Flash Flooding and Flooding in Iowa, September 6 to 8, 2015

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
305 PM CDT SUN SEP 6 2015

.SHORT TERM /TONIGHT/...
ISSUED AT 305 PM CDT SUN SEP 6 2015

STILL SOME UNCERTAINTY ABOUT EVOLUTION OF SYSTEM TONIGHT. VARIOUS
MODEL SOLUTIONS BEGINNING TO EITHER POINT TOWARD SLIGHTLY MORE
PROGRESSIVE EVOLUTION OF CONVECTION OVERNIGHT...OR SLIGHTLY MORE
NORTH PLACEMENT OF MAX.

SO FAR CONVECTIVE TRENDS HAVE BEEN RAMPING UP SLOWLY DUE TO H700
TEMPS SITTING ABOVE 11-12C THIS AFTERNOON. BUT AS FRONT ENTERS
NW/W IA EARLY THIS EVENING AND AREA BECOMES UNCAPPED AND H700
TEMPS COOL A COUPLE OF DEGREES...A RAPID INCREASE IN STORMS SHOULD
OCCUR BETWEEN 4 PM AND 7 PM. DESPITE THE EXPECTED MODEL
UNCERTAINTY...WE ARE IN NEAR RECORD TERRITORY FOR AVAILABLE
ATMOSPHERIC MOISTURE FOR EARLY SEPTEMBER. THIS IS DUE IN PART TO A
PROLONGED FETCH OF GULF MOISTURE WHICH IS FEEDING NORTHEAST INTO
THE CENTRAL PLAINS AND GREAT LAKES. SECONDLY...A TROPICAL
CONNECTION FROM THE SOUTHWEST US THAT RESULTED IN AN OLD TROPICAL
SYSTEM EARLIER IN THE WEEK OFF THE COAST OF BAJA MEXICO BEING
INGESTED IN THE MID TO UPPER LEVEL FLOW. PWAT VALUES WILL BE
APPROACHING 2 TO 2.25 INCHES BETWEEN 00-06Z TONIGHT PLACING OUR
VALUES IN THE 99TH/100TH PERCENTILE AND OVER 3 SDEV ABOVE NORMAL
FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. WARM CLOUD DEPTHS ARE NEAR 14.5KFT WHICH IS
EXTREMELY DEEP. THERE REMAIN NUMEROUS FACTORS SUPPORTING
EFFICIENT/HIGH RAINFALL RATES THIS EVENING...AND LOOKING
AHEAD...AGAIN MONDAY NIGHT. BACK TO THE MODELS...CONSECUTIVE RUNS
OF THE HRRR ARE SHOWING A MORE PROGRESSIVE EVOLUTION TO TONIGHTS
CONVECTION WITH FORWARD PROPAGATING CORFIDI VECTORS ABOUT 20 KTS.
BUT EVEN THIS IS DECEIVING IF RAINFALL RATES ARE 2-3 INCHES PER
HOUR AT TIMES...AND STILL SUGGESTS A QUICK COUPLE OF INCHES OF
RAIN IN THE MORE VIGOROUS CELLS. WITH ANY LOCALIZED
TRAINING...STILL A POTENTIAL FOR ISOLATED 3 TO 4 INCHES AMOUNTS
OVERNIGHT. THE NAM IS LEANING TOWARD THE MORE PROGRESSIVE HRRR
OVERNIGHT WITH THE GFS RAMPING UP CONVECTION BETWEEN 00-06Z ON THE
NOSE OF THE INCREASING LOW LEVEL JET ALONG THE INVERTED TROUGH
WITHIN THE ZONE OF MAXIMUM SFC CONVERGENCE. THE QPF MAX IS
CENTERED OVER HIGHWAY 30...ROUGHLY BETWEEN US 20/I80 FROM GREENE
TO MARSHALL COUNTIES. WITH THAT ADDED UNCERTAINTY TONIGHT AND THE
POSSIBLE NORTHERLY SHIFT BY 20 MILES OF THE QPF MAX...WILL BE
ADDING ONE ROW OF COUNTIES TO TONIGHTS FFA ALONG US 20. REALIGNING
THE WATCH NOW IS RISKY...DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF THE MODELS ARE
NOT PROPERLY ACCOUNTING FOR A STRONGER OUTFLOW BOUNDARY LATER IN
THE EVENING...WHICH WOULD THEN BE FEEDING OFF AN INCREASING LOW
LEVEL JET OVERNIGHT. THERE MAY ACTUALLY BE TWO FAVORED AREAS OF
HEAVY RAINFALL...EARLIER BETWEEN US20/30 AND LATER ALONG AND SOUTH
OF I80. NONE THE LESS...THE RISK FOR FLASH FLOODING AND SUBSEQUENT
ISSUES REMAINS. TIMING OF THE EVENT SUGGESTS THAT STORMS SHOULD BE
IN FULL SWING BETWEEN 02-09Z WITH ACTIVITY REMAINING STRONG BUT
SLOWLY DIMINISHING BETWEEN 09-13Z MONDAY OVER THE SOUTH/SOUTHEAST.
LOWS TONIGHT WILL FALL TO THE LOWER 70S SOUTH TO NEAR 60 OVER THE
FAR NORTHWEST AS THE COOLER AIR BEGINS TO FILTER INTO THE REGION
TONIGHT. TONIGHTS RAINFALL WILL PRIME THE REGION FOR A MORE
SIGNIFICANT RISK OF FLOODING MONDAY NIGHT AND THIS IS COVERED IN
THE EXTENDED DISCUSSION.

.LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/...
ISSUED AT 305 PM CDT SUN SEP 6 2015

A POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING EVENT MAY BE
SHAPING UP EARLY THIS WEEK.

THE COLD FRONT SAGGING DOWN INTO IOWA TONIGHT...AS DISCUSSED IN
THE SHORT TERM SECTION ABOVE...WILL LIKELY STALL ACROSS SOUTHERN
IOWA BY MONDAY MORNING THEN RETREAT BACK NORTHWARD A BIT TOWARD
CENTRAL IOWA DURING THE DAY. DESTABILIZATION WILL BE LIMITED BY
DEBRIS CLOUDS AND A LACK OF LOW LEVEL WARM AIR ADVECTION OVER
MOST OF THE FORECAST AREA...PLUS THERE WILL BE NO LARGE SCALE
FORCING MECHANISM FOR CONVECTION FOR MOST OF THE DAY. NEVERTHELESS
THE AIRMASS WILL BE JUICED ENOUGH WITH THE BOUNDARY WOBBLING
AROUND THAT LOW POPS ARE MAINTAINED ON MONDAY.

BEGINNING LATE MONDAY AFTERNOON AND ESPECIALLY ON MONDAY NIGHT THE
ATMOSPHERE APPEARS TO BE SETTING UP FOR A SIGNIFICANT...POSSIBLY
EXTREME HEAVY RAINFALL EVENT. ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE NEARLY
STATIONARY FRONTAL ZONE PWAT VALUES WILL BE NEAR RECORDS WITH
SUBSTANTIAL MOISTURE TRANSPORT CONTINUING FROM THE GULF ESPECIALLY
AS THE NOCTURNAL LOW LEVEL JET KICKS IN AFTER DARK.
CONCURRENTLY...A SECOND FAIRLY ROBUST MID LEVEL SHORTWAVE WILL
ROUND THE BASE OF BROAD CYCLONIC FLOW ALOFT AND PROVIDE A TRIGGER
FOR WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. WITH WARM CLOUD DEPTHS IN
EXCESS OF 15 KFT IN FORECAST SOUNDINGS AND THE COMBINATION OF
OTHER FACTORS...WE WILL BE PRIMED FOR VERY EFFICIENT RAINFALL
RATES AND POTENTIALLY TRAINING OR SLOW MOVING STORMS NEAR THE
FRONTAL ZONE. THIS COULD LEAD TO WIDESPREAD RAINFALL AMOUNTS IN
THE 2 TO 3 INCH RANGE WITHIN A BROAD SWATH ACROSS THE AREA...AND
LOCALIZED AMOUNTS OF 6 INCHES OR MORE ARE DEFINITELY CONCEIVABLE.
IN TERMS OF THE FLOODING EFFECTS OF SUCH RAINFALL...MUCH WILL
DEPEND ON WHERE IT FALLS AND WHETHER IT OCCURS IN THE SAME AREA AS
THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL TONIGHT...WHICH IS IN TURN DEPENDENT ON THE
DIFFICULT TO PREDICT MOTIONS AND LOCATION OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY
BY MONDAY EVENING. IT IS LIKELY...IN ANY EVENT...THAT A SECOND
FLASH FLOOD WATCH WILL BE NEEDED AFTER TONIGHTS RAINFALL PANS
OUT...AND THAT IT MAY NEED TO HAVE EVEN STRONGER WORDING FOR THE
POTENTIAL EFFECTS MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING.

