Alert archive / Colorado / Flash Flood Warnings in 2018

Flash Flood Warning 8, NWS Pueblo, CO

July 16, 2018Costilla County, Huerfano County, Colorado

NWS Pueblo, CO issued this flash flood warning at Jul 16, 2018, 1:56 AM MDT for Costilla County, Huerfano County, Colorado. 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, 2018, 1:56 AM MDT (07:56 UTC)
Expired
Jul 16, 2018, 4:45 AM MDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Pueblo, CO
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties Costilla County, CO, Huerfano County, CO

The radar

The Pueblo radar (KPUX), 128 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:00 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

Denver, CO (KDEN), launched 00:00Z, 7.9 hours before the alert went out and 304 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, Denver, CO at 00:00Z on 2018-07-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 387 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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, Denver, CO at 00:00Z on 2018-07-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 31 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
387 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
598 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
24 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
31 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
140 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

957 
WGUS55 KPUB 160756
FFWPUB
COC023-055-161045-
/O.NEW.KPUB.FF.W.0008.180716T0756Z-180716T1045Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Pueblo CO
156 AM MDT MON JUL 16 2018

The National Weather Service in Pueblo has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
  Southwestern Huerfano County in southeastern Colorado...
  Northeastern Costilla County in south central Colorado...

* Until 445 AM MDT.

* At 148 AM MDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing 
  heavy rain across the Spring Burn Scar, especially locations 
  near and north of Highway 160. 
  
* Rainfall in excess of one inch has already fallen, especially over 
  far northeastern portions of the Spring Burn Scar.  Flash flooding 
  is expected. 

* Some locations that will experience flooding include...
  Spring Burn Scar.  

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

Move to higher ground now. Act quickly to protect your life.

Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize the
dangers of flooding.

Move away from recently burned areas. Life-threatening flooding of
creeks, roads and normally dry arroyos is likely. The heavy rains
will likely trigger rockslides, mudslides and debris flows in steep
terrain, especially in and around these areas.

A Flash Flood Warning means that flooding is imminent or occurring.
If you are in the warned area move to higher ground immediately.
Residents living along streams and creeks should take immediate
precautions to protect life and property.

&&

LAT...LON 3766 10497 3753 10508 3742 10500 3739 10511
      3746 10530 3768 10526 3770 10516

$$
2 follow-up statements
954 
WGUS75 KPUB 160847
FFSPUB

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Pueblo CO
247 AM MDT MON JUL 16 2018

COC023-055-161045-
/O.CON.KPUB.FF.W.0008.000000T0000Z-180716T1045Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Huerfano CO-Costilla CO-
247 AM MDT MON JUL 16 2018

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 445 AM MDT FOR
SOUTHWESTERN HUERFANO AND NORTHEASTERN COSTILLA COUNTIES...

At 240 AM MDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing 
moderate to heavy rain across the Spring Burn Scar. Flash 
flooding is expected.

Recent excessive rainfall, especially over northern and eastern 
sections of the Spring Burn Scar is expected to result in debris 
flow moving through the Dog Springs Arroyo, North Abeyta Creek, 
South Fork and Yellowstone Creek Drainages. The debris flow can 
consist of rock, mud, vegetation and other loose materials.

Some locations that will experience flooding include...
Spring Burn Scar.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

Move to higher ground now. Act quickly to protect your life.

Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize the
dangers of flooding.

Remain alert for flooding even in locations not receiving rain.
Arroyos, streams, and rivers can become raging killer currents in a
matter of minutes, even from distant rainfall.

Move away from recently burned areas. Life-threatening flooding of
creeks, roads and normally dry arroyos is likely. The heavy rains
will likely trigger rockslides, mudslides and debris flows in steep
terrain, especially in and around these areas.

A Flash Flood Warning means that flooding is imminent or occurring.
If you are in the warned area move to higher ground immediately.
Residents living along streams and creeks should take immediate
precautions to protect life and property.

&&

LAT...LON 3766 10497 3753 10508 3742 10500 3739 10511
      3746 10530 3768 10526 3770 10516

$$
239 
WGUS75 KPUB 161044
FFSPUB

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Pueblo CO
444 AM MDT MON JUL 16 2018

COC023-055-161052-
/O.EXP.KPUB.FF.W.0008.000000T0000Z-180716T1045Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Huerfano CO-Costilla CO-
444 AM MDT MON JUL 16 2018

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR SOUTHWESTERN HUERFANO AND NORTHEASTERN
COSTILLA COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT 445 AM MDT...

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

LAT...LON 3766 10497 3753 10508 3742 10500 3739 10511
      3746 10530 3768 10526 3770 10516

$$

The office that day

Everything else NWS Pueblo, CO issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 15, 10:48 PM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPUBPueblo117 min
Jul 15, 11:44 PM MDTFlash Flood WarningPUBHuerfano3 hr
Jul 16, 12:49 AM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPUBHuerfano, Las Animas3 hr
Jul 16, 1:41 AM MDTSpecial Weather StatementPUBEl Paso94 min
Jul 16, 3:40 AM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPUBPueblo2 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Colorado, 2018Every flash flood warning in 2018

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.