Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 2017

Flash Flood Warning 8, NWS Tucson, AZ

July 16, 2017Graham County, Arizona

NWS Tucson, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Jul 16, 2017, 8:56 PM MST for Graham County, Arizona. It was in force for 3 hr. 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 16, 2017, 8:56 PM MST (03:56 UTC)
Expired
Jul 17, 2017, 12:00 AM MST
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Tucson, AZ
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

County Graham County, AZ

The radar

The Tucson radar (KEMX), 125 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 04:00 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

Tuscon, AZ (KDMA), launched 00:00Z, 3.9 hours before the alert went out and 124 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, Tuscon, AZ at 00:00Z on 2017-07-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 750 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, Tuscon, AZ at 00:00Z on 2017-07-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -42 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
750 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-63 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2006 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
11 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-42 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-5 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

151 
WGUS55 KTWC 170356
FFWTWC
AZC009-170700-
/O.NEW.KTWC.FF.W.0008.170717T0356Z-170717T0700Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
856 PM MST SUN JUL 16 2017

The National Weather Service in Tucson has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
  South central Graham County in southeastern Arizona...

* Until midnight MST

* At 854 PM MST, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing
  heavy rain across the warned area. Up to one inch of rain has
  already fallen. Flash flooding is expected to begin shortly.

* Some locations that will experience flooding include...
  Safford, Thatcher, Pima, Swift Trail Junction, Junction Of Highways
  191 And 266, Solomon, Mount Graham and Frye Mesa Dam.

Areas affected include the Frye Fire Burn Scar and locations below
it, namely Ash Creek and Frye Creek.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

This warning includes areas in or below a wildfire burn scar.
Rainfall on burned areas can cause increased flash flooding, debris
flows, mud slides, and rock slides. Take action now to protect
yourself from the effects of flash flooding and remember, Turn
Around, Don't Drown!

&&

LAT...LON 3282 10962 3254 10968 3268 11007 3293 10988

$$

Leins
2 follow-up statements
044 
WGUS75 KTWC 170537
FFSTWC

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
1037 PM MST SUN JUL 16 2017

AZC009-170700-
/O.CON.KTWC.FF.W.0008.000000T0000Z-170717T0700Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Graham-
1037 PM MST SUN JUL 16 2017

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT MST FOR
SOUTH CENTRAL GRAHAM COUNTY...

At 1035 PM MST, Doppler radar indicated that most of the heavy 
rain had moved away from the burn area. Area gauges on the 
mountain indicated nearly 1 inch of rain fell in under an hour. 
Runoff is likely occurring and will continue until at least 
midnight. 

Excessive rainfall over the burn scar will result in debris flow
moving through the Ash Creek and Frye Creek. The debris flow can 
consist of rock, mud, vegetation and other loose materials.

Normally dry washes and low water crossings may be inundated in the
following locations...
Safford, Thatcher, Pima, Swift Trail Junction, Junction Of Highways
191 And 266, Solomon, Mount Graham and Frye Mesa Dam.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood
deaths occur in vehicles.

This warning includes areas in or below a wildfire burn scar.
Rainfall on burned areas can cause increased flash flooding, debris
flows, mud slides, and rock slides. Take action now to protect
yourself from the effects of flash flooding and remember, Turn
Around, Don't Drown!

&&

LAT...LON 3282 10962 3254 10968 3268 11007 3293 10988

$$

Leins
513 
WGUS75 KTWC 170652
FFSTWC

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
1152 PM MST SUN JUL 16 2017

AZC009-170701-
/O.EXP.KTWC.FF.W.0008.000000T0000Z-170717T0700Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Graham-
1152 PM MST SUN JUL 16 2017

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR SOUTH CENTRAL GRAHAM COUNTY WILL
EXPIRE AT MIDNIGHT MST...

The heavy rain has ended. Flooding is no longer expected to pose a 
threat, however expect heavy flow in normally dry streambeds and 
washes into the early morning hours. 

LAT...LON 3282 10962 3254 10968 3268 11007 3293 10988

$$

GL

The office that day

Everything else NWS Tucson, AZ issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 16, 5:35 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCPinal55 min
Jul 16, 6:00 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPinal60 min
Jul 16, 6:31 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCPinal3 hr
Jul 16, 6:34 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCPima56 min
Jul 16, 6:36 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWC39 min
Jul 16, 6:39 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWC21 min
Jul 16, 6:42 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCPima48 min
Jul 16, 6:59 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCPinal61 min
Jul 16, 7:25 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWC65 min
Jul 16, 7:27 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWC33 min
Jul 16, 8:12 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCPima33 min
Jul 16, 9:04 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCPima, Pinal3 hr
Jul 16, 9:23 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCGraham67 min
Jul 16, 10:34 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCPima, Pinal3 hr
Jul 17, 12:35 AM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCPinal3 hr
Jul 17, 4:41 AM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCSanta Cruz3 hr
Jul 17, 7:47 AM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCSanta Cruz118 min
Jul 17, 1:01 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWC59 min
Jul 17, 1:04 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCSanta Cruz41 min
Jul 17, 1:58 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCCochise, Pima2 hr
Jul 17, 2:03 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCPima117 min
Jul 17, 2:07 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCPima, Pinal113 min
Jul 17, 2:12 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPinal33 min
Jul 17, 2:16 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCCochise119 min
Jul 17, 3:00 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCPima, Pinal2 hr
Jul 17, 3:09 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPima, Pinal51 min
Jul 17, 3:17 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCPima118 min
Jul 17, 3:40 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCGraham23 min
Jul 17, 4:00 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCPima, Pinal5 hr
Jul 17, 4:01 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningTWCPima119 min
Jul 17, 4:02 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCGraham, Pinal28 min
Jul 17, 4:54 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCPinal51 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Arizona, 2017Every flash flood warning in 2017

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.