• Flood Potential CA/NV

    From Mike Powell@618:250/1 to All on Wed Jul 2 08:52:00 2025
    AWUS01 KWNH 021237
    FFGMPD
    AZZ000-UTZ000-NVZ000-CAZ000-021800-

    Mesoscale Precipitation Discussion 0571
    NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
    836 AM EDT Wed Jul 02 2025

    Areas affected...High Deserts of California and Nevada

    Concerning...Heavy rainfall...Flash flooding possible

    Valid 021235Z - 021800Z

    Summary...Showers and thunderstorms blossoming across the High
    Deserts of the Southwest will continue through the morning.
    Despite fast motion, rainfall rates of 0.5"/hr could result in
    instances of flash flooding.

    Discussion...The regional radar mosaic this morning shows rapidly
    expanding showers and embedded thunderstorms blossoming across
    southeast CA and southern NV. These storms are developing despite
    modest instability (SPC RAP analysis 500 J/kg of MUCAPE) but with
    a steady increasing trend noted. This instability is overlapping
    with PWs that are as high as 0.8 to 1.2 inches, or above the 90th
    percentile for the date. Offsetting the modest thermodynamics,
    forcing for ascent is increasing downstream of a strengthening
    upper trough digging across CA leaving height falls and spokes of
    vorticity/PVA across the Southwest, collocated with a low-level
    convergence axis on the periphery of an 850mb moisture surge out
    of Arizona. This ascent is helping to cause the rapid increase in
    convective coverage this morning.

    Rainfall rates have been estimated via KESX to be as high as
    0.5"/hr at times, which despite rapid storm motions on 850-300mb
    mean winds of 20-25 kts from the south, has produced 3-hr rainfall
    according to MRMS of up to 0.75 inches. As the ascent continues to
    maximize through the morning downstream of the upper trough, the
    low-level flow surges higher moisture northeast, and instability
    climbs through the morning, activity should expand and intensify.
    Although the CAMs are struggling with the coverage and intensity
    of ongoing convection, the environment suggests that storms should
    continue for several more hours, and the HRRR-forced UA WRF
    indicates rain rates will continue at as much as 0.5"/hr through
    this aftn with a slow northward advance of heavy rainfall. At the
    same time, convection will likely build repeatedly into the
    greater thermodynamics over the High Deserts of CA, with lines of
    storms training south to north producing locally as much as 1.5"
    of rain.

    These impressive rain rates will move across soils that are
    saturated above the 90th percentile with respect to 0-40cm depths
    according to NASA SPoRT. While impacts due to this rainfall are
    likely to be isolated and focused across any sensitive terrain
    features or urban areas, where any longer-duration training can
    occur through the next several hours, instances of flash flooding
    are possible.

    Weiss

    ATTN...WFO...HNX...LKN...PSR...SGX...SLC...VEF...

    ATTN...RFC...RSA...STR...NWC...

    LAT...LON 38391576 38031475 37381394 36081394 34941409
    34231431 33861470 33831530 33981583 34391647
    34911710 35691768 36621780 37941705

    $$
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