Alert archive / California / Flash Flood Warnings in 2025

Flash Flood Warning 55, NWS Las Vegas, NV

August 26, 2025San Bernardino County, California

NWS Las Vegas, NV issued this flash flood warning at Aug 26, 2025, 2:14 PM PDT for San Bernardino County, California. It was in force for 3 hr. 2 reports 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
Aug 26, 2025, 2:14 PM PDT (21:14 UTC)
Expired
Aug 26, 2025, 5:15 PM PDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Las Vegas, NV
Area
Storm-based polygon
Damage threat
Considerable
Flood severity
None

County San Bernardino County, CA

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Aug 26, 3:31 PM PDTFLASH FLOOD3 S Barstow, CAHeavy rain in the area, large rocks and debris in the roadway and flooding across the roadway on SR 247 south of Barstow. Traffic being turned around in either direction.
Aug 26, 3:50 PM PDTFLASH FLOOD1 E Nebo Center, CASignificant water and debris flow across National Trails Highway and Nebo Street. The roadway was not passable.

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

Did it verify

Verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow matched 2 storm reports to this flash flood warning; the first came 77 minutes after it went out.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The nearest sounding before it

Las Vegas, NV (KVEF), launched 12:00Z, 9.2 hours before the alert went out and 209 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 12:00Z on 2025-08-26Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 110 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Las Vegas, NV at 12:00Z on 2025-08-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -22 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
110 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-111 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2057 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
20 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-22 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
15 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

546 
WGUS55 KVEF 262114
FFWVEF
CAC071-270015-
/O.NEW.KVEF.FF.W.0055.250826T2114Z-250827T0015Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Las Vegas NV
Issued by National Weather Service Reno NV
214 PM PDT Tue Aug 26 2025

The National Weather Service in Las Vegas has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
  Western San Bernardino County in southern California...

* Until 515 PM PDT.

* At 214 PM PDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing 
  heavy rain across the warned area. 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...
  Barstow, Daggett, Newberry Springs, Nebo Center and Lenwood.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

LAT...LON 3489 11677 3490 11647 3474 11651 3480 11726
      3481 11725 3489 11708 3490 11698

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

$$

EL/BP
1 follow-up statement
994 
WGUS75 KVEF 262248
FFSVEF

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Las Vegas NV
Issued by National Weather Service Reno NV
348 PM PDT Tue Aug 26 2025

CAC071-270015-
/O.CON.KVEF.FF.W.0055.000000T0000Z-250827T0015Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
San Bernardino CA-
348 PM PDT Tue Aug 26 2025

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 515 PM PDT THIS 
AFTERNOON FOR WESTERN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY...

At 348 PM PDT, local law enforcement reported thunderstorms 
producing heavy rain across the warned area. Flash flooding is 
ongoing or expected to begin shortly.

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

SOURCE...CHP reported large rocks and debris on SR-247 south of
         Barstow.

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

Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
  Barstow, Daggett, Newberry Springs, Nebo Center and Lenwood.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

LAT...LON 3489 11677 3490 11647 3474 11651 3480 11726
      3481 11725 3489 11708 3490 11698

FLASH FLOOD...OBSERVED
FLASH FLOOD DAMAGE THREAT...CONSIDERABLE

$$

EL/BP

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Las Vegas, NV wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Aug 26, 10:52 AM PDT, 3 hours 22 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • * Widespread showers and thunderstorms expected across the forecast area today, with best chances of flash flooding beneath training storms or storms anchored to high terrain as well as across Inyo, Esmeralda, and central Nye counties. * Shower and thunderstorm potential gradually decreases throughout the remainder of the work week, allowing for persistent below- normal afternoon temperatures.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 26, 10:52 AM PDT, 3 hours 22 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Las Vegas NV
1052 AM PDT Tue Aug 26 2025

.KEY MESSAGES...

* Widespread showers and thunderstorms expected across the forecast
  area today, with best chances of flash flooding beneath training
  storms or storms anchored to high terrain as well as across Inyo,
  Esmeralda, and central Nye counties.

* Shower and thunderstorm potential gradually decreases throughout
  the remainder of the work week, allowing for persistent below-
  normal afternoon temperatures.

&&

.DISCUSSION...Today through Tuesday.

