Alert archive / Florida / Red Flag Warnings in 2006
Red Flag Warning 65, NWS Tampa Bay, FL
NWS Tampa Bay, FL issued this red flag warning at May 18, 2006, 4:54 AM EDT for 5 counties in Florida. It took effect at May 18, 2006, 1:00 PM EDT. It was in force for 7 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- May 18, 2006, 4:54 AM EDT (08:54 UTC)
- In effect from
- May 18, 2006, 1:00 PM EDT
- Expired
- May 18, 2006, 8:00 PM EDT
- In force
- 7 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Tampa Bay, FL
Counties DeSoto County, FL, Hardee County, FL, Highlands County, FL, Polk County, FL, Sumter County, FL
The radar
The Tampa radar (KTBW), 64 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:55 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.
The nearest sounding before it
Tampa Bay, FL (KTBW), launched 00:00Z, 8.9 hours before the alert went out and 64 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
- 11 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -11 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1543 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 56 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -36 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- -12 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 WWUS82 KTBW 180854 RFWTBW RED FLAG WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 454 AM EDT THU MAY 18 2006 ......RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA FOR FOUR OR MORE HOURS OF RELATIVE HUMIDITY BELOW 35 PERCENT... .HIGH PRESSURE AND A DRY AIRMASS WILL REMAIN OVER THE AREA TODAY...RESULTING IN 4 OR MORE HOURS OF RELATIVE HUMIDITY BELOW 35 PERCENT ACROSS PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. FLZ052-056-057-061-062-065-190000- /O.NEW.KTBW.FW.W.0065.060518T1700Z-060519T0000Z/ POLK-HARDEE-HIGHLANDS-DE SOTO-CHARLOTTE-LEE- 454 AM EDT THU MAY 18 2006 ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING. HIGH PRESSURE AND AN ASSOCIATED DRY AIRMASS WILL REMAIN OVER THE AREA TODAY. IN ADDITION...DRY AIR ALOFT WILL MIX DOWN TO THE SURFACE THIS AFTERNOON...ALONG WITH GUSTY WEST WINDS. THESE CONDITIONS WILL RESULT IN DANGEROUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS TODAY...WITH THE THE RISK FOR RAPID SPREAD OF WILD FIRES. A RED FLAG WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN VERY FAVORABLE CONDITIONS FOR THE SPREAD OF WILDFIRE ARE OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL OCCUR WITHIN 24 HOURS. $$
3 follow-up statements
000 WWUS82 KTBW 181743 RFWTBW RED FLAG WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 143 PM EDT THU MAY 18 2006 ......RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA FOR FOUR OR MORE HOURS OF RELATIVE HUMIDITY BELOW 35 PERCENT... ...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON FOR PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA FOR FOUR OR MORE HOURS OF RELATIVE HUMIDITY BELOW 35 PERCENT... .HIGH PRESSURE AND A DRY AIRMASS WILL REMAIN OVER THE AREA TODAY...RESULTING IN 4 OR MORE HOURS OF RELATIVE HUMIDITY BELOW 35 PERCENT ACROSS PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. FLZ052-056-057-061-062-065-190000- /O.NEW.KTBW.FW.A.0051.060519T1700Z-060520T0000Z/ /O.CON.KTBW.FW.W.0065.000000T0000Z-060519T0000Z/ POLK-HARDEE-HIGHLANDS-DE SOTO-CHARLOTTE-LEE- 143 PM EDT THU MAY 18 2006 ...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING... ...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL HAS ISSUED A FIRE WEATHER WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING. A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING. HIGH PRESSURE AND AN ASSOCIATED DRY AIRMASS WILL REMAIN OVER THE AREA THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. IN ADDITION...DRY AIR ALOFT WILL MIX DOWN TO THE SURFACE THIS AFTERNOON AND FRIDAY...ALONG WITH GUSTY WEST WINDS. THESE CONDITIONS WILL RESULT IN DANGEROUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS TODAY AND FRIDAY...WITH THE THE RISK FOR RAPID SPREAD OF WILD FIRES. A RED FLAG WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN VERY FAVORABLE CONDITIONS FOR THE SPREAD OF WILDFIRE ARE OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL OCCUR WITHIN 24 HOURS. PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE OFFICIALS OR FIRE CREWS IN THE FIELD. $$
