Alert archive / California / Flash Flood Warnings in 2021

Flash Flood Warning 1, NWS San Francisco Bay Area, CA

January 26, 2021Sonoma County, California

NWS San Francisco Bay Area, CA issued this flash flood warning at Jan 26, 2021, 9:39 PM PST for Sonoma County, California. It was in force for 81 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
Jan 26, 2021, 9:39 PM PST (05:39 UTC)
Expired
Jan 26, 2021, 11:00 PM PST
In force
81 min
Issued by
NWS San Francisco Bay Area, CA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Damage threat
Considerable
Flood severity
None

County Sonoma County, CA

The radar

The Sacramento radar (KDAX), 117 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 05:40 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

Oakland, CA (KOAK), launched 00:00Z, 5.7 hours before the alert went out and 122 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, Oakland, CA at 00:00Z on 2021-01-27Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1 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, Oakland, CA at 00:00Z on 2021-01-27The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 118 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
1 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
863 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
49 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
118 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
329 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

723 
WGUS56 KMTR 270539
FFWMTR
CAC097-270700-
/O.NEW.KMTR.FF.W.0001.210127T0539Z-210127T0700Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service San Francisco CA
939 PM PST Tue Jan 26 2021

The National Weather Service in San Francisco has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
  The Walbridge portion of the LNU Lightning Complex burn area in...
  North Central Sonoma County in northern California...

* Until 1100 PM PST.

* At 939 PM PST, Doppler radar and automated rain gauges indicated 
  heavy rain falling over the Walbridge portion of the LNU Lightning 
  Complex Burn Area. Between 1.5 and 2.5 inches of rain have fallen. 
  Rain rates could increase within the next half hour. Flash 
  flooding is expected to begin shortly.

Excessive rainfall over the burn area will result in debris flow 
moving through the Walbridge portion of the LNU Lightning Complex 
burn area. The debris flow can consist of rock, mud, vegetation and 
other loose materials.

  HAZARD...Life threatening flash flooding. Heavy rain producing
           flash flooding in and around the Walbridge portion of
           the LNU Lightning Complex Burn Area.

  SOURCE...Doppler radar and automated gauges.

  IMPACT...Life threatening flash flooding of areas in and around
           the Walbridge portion of the LNU Lightning Complex
           Burn Area.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
  mainly rural areas of North Central Sonoma County

This is a life threatening situation for people in or near the 
Walbridge Fire burn area. Some drainage basins impacted include...
Miller Creek and Redwood Log Creek.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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.

This is a life-threatening situation.  If you observe movement of 
soils move to higher ground immediately.

&&

LAT...LON 3859 12306 3860 12310 3866 12312 3867 12309
      3868 12310 3869 12308 3871 12308 3869 12300
      3865 12296 3865 12297 3864 12294 3860 12291
      3859 12294 3857 12289 3853 12295 3854 12298
      3855 12297 3854 12303

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR AND GAUGE INDICATED
FLASH FLOOD DAMAGE THREAT...CONSIDERABLE
EXPECTED RAINFALL...1-2 INCHES IN 1 HOUR AND 30 MINUTES

$$

MTR
2 follow-up statements
812 
WGUS76 KMTR 270631
FFSMTR

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service San Francisco CA
1031 PM PST Tue Jan 26 2021

CAC097-270700-
/O.CON.KMTR.FF.W.0001.000000T0000Z-210127T0700Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Sonoma CA-
1031 PM PST Tue Jan 26 2021

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR THE WALBRIDGE PORTION OF THE LNU 
LIGHTNING COMPLEX BURN AREA REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM PST THIS 
EVENING FOR NORTH CENTRAL SONOMA COUNTY...

At 1031 PM PST, Doppler radar and automated rain gauges indicated 
that the narrow band of heavy rain falling over the Walbridge 
portion of the LNU Lightning Complex Burn Area is moving quickly 
eastward. Rain rates are expected to drop significantly within the 
next half hour once that narrow band exits the region.

Excessive rainfall over the burn area will result in debris flow 
moving through the Walbridge portion of the LNU Lightning Complex 
burn area. The debris flow can consist of rock, mud, vegetation and 
other loose materials.

