Alert archive / Washington / Flash Flood Warnings in 2026
Flash Flood Warning 7, NWS Spokane, WA
NWS Spokane, WA issued this flash flood warning at Aug 12, 2026, 3:47 PM PDT for Okanogan County, Washington. 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 12, 2026, 3:47 PM PDT (22:47 UTC)
- Expired
- Aug 12, 2026, 6:19 PM PDT
- In force
- 3 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Spokane, WA
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Flood severity
- None
County Okanogan County, WA
The radar
The Seattle radar (KATX), 156 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:51 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.
Did it verify
Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this flash flood warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.
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
Quillayute State, WA (KUIL), launched 12:00Z, 10.8 hours before the alert went out and 307 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 700 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 26 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -6 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 30 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted.
213
WGUS56 KOTX 122247
FFWOTX
WAC047-130130-
/O.NEW.KOTX.FF.W.0007.260812T2247Z-260813T0130Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Spokane WA
347 PM PDT Wed Aug 12 2026
The National Weather Service in Spokane has issued a
* Flash Flood Warning for...
The Cedar Creek Burn Scar in...
West Central Okanogan County in north central Washington...
* Until 630 PM PDT.
* At 347 PM PDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing
heavy rain over the Cedar Creek Burn Scar. Rain amounts between
0.30 to 0.50 inches has been estimated over the past hour and
additional 0.25 to 0.75 inches is possible in the next few hours,
as additional precipitation moves over the region. Flash flooding
is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.
Excessive rainfall over the warning area will cause mud slides near
steep terrain. The mud slide can consist of rock, mud, vegetation
and other loose materials.
HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms in and around
the burn scar.
SOURCE...Radar.
IMPACT...Flooding of areas in and around the burn scar.
* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
Rural areas of West Central Okanogan County and areas south of
Mazama near State Route 20.
&&
LAT...LON 4859 12042 4850 12028 4842 12026 4842 12029
4845 12032 4842 12034 4846 12040 4845 12048
4846 12046 4849 12050 4850 12041 4852 12049
4854 12048 4854 12054 4858 12054 4857 12060
4860 12059
FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED
$$
Solveig1 follow-up statement
222
WGUS76 KOTX 130119
FFSOTX
Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Spokane WA
619 PM PDT Wed Aug 12 2026
WAC047-130129-
/O.CAN.KOTX.FF.W.0007.000000T0000Z-260813T0130Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Okanogan WA-
619 PM PDT Wed Aug 12 2026
...FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR THE BURN SCAR IS CANCELLED FOR WEST
CENTRAL OKANOGAN COUNTY...
The heavy rain has ended. Flooding is no longer expected to pose a
threat. Please continue to heed remaining road closures.
&&
LAT...LON 4859 12042 4850 12028 4842 12026 4842 12029
4845 12032 4842 12034 4846 12040 4845 12048
4846 12046 4849 12050 4850 12041 4852 12049
4854 12048 4854 12054 4858 12054 4857 12060
4860 12059
$$
JCLEVWhat 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 Spokane, WA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Aug 12, 3:00 PM PDT, 47 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
- Haze and areas of smoke continues, with some improvement possible in some areas due to gusty north to northeast winds into Thursday.
- Red Flag Warning has been issued for scattered showers and thunderstorms through Wednesday evening for portions of Central Washington and into early Thursday morning for portions of Northeast Washington into the Idaho Panhandle.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 12, 3:00 PM PDT, 47 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Spokane WA 300 PM PDT Wed Aug 12 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Haze and areas of smoke continues, with some improvement possible in some areas due to gusty north to northeast winds into Thursday. - Red Flag Warning has been issued for scattered showers and thunderstorms through Wednesday evening for portions of Central Washington and into early Thursday morning for portions of Northeast Washington into the Idaho Panhandle. && .SYNOPSIS... A weather system skirting the region will bring scattered showers and thunderstorms through Wednesday Night to portions of Central and Northeast Washington into the Idaho Panhandle. Most of the region will see drier weather Thursday through the weekend except for a chance of showers and thunderstorms primarily in the mountains. && .DISCUSSION... Tonight: Scattered showers and thunderstorms along the East Slopes of the Cascades and northern mountains will continue to develop into the evening hours due to increased lift and instability with a passing