Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 2021

Flash Flood Warning 149, NWS Flagstaff, AZ

August 2, 2021Apache County, Arizona

NWS Flagstaff, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Aug 2, 2021, 1:59 PM MST for Apache 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
Aug 2, 2021, 1:59 PM MST (20:59 UTC)
Expired
Aug 2, 2021, 5:00 PM MST
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Flagstaff, AZ
Area
Storm-based polygon
Damage threat
Considerable
Flood severity
None

County Apache County, AZ

The radar

The Flagstaff radar (KFSX), 230 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:01 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

Flgstf/Belemont, AZ (KFGZ), launched 12:00Z, 9.0 hours before the alert went out and 215 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, Flgstf/Belemont, AZ at 12:00Z on 2021-08-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 321 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Flgstf/Belemont, AZ at 12:00Z on 2021-08-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 12 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
321 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-65 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1493 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
22 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
12 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
18 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

779 
WGUS55 KFGZ 022059
FFWFGZ
AZC001-030000-
/O.NEW.KFGZ.FF.W.0149.210802T2059Z-210803T0000Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Flagstaff AZ
159 PM MST Mon Aug 2 2021

The National Weather Service in Flagstaff has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
  Apache County in northeastern Arizona...

* Until 500 PM MST.

* At 158 PM MST, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing 
  heavy rain across the warned area. Between 1 and 1.5 inches of 
  rain have fallen. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin 
  shortly.

  HAZARD...Life-threatening flash flooding. Thunderstorms
           producing flash flooding.

  SOURCE...Radar.

  IMPACT...Life-threatening flash flooding of low-water
           crossings, creeks, normally dry washes and roads.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
  Tselani-Cottonwood, Blue Gap Chapter House, Rough Rock and Navajo 
  Reservation.

This includes the following streams and drainages...
  Balakai Wash, Black Mountain Wash, Sitting Giant Rock Wash, Oraibi 
  Wash, Burro Wash, Polacca Wash, Bitter Water Wash, Tah Chee Wash, 
  Chinle Wash, Trading Post Wash, Hipbone Wash and Cottonwood Wash.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

Flooding of washes and creeks will occur, some dirt roads will 
become muddy and impassable. Paved roads and underpasses could 
become flooded as well.

In hilly or mountainous terrain, there are many low water crossings 
which will become dangerous in heavy rain. Do not attempt to cross 
flooded roads. Find an alternate route.

Remain alert for flooding even in locations not receiving rain. 
Normally dry washes, slot canyons and creeks can become raging 
killer currents in a matter of minutes, even from distant rainfall.

Report any flooding to local law enforcement and the NWS Flagstaff 
when you can do so safely.

&&

LAT...LON 3643 10992 3641 10975 3639 10965 3621 10962
      3608 10966 3605 10996 3639 10996 3641 10997

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED
FLASH FLOOD DAMAGE THREAT...CONSIDERABLE

$$

ET
2 follow-up statements
333 
WGUS75 KFGZ 022208
FFSFGZ

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Flagstaff AZ
308 PM MST Mon Aug 2 2021

AZC001-030000-
/O.CON.KFGZ.FF.W.0149.000000T0000Z-210803T0000Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Apache AZ-
308 PM MST Mon Aug 2 2021

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM MST THIS 
AFTERNOON FOR APACHE COUNTY...

At 307 PM MST, heavy rain had ended across the warned area. Between 
1 and 1.5 inches of rain have fallen. Flash flooding is will 
continue to be ongoing for the next few hours.

HAZARD...Life-threatening flash flooding. Thunderstorms producing
         flash flooding.

SOURCE...Radar.

IMPACT...Life-threatening flash flooding of low-water crossings,
         creeks, normally dry washes and roads.

Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
  Tselani-Cottonwood, Blue Gap Chapter House, Rough Rock and Navajo 
  Reservation.

This includes the following streams and drainages...
  Balakai Wash, Black Mountain Wash, Sitting Giant Rock Wash, Oraibi 
  Wash, Burro Wash, Polacca Wash, Bitter Water Wash, Tah Chee Wash, 
  Chinle Wash, Trading Post Wash, Hipbone Wash and Cottonwood Wash.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

Flooding of washes and creeks will occur, some dirt roads will 
become muddy and impassable. Paved roads and underpasses could 
become flooded as well.

In hilly or mountainous terrain, there are many low water crossings 
which will become dangerous in heavy rain. Do not attempt to cross 
flooded roads. Find an alternate route.

Remain alert for flooding even in locations not receiving rain. 
Normally dry washes, slot canyons and creeks can become raging 
killer currents in a matter of minutes, even from distant rainfall.

Report any flooding to local law enforcement and the NWS Flagstaff 
when you can do so safely.

&&

LAT...LON 3643 10992 3641 10975 3639 10965 3621 10962
      3608 10966 3605 10996 3639 10996 3641 10997

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED
FLASH FLOOD DAMAGE THREAT...CONSIDERABLE

$$

ET
214 
WGUS75 KFGZ 022354
FFSFGZ

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Flagstaff AZ
454 PM MST Mon Aug 2 2021

AZC001-030004-
/O.EXP.KFGZ.FF.W.0149.000000T0000Z-210803T0000Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Apache AZ-
454 PM MST Mon Aug 2 2021

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON FOR 
APACHE COUNTY...

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

LAT...LON 3643 10992 3641 10975 3639 10965 3621 10962
      3608 10966 3605 10996 3639 10996 3641 10997

$$

MCT

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 1, 5:05 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryFGZCoconino3 hr
Aug 1, 5:11 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZGila, Navajo49 min
Aug 1, 5:22 PM MSTFlash Flood Warning Considerable damage threatFGZCoconino3 hr
Aug 1, 5:28 PM MSTFlash Flood Warning Considerable damage threatFGZGila, Navajo5 hr
Aug 1, 5:49 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryFGZCoconino3 hr
Aug 1, 5:49 PM MSTFlash Flood Warning Considerable damage threatFGZApache, Navajo3 hr
Aug 1, 6:04 PM MSTFlash Flood Warning Considerable damage threatFGZCoconino3 hr
Aug 1, 6:20 PM MSTFlash Flood Warning Considerable damage threatFGZGila, Navajo3 hr
Aug 1, 7:55 PM MSTFlash Flood Warning Considerable damage threatFGZGila2 hr
Aug 1, 8:26 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningFGZGila115 min
Aug 1, 8:59 PM MSTFlash Flood WarningFGZGila85 min
Aug 1, 9:47 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementFGZ28 min
Aug 2, 2:23 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZApache, Navajo22 min
Aug 2, 2:44 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGZApache, Navajo31 min
Aug 2, 4:06 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementFGZApache39 min
Aug 2, 4:14 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementFGZ31 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Arizona, 2021Every flash flood warning in 2021

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.