SUMMIT.

&&

NWS LAS VEGAS NV
IRIS SYSTEM

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 17, 5:54 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	VEF	Mohave	36 min
Jul 17, 7:19 PM MST	Areal Flood Advisory	VEF	Mohave	4 hr
Jul 17, 9:45 PM MST	Areal Flood Warning	VEF	Mohave	12 hr
Jul 17, 10:27 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	VEF	Mohave	48 min
Jul 17, 10:35 PM MST	Flash Flood Warning	VEF	Mohave	115 min
Jul 18, 12:27 AM MST	Flash Flood Warning	VEF	Mohave	3 hr
Jul 18, 12:45 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	VEF	Mohave	44 min
Jul 18, 12:57 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	VEF	Mohave	33 min
Jul 18, 1:07 PM MST	Flash Flood Warning	VEF	Mohave	6 hr
Jul 18, 1:23 PM MST	Flash Flood Warning	VEF	Mohave	6 hr
Jul 18, 1:27 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	VEF	Mohave	58 min
Jul 18, 1:36 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	VEF	Mohave	39 min
Jul 18, 1:44 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	VEF	Mohave	61 min
Jul 18, 1:50 PM MST	Flash Flood Warning	VEF	Mohave	5 hr
Jul 18, 2:11 PM MST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	VEF	Mohave	49 min
Jul 18, 2:20 PM MST	Flash Flood Warning	VEF	Mohave	6 hr

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Arizona, 2015 Every severe thunderstorm 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.