HAZARD...Life threatening flash flooding. Heavy rain producing
         flash flooding in and around the Walbridge portion of
         the LNU Lightning Complex Burn Area.

SOURCE...Doppler radar and automated gauges.

IMPACT...Life threatening flash flooding of areas in and around
         the Walbridge portion of the LNU Lightning Complex Burn
         Area.

Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
  mainly rural areas of North Central Sonoma County

This is a life threatening situation for people in or near the 
Walbridge Fire burn area. Some drainage basins impacted include...
Miller Creek and Redwood Log Creek.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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.

This is a life-threatening situation.  If you observe movement of 
soils move to higher ground immediately.

&&

LAT...LON 3859 12306 3860 12310 3866 12312 3867 12309
      3868 12310 3869 12308 3871 12308 3869 12300
      3865 12296 3865 12297 3864 12294 3860 12291
      3859 12294 3857 12289 3853 12295 3854 12298
      3855 12297 3854 12303

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR AND GAUGE INDICATED
FLASH FLOOD DAMAGE THREAT...CONSIDERABLE
EXPECTED RAINFALL...1-2 INCHES IN 1 HOUR AND 30 MINUTES

$$

MTR
312 
WGUS76 KMTR 270655
FFSMTR

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service San Francisco CA
1055 PM PST Tue Jan 26 2021

CAC097-270705-
/O.EXP.KMTR.FF.W.0001.000000T0000Z-210127T0700Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Sonoma CA-
1055 PM PST Tue Jan 26 2021

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR THE WALBRIDGE PORTION OF THE LNU 
LIGHTNING COMPLEX BURN AREA WILL EXPIRE AT 11 PM PST THIS EVENING 
FOR NORTH CENTRAL SONOMA COUNTY...

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

A Flash Flood Watch remains in effect until 400 PM PST Thursday for 
a portion of western California.

LAT...LON 3859 12306 3860 12310 3866 12312 3867 12309
      3868 12310 3869 12308 3871 12308 3869 12300
      3865 12296 3865 12297 3864 12294 3860 12291
      3859 12294 3857 12289 3853 12295 3854 12298
      3855 12297 3854 12303

$$

BB

The office that day

Everything else NWS San Francisco Bay Area, CA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 26, 10:22 PM PSTAreal Flood AdvisoryMTRMarin, Napa, Sonoma4 hr
Jan 26, 10:56 PM PSTFlash Flood Warning Considerable damage threatMTRSan Mateo, Santa Cruz4 hr
Jan 26, 11:18 PM PSTAreal Flood AdvisoryMTRAlameda, City and County of San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara4 hr
Jan 26, 11:46 PM PSTSpecial Marine WarningMTR14 min
Jan 27, 1:31 AM PSTFlash Flood Warning Considerable damage threatMTRMonterey3 hr
Jan 27, 1:38 AM PSTFlash Flood Warning Considerable damage threatMTRMonterey14 hr
Jan 27, 1:45 AM PSTFlash Flood Warning Considerable damage threatMTRMonterey3 hr
Jan 27, 2:06 AM PSTSpecial Marine WarningMTR24 min
Jan 27, 2:18 AM PSTAreal Flood AdvisoryMTRMonterey, Santa Cruz117 min
Jan 27, 2:23 AM PSTGale WarningMTR3 hr
Jan 27, 2:23 AM PSTSmall Craft AdvisoryMTR55 hr
Jan 27, 5:27 AM PSTGale WarningMTR21 hr
Jan 27, 12:03 PM PSTFlash Flood Warning Considerable damage threatMTRMonterey3 hr
Jan 27, 12:05 PM PSTFlash Flood WarningMTRMonterey3 hr
Jan 27, 12:33 PM PSTFlash Flood WarningMTRSan Mateo, Santa Cruz6 hr
Jan 27, 12:53 PM PSTSpecial Marine WarningMTR52 min
Jan 27, 2:11 PM PSTAreal Flood AdvisoryMTRAlameda, Monterey, San Benito, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz5 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in California, 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.