Alert archive / California / Flash Flood Warnings in 2017

Flash Flood Warning 101, NWS Las Vegas, NV

September 3, 2017Inyo County, California

NWS Las Vegas, NV issued this flash flood warning at Sep 3, 2017, 4:24 PM PDT for Inyo County, California. 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
Sep 3, 2017, 4:24 PM PDT (23:24 UTC)
Expired
Sep 3, 2017, 7:15 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), 209 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:25 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

Las Vegas, NV (KVEF), launched 12:00Z, 11.4 hours before the alert went out and 169 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, Las Vegas, NV at 12:00Z on 2017-09-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 23 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, Las Vegas, NV at 12:00Z on 2017-09-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 8 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
23 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-443 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
3236 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
14 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
8 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
24 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

825 
WGUS55 KVEF 032324
FFWVEF
CAC027-040215-
/O.NEW.KVEF.FF.W.0101.170903T2324Z-170904T0215Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Las Vegas NV
424 PM PDT SUN SEP 3 2017

The National Weather Service in Las Vegas has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
  North central Inyo County in south central California...

* Until 715 PM PDT

* At 422 PM PDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing
  heavy rain across the warned area. Flash flooding is expected to
  begin shortly.

* Some locations that will experience flooding include...
  Mesquite Springs Campground and Scottys Castle. North Highway and 
  Grapevine Canyon roads. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

Flooding is occurring or is imminent. It is important to know where
you are relative to streams, rivers, or creeks which can become
killers in heavy rains. Campers and hikers should avoid streams or
creeks.

&&

LAT...LON 3711 11735 3685 11700 3681 11727 3696 11744

$$

CK
2 follow-up statements
265 
WGUS75 KVEF 040004
FFSVEF

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Las Vegas NV
504 PM PDT SUN SEP 3 2017

CAC027-040215-
/O.CON.KVEF.FF.W.0101.000000T0000Z-170904T0215Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Inyo CA-
504 PM PDT SUN SEP 3 2017

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 715 PM PDT FOR
NORTH CENTRAL INYO COUNTY...

At 502 PM PDT, Doppler radar indicated that thunderstorms were 
ending near Scotty's Castle. However runoff from earlier rainfall 
may be causing flooding in the area. 

Some locations that will experience flooding include...
Mesquite Springs Campground and Scottys Castle. North Highway and 
Grapevine Canyon roads. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

Flooding is occurring or is imminent. It is important to know where
you are relative to streams, rivers, or creeks which can become
killers in heavy rains. Campers and hikers should avoid streams or
creeks.

&&

LAT...LON 3711 11735 3685 11700 3681 11727 3696 11744

$$

CK
591 
WGUS75 KVEF 040208
FFSVEF

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Las Vegas NV
708 PM PDT SUN SEP 3 2017

CAC027-040218-
/O.EXP.KVEF.FF.W.0101.000000T0000Z-170904T0215Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Inyo CA-
708 PM PDT SUN SEP 3 2017

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR NORTH CENTRAL INYO COUNTY WILL EXPIRE
AT 715 PM PDT...

The heavy rain has ended. Flooding is no longer expected to pose a
threat. Please continue to heed any remaining road closures.

LAT...LON 3711 11735 3685 11700 3681 11727 3696 11744

$$

STEELE

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 2, 6:58 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningVEFSan Bernardino47 min
Sep 3, 3:18 PM PDTFlash Flood WarningVEFSan Bernardino3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in California, 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.