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Record 24-hour rainfall in Nome, Alaska

By Scott Bachmeier •

MIMIC Total Precipitable Water product [click to play animation | MP4]

MIMIC Total Precipitable Water product [click to play animation | MP4]

The MIMIC Total Precipitable Water (TPW) product (above) showed a northward-moving atmospheric river that was responsible for producing a record 24-hour rainfall amount of 2.47 inches (62.7 mm) ending at 10 pm AKDT on 02 August (06 UTC on 03 August 2019). Some of the poleward transport of moisture was aided by the approach of a Gale Force low (surface analyses).

Blended TPW values reached 2.7 inches near Nome at 1537 UTC on 02 August — and broad areas of TPW greater than 200% of normal (yellow) were seen across the Bering Sea as the atmospheric river approached the Seward Peninsula (below).

Blended Total Precipitable Water and Percent of Normal [click to play animation | MP4]

Blended Total Precipitable Water and Percent of Normal TPW [click to play animation | MP4]

In a plot of surface data from Nome, Alaska over the 02-03 August period (below), heavy rain was reported at 1222 UTC on 02 August.

Time series of surface data from Nome, Alaska [click to enlarge]

Time series of surface data from Nome, Alaska [click to enlarge]

A plot of rawinsonde data from Nome at 12 UTC on 02 August (below) revealed a TPW value of 37.7 mm (1.48 inches), which is among the top 10 TPW amounts on record for that site.

Plot of rawinsonde data from Nome at 12 UTC on 02 August [click to enlarge]

Plot of rawinsonde data from Nome at 12 UTC on 02 August [click to enlarge]

Categories: Heavy rain / flooding, Microwave