Alert archive / Arizona / Flash Flood Warnings in 2021

Flash Flood Warning 170, NWS Tucson, AZ

September 25, 2021Pima County, Pinal County, Arizona

NWS Tucson, AZ issued this flash flood warning at Sep 25, 2021, 6:46 PM MST for Pima County, Pinal 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
Sep 25, 2021, 6:46 PM MST (01:46 UTC)
Expired
Sep 25, 2021, 9:16 PM MST
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Tucson, AZ
Area
Storm-based polygon
Damage threat
Considerable
Flood severity
None

Counties Pima County, AZ, Pinal County, AZ

The radar

The Tucson radar (KEMX), 64 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:46 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 (KTUS), launched 00:00Z, 1.8 hours before the alert went out and 37 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 2021-09-26Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 306 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 2021-09-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -10 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
306 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-34 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2537 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
30 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-10 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
34 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

915 
WGUS55 KTWC 260146
FFWTWC
AZC019-021-260430-
/O.NEW.KTWC.FF.W.0170.210926T0146Z-210926T0430Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
646 PM MST Sat Sep 25 2021

The National Weather Service in Tucson has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
  Northeastern Pima County in southeastern Arizona...
  Southeastern Pinal County in southeastern Arizona...

* Until 930 PM MST.

* At 646 PM MST, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing 
  heavy rain across the warned area. Between 1 and 2 inches of rain 
  have fallen. Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches are 
  possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected 
  to begin shortly.

Excessive rainfall over the burn scar will result in debris flow 
moving through the Big Horn Burn Scar. The debris flow can consist 
of rock, mud, vegetation and other loose materials.

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

  SOURCE...Radar.

  IMPACT...Life threatening flash flooding of creeks and streams,
           urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
  Catalina, Oro Valley, Oracle, Saddlebrooke, San Manuel, Mount 
  Lemmon/Summerhaven, Catalina State Park, Catalina Foothills, Campo 
  Bonito, Redington and Biosphere 2.

This includes the following Flash Flood Prone Locations...
	River Rd at San Pedro River.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

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.

&&

LAT...LON 3259 11086 3260 11066 3265 11046 3249 11046
      3240 11046 3233 11046 3233 11064 3233 11082
      3235 11094 3240 11094 3245 11092 3249 11088

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

$$

MJS
1 follow-up statement
823 
WGUS75 KTWC 260416
FFSTWC

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
916 PM MST Sat Sep 25 2021

AZC019-021-260426-
/O.CAN.KTWC.FF.W.0170.000000T0000Z-210926T0430Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Pima AZ-Pinal AZ-
916 PM MST Sat Sep 25 2021

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS CANCELLED FOR NORTHEASTERN PIMA AND 
SOUTHEASTERN PINAL COUNTIES...

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

LAT...LON 3259 11086 3260 11066 3265 11046 3249 11046
      3240 11046 3233 11046 3233 11064 3233 11082
      3235 11094 3240 11094 3245 11092 3249 11088

$$

MJS

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 25, 5:03 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCCochise3 hr
Sep 25, 6:27 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCCochise, Graham, Pima, Pinal3 hr
Sep 25, 7:17 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCPima3 hr
Sep 26, 11:51 AM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCCochise39 min
Sep 26, 11:57 AM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCCochise28 min
Sep 26, 12:20 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWC40 min
Sep 26, 12:44 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCSanta Cruz46 min
Sep 26, 12:58 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCCochise47 min
Sep 26, 1:21 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWC39 min
Sep 26, 1:40 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPima, Santa Cruz50 min
Sep 26, 2:18 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCSanta Cruz42 min
Sep 26, 2:33 PM MSTAreal Flood AdvisoryTWCPima, Santa Cruz104 min
Sep 26, 2:56 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTWCPima49 min
Sep 26, 3:43 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCSanta Cruz47 min
Sep 26, 4:24 PM MSTSpecial Weather StatementTWCPima51 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.