A swath of light-to-moderate rain with isolated embedded
thunderstorms continues to push northward through Mohave County into
Lincoln County this morning. The associated cloud cover will work to
inhibit daytime heating in these areas, thus delaying onset of
convection this afternoon. Today, the region will undergo a minor
pattern shift. To start out the day, anomalous moisture around 200%
of normal will remain over the forecast area from southerly flow and
monsoonal moisture advection due to our proximity to the Four
Corners area of high pressure. Throughout the day, a weak shortwave
trough will approach the southern California coast, which will cut
off our moisture flow, return a dry southwest flow to the region,
and will result in a gradual decrease of PWAT values across the CWA.
That said, this shortwave will bring a couple of dynamic ingredients
to the table, including a 75-85 kt 300mb jet and cyclonic vorticity
advection. These mechanisms will provide the necessary lift to tap
into the leftover moisture and supply the region with widespread
showers and isolated thunderstorms once again. Today's primary
impact will be moderate-to-heavy rain, resulting in instances of
flash flooding. While flash flooding is possible areawide beneath
very strong thunderstorms, training storms, and/or terrain-anchored
storms, the best chances of flash flooding exist over Inyo,
Esmeralda, and central Nye counties which is also where the best
morning cloud clearing will occur. As such, issued a Flash Flood
Watch for today (9 AM to 9 PM) for these areas. Convection will
initially favor the higher terrain before pushing eastward into
nearby valley locations. Though gusty winds cannot be completely
ruled out, chances of severe-level winds (58+ mph) are less likely
than yesterday, with best odds occurring later in the day as
moisture begins to retreat.

Anomalous remnant moisture on Wednesday will allow for the return of
showers and thunderstorms in the late-morning and afternoon, but to
a much lesser areal extent than the last couple of days. Moisture
continues to retreat through the week, with precipitation chances
gradually decreasing heading into the weekend. This moisture and
associated cloud cover will help keep afternoons 5 to 8 degrees
below seasonal normals through the work week, while overnight lows
stay at-or-around normal. Seasonable temperatures expected over the
weekend.
&&

.AVIATION...For Harry Reid...For the 18Z Forecast Package...The
primary aviation concern this forecast period are multiple rounds
of thunderstorms expected to impact the region. While initially,
storms will be focused across the higher terrain, outflow
boundaries are expected to generate additional storms in the Las
Vegas Valley, with frequent lightning, erratic gusty outflow winds
to 30-40KT, and heavy rainfall all possible. Brief reductions to
MVFR/IFR ceilings/visibility can be expected where heavy rain
develops. Initially, a round of thunderstorms is expected this
afternoon, with a brief lull late afternoon/early evening, with a
second round expected to move from west to east across Southern
Nevada through late evening. Ceilings with storms could drop as
low as 6-8kft, though after storms diminish, VFR conditions will
prevail as ceilings lift and scatter out around 10kft. Winds away
from storms/outflow boundaries will generally remain light and
settle into expected diurnal patterns.

For the rest of southern Nevada, northwest Arizona and southeast
California...For the 18Z Forecast Package...Scattered
thunderstorms are expected across the region this afternoon and
evening. Initially, storms will generally be focused across the
higher terrain, and outflow boundaries will help to generate
storms across lower elevations. Erratic gusty outflow winds to
around 30-40KT, MVFR/IFR conditions in heavy rain, and lightning
can be expected in storms that develop. Storm activity will
diminish and move from west to east through late evening, with
less confidence in thunderstorm-related impacts further south
toward the Lower Colorado River Valley/KEED and into northwestern
Arizona. Outflow boundaries will result in variable winds, though
outside of thunderstorm influences, sustained wind speeds are
expected to remain around 10KT or less. Ceilings improve quickly,
becoming FEW- SCT AOA 10kft once thunderstorms end tonight.

&&

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...Spotters are encouraged to report
any significant weather or impacts according to standard operating
procedures.

&&

DISCUSSION...Soulat
AVIATION...Phillipson

For more forecast information...see us on our webpage:
https://weather.gov/lasvegas or follow us on Facebook and Twitter

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 25, 5:01 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningVEFSan Bernardino44 min
Aug 25, 5:19 PM PDTFlash Flood Warning Considerable damage threatVEFInyo, San Bernardino3 hr
Aug 25, 6:43 PM PDTFlash Flood Warning Considerable damage threatVEFInyo3 hr
Aug 25, 7:36 PM PDTFlash Flood Warning Considerable damage threatVEFInyo3 hr
Aug 25, 8:04 PM PDTFlash Flood Warning Considerable damage threatVEFInyo3 hr
Aug 26, 1:53 AM PDTFlood WatchVEFInyo19 hr
Aug 26, 2:54 PM PDTAreal Flood AdvisoryVEFSan Bernardino111 min
Aug 26, 4:06 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningVEFInyo, San Bernardino54 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in California, 2025Every flash flood warning in 2025

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.