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS MAY CONTINUE TO FESTER ACROSS OUR SOUTHERN
COUNTIES ON TUESDAY AS THE FRONTAL ZONE LINGERS NEAR THE
IOWA/MISSOURI BORDER...BUT THEN ANOTHER SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL MOVE
OVERHEAD AROUND TUESDAY EVENING AND FINALLY CLEAR OUT THE WET
AIRMASS TO OUR SOUTH. THIS WILL BRING AN END OF ANY HEAVY RAIN
THREAT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE SEVEN DAY FORECAST...ALONG WITH
NOTABLY COOLER AND DRIER WEATHER ACROSS IOWA. THERE WILL BE A
CHANCE FOR SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS AROUND THURSDAY AS A
REINFORCING COLD FRONT SURGES ACROSS THE STATE...USHERING IN THE
FIRST TRULY AUTUMNAL WEATHER OF THE SEASON AT THE END OF THIS WEEK
WITH FRIDAY HIGHS IN THE 60S AND FRIDAY NIGHT LOWS IN THE 40S
STATEWIDE.

&&

.AVIATION...06/18Z
ISSUED AT 1256 PM CDT SUN SEP 6 2015

WITH THE COLD FRONT APPROACHING IOWA THIS EVENING...CONDITIONS
WILL CONTINUE TO DETERIORATE WITH INCREASING AREAL COVERAGE OF
THUNDERSTORMS FROM 00 TO 06Z ALONG WITH MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL
SOUTH OF US 20 TO THE IOWA MISSOURI BORDER. THOUGH SOME SEVERE
THREAT EXISTS...THE BIGGER THREAT WILL BE SEVERE WIND GUSTS WHICH
MAY ACCOMPANY THE STORMS THAT ROLL THROUGH THE REGION BETWEEN 21Z
AND 02Z. WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE STORMS AFT 04Z NORTHWEST TO 11Z
SOUTHEAST...CIGS WILL DROP TO IFR/MVFR CATEGORIES WITH POTENTIAL
FOR LIFR CIGS AND VSBY. EXPECTING A RECOVERY TO ONLY MVFR
CONDITIONS BETWEEN 14-18Z MON PRIOR TO NEXT UPSTREAM APPROACHING
WAVE. FOR PLANNING PURPOSES...HEAVY RAINFALL/STORM COVERAGE/POOR
CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO RETURN AGAIN AFT 08/00Z TUES FOR MOST SITES
SOUTH OF US20./REV

