Alert archive / California / Flash Flood Warnings in 2023

Flash Flood Warning 13, NWS Las Vegas, NV

May 20, 2023Inyo County, California

NWS Las Vegas, NV issued this flash flood warning at May 20, 2023, 6:28 PM PDT for Inyo County, California. It was in force for 3 hr. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
May 20, 2023, 6:28 PM PDT (01:28 UTC)
Expired
May 20, 2023, 9:30 PM PDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Las Vegas, NV
Area
Storm-based polygon
Damage threat
Considerable
Flood severity
None

County Inyo County, CA

The radar

The Edwards AFB radar (KEYX), 150 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:28 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.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 20, 7:10 PM PDTFLASH FLOOD1 Se Furnace Creek, CACALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL REPORTS MULTIPLE VEHICLES STUCK IN OR NEAR ARTISTS PALETTE IN DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

Las Vegas, NV (KVEF), launched 00:00Z, 1.5 hours before the alert went out and 121 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 00:00Z on 2023-05-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 243 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 00:00Z on 2023-05-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 3 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
243 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-24 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
3050 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
16 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
3 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
19 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

291 
WGUS55 KVEF 210128
FFWVEF
CAC027-210430-
/O.NEW.KVEF.FF.W.0013.230521T0128Z-230521T0430Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Las Vegas NV
628 PM PDT Sat May 20 2023

The National Weather Service in Las Vegas has issued a

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

* Until 930 PM PDT.

* At 628 PM PDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing 
  heavy rain across the Death Valley National Park from Furnace 
  Creek to Badwater Basin. 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, normally dry washes and roads.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
  Furnace Creek, Badwater Road.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

LAT...LON 3647 11687 3641 11672 3632 11677 3608 11677
      3604 11697 3634 11706 3649 11704

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

$$

JA
2 follow-up statements
244 
WGUS75 KVEF 210257
FFSVEF

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Las Vegas NV
757 PM PDT Sat May 20 2023

CAC027-210430-
/O.CON.KVEF.FF.W.0013.000000T0000Z-230521T0430Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Inyo CA-
757 PM PDT Sat May 20 2023

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 930 PM PDT THIS 
EVENING FOR SOUTH CENTRAL INYO COUNTY...

At 757 PM PDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms were 
dissipating over the area between Furnace Creek and Badwater Basin 
in Death Valley National Park. However, heavy rain that fell between 
6 pm and 7 pm will produce ongoing flash flooding until at least 930 
pm. CHP reported that multiple vehicles were stuck near Artist 
Palette due to flooding.

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

SOURCE...Radar.

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

Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
  Badwater Road and secondary roads between Furnace Creek and 
  Badwater Basin.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

LAT...LON 3647 11687 3641 11672 3632 11677 3608 11677
      3604 11697 3634 11706 3649 11704

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

$$

JA
250 
WGUS75 KVEF 210426
FFSVEF

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Las Vegas NV
926 PM PDT Sat May 20 2023

CAC027-210436-
/O.EXP.KVEF.FF.W.0013.000000T0000Z-230521T0430Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Inyo CA-
926 PM PDT Sat May 20 2023

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 930 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR 
SOUTH CENTRAL INYO COUNTY...

Flood waters have receded from the earlier heavy rain between 
Furnace Creek and Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park. 
Flooding is no longer expected to pose a threat. Please continue to 
heed remaining road closures.

LAT...LON 3647 11687 3641 11672 3632 11677 3608 11677
      3604 11697 3634 11706 3649 11704

$$

JA

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 20, 7:12 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningVEFSan Bernardino63 min
May 21, 11:46 AM PDTAreal Flood AdvisoryVEFSan Bernardino3 hr
May 21, 1:00 PM PDTAreal Flood AdvisoryVEFSan Bernardino3 hr
May 21, 3:41 PM PDTAreal Flood AdvisoryVEFSan Bernardino3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in California, 2023Every flash flood warning in 2023

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.