• Flood Risk Arizona

    From Mike Powell@618:250/10 to All on Thu Sep 24 08:10:06 2026
    AWUS01 KWNH 241211
    FFGMPD
    AZZ000-241630-

    Mesoscale Precipitation Discussion 1373
    NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
    810 AM EDT Thu Sep 24 2026

    Areas affected...Southwest to West-Central Arizona...

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

    Valid 241210Z - 241630Z

    SUMMARY...Slow moving clusters of thunderstorms capable of
    1-1.25"/hr and spots of 1.5-2" totals pose localized flash
    flooding through early morning.

    DISCUSSION...GOES WV suite shows a compact shortwave along the
    southern AZ, NW Sonora border aiding an outflow channel/jet streak
    across western AZ but with weakening convective activity near the
    core has resulted in a northward shift providing increased
    entrance region divergence across west-central AZ. VWP shows
    700mb convergent anti-cyclonic flow across the same general region
    but with 25kts noted at KESX and KFSX slowing through the the area
    of concern; this while surface to 850mb flow is weak but highly
    confluent out of the Sun Valley westward toward the eastern
    portions of the Lower Colorado River Valley. CIRA LPW notes a
    narrow stripe of overlap of enhanced 850-700 and 700-500mb layer
    across La Paz to northern Maricopa county locally reaching 1-1.25"
    of total PWats; so moisture flux convergence below cloud base
    supports the 700mb cloud base inflow for increased rainfall
    production, especially given that 700mb flow is about 10-15kts
    stronger than expected/forecast in most hi-res CAMs.

    RAP also denotes this cluster of convective development across S
    Yavapai/NE La Paz/NW Maricopa county shows some recent erosion of
    the weak cap on a 500-750 J/kg MUCAPE to feed the solid vertical
    ascent (enhanced by the aforementioned divergence aloft). The
    overlap of these elements has been sufficient but highly
    conditional, hence why there is limited support in
    evolution/development in the hi-res CAMs. However, using
    forecast fields from the RAP/HRRR combined with current trends,
    suggests a few hours of additional maintenance is probable, in the
    entrance region to the jet outflow. Slow south to
    south-southwestward propagation is likely given the placement of
    the 700-500mb anticyclonic flow and may even encourage some
    localized cell mergers. So with rates up to 1-1.25" possible
    given this environment/localized mergers. Scattered spots of
    1.5-2" are not out of the realm of possibility. Given these rates
    and totals are in the range of 1-3hr FFG values and spots of
    rocky/limited soil for infiltation an incident or two of
    focused/localized flash flooding is possible over the next few
    hours.

    Gallina


    ATTN...WFO...FGZ...PSR...VEF...

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

    LAT...LON 34591340 34421239 33701203 33111231 32911291
    33021383 33531421 34011414 34381395

    $$
    --- MultiMail/DOS
    * Origin: capitolcityonline.net * KY, USA (618:250/10)