&&

.HYDROLOGY...
ISSUED AT 305 PM CDT SUN SEP 6 2015

AS REFERENCED IN THE PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS...TWO HEAVY
RAINFALL EVENTS ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING WITH
THE FOCUS FROM NORTH CENTRAL TO SOUTHERN IOWA. WIDESPREAD RAINFALL
AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 3 INCHES ARE EXPECTED WITH AMOUNTS EXCEEDING 5
INCHES POSSIBLE DURING THIS PERIOD. MONDAY NIGHTS EVENT IS STILL
EXPECTED TO BE OF GREATER MAGNITUDE...SO SOME REEVALUATION OF THE
WATCH OUTLINE WILL OCCUR BETWEEN THIS EVENING AND TOMORROW
MORNING AFTER TONIGHTS RAINFALL REPORTS ARE GATHERED. IN BOTH
EVENTS...EFFICIENT RAIN PRODUCING STORMS WILL PRODUCE HEAVY
RAINFALL OVER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. SIGNIFICANT RUNOFF AND/OR
PONDING OF WATER IS LIKELY IN SOME AREAS LEADING TO A FLASH FLOOD
THREAT. THE EVENT MAY EVOLVE INTO A RIVER FLOODING THREAT THROUGH
MID TO LATE WEEK AS THE RUNOFF REACHES THE LARGER STREAMS. THE
MAGNITUDE OF RIVER FLOODING ON ANY GIVEN MAINSTEM RIVER WILL
DEPEND ON BOTH RAINFALL AMOUNTS AND BASIN COVERAGE IN THE NEXT 48
TO 60 HOURS.

&&

.DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING THROUGH MONDAY
MORNING FOR ADAIR-ADAMS-APPANOOSE-AUDUBON-BLACK HAWK-BOONE-CASS-
CLARKE-DALLAS-DAVIS-DECATUR-GREENE-GRUNDY-GUTHRIE-HAMILTON-
HARDIN-JASPER-LUCAS-MADISON-MAHASKA-MARION-MARSHALL-MONROE-POLK-
POWESHIEK-RINGGOLD-STORY-TAMA-TAYLOR-UNION-WAPELLO-WARREN-WAYNE.

&&

SHORT TERM...REV
LONG TERM...LEE
AVIATION...REV
HYDROLOGY...REV

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
331 PM CDT SUN SEP 6 2015

IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>035-044-045-071100-
EMMET-KOSSUTH-WINNEBAGO-WORTH-PALO ALTO-HANCOCK-CERRO GORDO-
POCAHONTAS-HUMBOLDT-WRIGHT-FRANKLIN-BUTLER-BREMER-SAC-CALHOUN-
WEBSTER-CRAWFORD-CARROLL-
331 PM CDT SUN SEP 6 2015

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH
TONIGHT. A FEW SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE WITH DAMAGING WIND
GUSTS TO 60 MPH AND QUARTER SIZED HAIL THE PRIMARY THREATS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE DURING THE DAY ON MONDAY...THEN MORE
LIKELY MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE
POSSIBLE...BUT OTHERWISE THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER IS LOW.

A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE FROM WEDNESDAY NIGHT
INTO THURSDAY. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

IAZ036>039-046>050-057>062-070>075-081>086-092>097-071100-
HAMILTON-HARDIN-GRUNDY-BLACK HAWK-GREENE-BOONE-STORY-MARSHALL-
TAMA-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-POLK-JASPER-POWESHIEK-CASS-ADAIR-
MADISON-WARREN-MARION-MAHASKA-ADAMS-UNION-CLARKE-LUCAS-MONROE-
WAPELLO-TAYLOR-RINGGOLD-DECATUR-WAYNE-APPANOOSE-DAVIS-
331 PM CDT SUN SEP 6 2015

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH
TONIGHT. A FEW SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE WITH DAMAGING WIND GUSTS
TO 60 MPH AND QUARTER SIZED HAIL THE PRIMARY THREATS. LOCALLY
HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO EXPECTED.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA FROM TONIGHT INTO
MONDAY MORNING. PLEASE REFER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/DESMOINES FOR FURTHER DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA FROM TONIGHT INTO
MONDAY MORNING. PLEASE REFER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/DESMOINES FOR FURTHER DETAILS.

THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE DURING THE DAY ON MONDAY...THEN MORE
LIKELY MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY. A FEW STORMS MAY BE
SEVERE WITH STRONG WINDS AND HAIL THE PRIMARY THREATS.
HOWEVER...THE MORE SIGNIFICANT HAZARD FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE
HEAVY RAINFALL AND THE POTENTIAL FOR FLASH FLOODING...ESPECIALLY
ON MONDAY NIGHT.

A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE AROUND THURSDAY.
SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

LEE