upper level trough. Precipitable water values around 150% of normal and slow storm motion will allow for rain to occur with these storms, which could be locally heavy along the East Slopes of the Cascades and Okanogan Highlands where storm motion is slowest. If a storm goes over a vulnerable burn scar debris flows would be possible and something that will continue to be monitored. Elevated instability over NE WA into the ID Panhandle will allow for some storms to persist into the overnight hours and thus the Red Flag Warning for much of NE WA/N Idaho was extended through 8 AM Thursday. This passing weather system will also allow a backdoor cold front to move in from the north and northeast with gusty winds developing this evening. Several of the high resolution models show widespread gusts of 25-40 MPH developing and thus evening winds were increased. As of 2 PM some of these gusts were already materializing with gusts to around 35 MPH in the Okanogan Valley and 25 MPH around Bonners Ferry. Thursday: As the short wave associated with the upper trough exits large scale lift moves out. However residual moisture and daytime heating is expected to allow isolated showers and thunderstorms to develop over the high terrain, especially along the East Slopes of the Cascades. Friday through Wednesday: Ensemble means show the upper trough retrograding to off the coast putting the Inland NW in a broad south to southwest flow for several days. We will need to closely watch for additional weather disturbances coming through the region. Yet at this time most of these look on the weaker side supporting the chance of daily afternoon and evening thunderstorm chances mainly over the mountains. Regarding smoke: The strong shift in north to northeast this evening, with winds remaining out of the north-northeast into Thursday and Friday may help clear some smoke out of the region, especially over NE Washington and N Idaho. Yet with the potential for new fire starts from lightning this is not a high confidence situation. Several Air Quality agencies have issued Air Quality Alerts and Advisories which remain in effect for several counties. JW && .AVIATION... 18Z TAFs: VFR/MVFR conditions will continue the next 24 hours with areas of smoke and haze. Winds will be breezy through the Cascade gaps including at KEAT. A chance for -shra and -tsra today and tonight, especially across the northern counties, including places like Winthrop, Omak and Colville. Lesser chances at TAF locations and primarily after 00Z for these locations. FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: High confidence in smoke and haze continuing to impact the area terminals, but low confidence in extent of reduced vis/cigs. Alternate scenario near KGEG/KSFF/KCOE, low confidence risk for t-storms after 22-00Z. Outflow winds gusting near 20-30kts possible. ----------------------- Confidence descriptors: Low - Less than a 30 percent chance Moderate - 30 to 70 percent chance High - Greater than a 70 percent chance For additional probabilistic information for NWS Spokane airports, please refer to the Aviation Dashboard on our webpage: https:/www.weather.gov/otx/avndashboard && .Preliminary Point Temps/PoPs... Spokane 55 81 54 83 53 87 / 40 10 0 0 0 0 Coeur d'Alene 55 80 53 82 53 86 / 30 10 0 0 0 0 Pullman 47 82 46 82 47 86 / 0 0 0 0 0 10 Lewiston 60 88 60 87 60 91 / 0 0 10 10 0 20 Colville 44 78 41 81 43 84 / 80 30 10 0 0 0 Sandpoint 47 72 45 77 46 82 / 60 40 10 0 0 0 Kellogg 52 78 51 78 51 83 / 20 30 0 20 0 0 Moses Lake 57 85 58 86 56 89 / 30 0 0 0 0 0 Wenatchee 63 85 65 84 64 87 / 70 10 20 20 10 0 Omak 57 85 57 85 57 88 / 50 10 20 10 0 0 && .OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WA...Air Quality Alert until further notice for Central Chelan County-Lower Garfield and Asotin Counties-Moses Lake Area- Northeast Blue Mountains-Northeast Mountains-Okanogan Highlands- Okanogan Valley-Spokane Area-Upper Columbia Basin-Washington Palouse- Waterville Plateau-Wenatchee Area-Western Chelan County-Western Okanogan County. Red Flag Warning until 8 AM PDT Thursday for Colville Reservation (Zone 702)-Foothills of Northeast Washington (Zone 701)-Okanogan Highlands and Kettle Mountains (Zone 699)-Selkirk Mountains of Northeast Washington (Zone 700). Red Flag Warning until 11 PM PDT this evening for East Portion of North Cascades National Park/Lake Chelan National Recreation Area (Zone 697)-East Washington Central Cascades (Zone 696)-East Washington North Cascades (Zone 698)-Foothills of Central Washington Cascades (Zone 705)- Methow Valley (Zone 704)-Okanogan Valley (Zone 703)- Waterville Plateau (Zone 706). ID...Air Quality Alert until noon PDT Friday for Lewis and Southern Nez Perce Counties-Lewiston Area- Northern Panhandle. Red Flag Warning until 8 AM PDT Thursday for Northern and Central Idaho Panhandle (Zone 101). &&
The office that day
Everything else NWS Spokane, WA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 12, 4:36 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | OTX | Ferry | 39 min |
Nearby
Flash Flood Warnings in Washington, 2026Every flash flood warning in 2026
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.