Alert archive / Alaska / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2016

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 4, NWS Fairbanks, AK

July 14, 2016

NWS Fairbanks, AK issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 14, 2016, 8:05 PM AKDT. It was in force for 25 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 14, 2016, 8:05 PM AKDT (04:05 UTC)
Expired
Jul 14, 2016, 8:30 PM AKDT
In force
25 min
Issued by
NWS Fairbanks, AK
Area
Storm-based polygon

The radar

The Fairbanks Faa radar (PAPD), 91 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 04:08 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 nearest sounding before it

Fairbanks, (PFAI), launched 00:00Z, 4.1 hours before the alert went out and 69 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, Fairbanks, at 00:00Z on 2016-07-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 603 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Fairbanks, at 00:00Z on 2016-07-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 23 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
603 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-28 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2277 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
10 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
23 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
33 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

212 
WUAK59 PAFG 150408
SVRAFG
AKZ221-150430-
/O.NEW.PAFG.SV.W.0004.160715T0408Z-160715T0430Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
805 PM AKDT THU JUL 14 2016

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FAIRBANKS HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  EAST CENTRAL CENTRAL INTERIOR IN ALASKA...

* UNTIL 830 PM AKDT

* AT 805 PM AKDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
  CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR
  NENANA. THIS STORM WAS NEARLY STATIONARY.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  NENANA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE LARGE HAIL...GUSTY WINDS...DEADLY
LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO DO
NOT DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

&&

LAT...LON 6473 14895 6445 14899 6447 14948 6473 14948
TIME...MOT...LOC 0405Z 000DEG 0KT 6460 14929 

$$

RF
1 follow-up statement
415 
WWAK59 PAFG 150427
SVSAFG

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
825 PM AKDT THU JUL 14 2016

AKZ221-150435-
/O.EXP.PAFG.SV.W.0004.000000T0000Z-160715T0430Z/
CENTRAL INTERIOR-
825 PM AKDT THU JUL 14 2016

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR EAST CENTRAL CENTRAL INTERIOR
WILL EXPIRE AT 830 PM AKDT...
    
THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS WEAKENED.
THEREFORE THE WARNING WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE AT 830 PM.

LAT...LON 6473 14895 6445 14899 6447 14948 6473 14948
TIME...MOT...LOC 0421Z 000DEG 0KT 6460 14929 

$$

RF

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 Fairbanks, AK wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jul 14, 12:07 PM AKDT, 7 hours 58 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 14, 12:07 PM AKDT, 7 hours 58 minutes before
Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
1207 PM AKDT THU JUL 14 2016

.DISCUSSION...Heat to continue through Friday for much of the
interior.

Aloft at 500 hpa a 582 DAM ridge remains parked over northern
Alaska and will remain in place today and early Friday before
retreating to the east as a strong upper level trough approaches
the northwest coast Friday morning and dives into the northern
interior Saturday. 850 mb temperatures remain in the 14 to 16
Celsius range over much of the interior and will produce near
record temperatures in the upper 80s and lower 90s over much of
the interior today and lingering into Friday over the central and
eastern interior. The 850 mb temperature on the 12z sounding over
Fairbanks was near 16 Celsius and will force surface temperatures
into the mid to upper 80s again this afternoon. As the upper level
ridge slips to the east the atmosphere particularly to the south
of Fairbanks is becoming less capped. Expect isolated thunderstorms
along and south of an Eagle to Fairbanks to Galena line this
afternoon and evening as capped conditions remain over the
northern interior and Brooks Range. Increased cloud cover from
thunderstorms combined with slightly lower heights as the ridge
slips to the east is expected to shave a couple degrees off of
today and Fridays high temperatures over the interior.

A strong cold front moving southeast out of the high arctic will
push on shore over the northwest coast Friday morning and push
into the northern interior Friday night. The front weakens
considerably Saturday as it moves into the interior but will still
provide much cooler temperatures over the interior. Expect the
front to be the focus for thunderstorms as it moves south and east
through the interior Saturday especially as it interacts with a
thermal trough over the central and eastern interior roughly along
a Bettles to Northway line Saturday Afternoon.

The Strong cold front will provide dramatically cooler
temperatures on the north slope Friday and Saturday as compared
the record breaking temperatures of the last several days. Inland
portions of the North Slope that will see temperatures in the 80s
again today will struggle to reach the 60s by Saturday. Snow is
expected to mix with the rain near Barrow Saturday night. Moderate
along shore winds ahead of the front and then moderate on shore
winds just after the front will produce elevate surf, minor
coastal erosion and the potential for ice to push on shore
especially east of Wainwright to near Point Barrow.

The 12z model suite initialized well against the 12 analysis and
verified well against the 18z analysis. Model spread remains
reasonable in both the short range and mid range with some
minor differences on position and timing of the strong front
moving southeast out of the high arctic noted. Spread between
model families has increased on the 12z suite as compared to
yesterday in the long range.

Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...Expect minor coastal
erosion, elevated surf and the possibility of an on shore ice push
along the northwest coast especially to the east of Wainwright to
near Point Barrow beginning Friday morning and continuing through
early Friday evening.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
A cooling trend beginning tonight will bring temperatures across
the area down 15 to 20 degrees through the weekend. That will
produce increased relative humidity values across the area and
excellent overnight recovery to most areas. Winds generally light
but as a weather front moves east across the northern interior
there will be some increase in the gusty winds. Thunderstorm
activity will continue with the highest potential for lightning
tonight and Friday south of a line from Eagle to Fairbanks to
Unalakleet.

&&

.HYDROLOGY...NONE

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Small Craft Advisory for PKZ220-PKZ225-PKZ230-PKZ245.

Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ235-PKZ240.
&&

CCC JUL 16

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alaska, 2016Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2016

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.