000 WWUS82 KTBW 181850 RFWTBW RED FLAG WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 250 PM EDT THU MAY 18 2006 ......RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA FOR FOUR OR MORE HOURS OF RELATIVE HUMIDITY BELOW 35 PERCENT... ...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON FOR PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA FOR FOUR OR MORE HOURS OF RELATIVE HUMIDITY BELOW 35 PERCENT... .HIGH PRESSURE AND A DRY AIRMASS WILL REMAIN OVER THE AREA TODAY...RESULTING IN 4 OR MORE HOURS OF RELATIVE HUMIDITY BELOW 35 PERCENT ACROSS PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA THESE LOW HUMIDITY VALUES ALONG WITH SURFACE WINDS AROUND 15 MPH WILL INCREASE THE SPREAD OF ANY FIRE THAT MAY START WITHIN THE RED FLAG WARNING AREA THE REMAINDER OF TODAY. FLZ043-190000- /O.EXA.KTBW.FW.W.0065.000000T0000Z-060519T0000Z/ SUMTER- 250 PM EDT THU MAY 18 2006 ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING. HIGH PRESSURE AND AN ASSOCIATED DRY AIRMASS WILL REMAIN OVER THE AREA THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. IN ADDITION...DRY AIR ALOFT WILL MIX DOWN TO THE SURFACE THIS AFTERNOON AND FRIDAY...ALONG WITH GUSTY WEST WINDS. THESE CONDITIONS WILL RESULT IN DANGEROUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS TODAY AND FRIDAY...WITH THE THE RISK FOR RAPID SPREAD OF WILD FIRES. A RED FLAG WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN VERY FAVORABLE CONDITIONS FOR THE SPREAD OF WILDFIRE ARE OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL OCCUR WITHIN 24 HOURS. PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE OFFICIALS OR FIRE CREWS IN THE FIELD. $$ FLZ052-056-057-061-062-065-190000- /O.CON.KTBW.FW.W.0065.000000T0000Z-060519T0000Z/ /O.CON.KTBW.FW.A.0051.060519T1700Z-060520T0000Z/ POLK-HARDEE-HIGHLANDS-DE SOTO-CHARLOTTE-LEE- 250 PM EDT THU MAY 18 2006 ...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING... ...FIRE WEATHER WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING... A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING. A FIRE WEATHER WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING. HIGH PRESSURE AND AN ASSOCIATED DRY AIRMASS WILL REMAIN OVER THE AREA THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. IN ADDITION...DRY AIR ALOFT WILL MIX DOWN TO THE SURFACE THIS AFTERNOON AND FRIDAY...ALONG WITH GUSTY WEST WINDS. THESE CONDITIONS WILL RESULT IN DANGEROUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS TODAY AND FRIDAY...WITH THE THE RISK FOR RAPID SPREAD OF WILD FIRES. A RED FLAG WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN VERY FAVORABLE CONDITIONS FOR THE SPREAD OF WILDFIRE ARE OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL OCCUR WITHIN 24 HOURS. PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE OFFICIALS OR FIRE CREWS IN THE FIELD. $$ JCM
000 WWUS82 KTBW 190005 RFWTBW RED FLAG WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 805 PM EDT THU MAY 18 2006 ...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON FOR PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA FOR FOUR OR MORE HOURS OF RELATIVE HUMIDITY BELOW 35 PERCENT... .HIGH PRESSURE AND A DRY AIRMASS WILL REMAIN OVER THE AREA FRIDAY...RESULTING IN 4 OR MORE HOURS OF RELATIVE HUMIDITY BELOW 35 PERCENT ACROSS PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. THESE LOW HUMIDITY VALUES ALONG WITH SURFACE WINDS AROUND 15 MPH WILL INCREASE THE SPREAD OF ANY FIRE THAT MAY START WITHIN THE RED FLAG WARNING AREA. FLZ052-056-057-061-062-065-191130- /O.EXP.KTBW.FW.W.0065.000000T0000Z-060519T0000Z/ /O.CON.KTBW.FW.A.0051.060519T1700Z-060520T0000Z/ POLK-HARDEE-HIGHLANDS-DE SOTO-CHARLOTTE-LEE- 805 PM EDT THU MAY 18 2006 ...RED FLAG WARNING HAS EXPIRED... ...FIRE WEATHER WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING FOR 4 OR MORE HOURS OF RELATIVE HUMIDITIES BELOW 35 PERCENT... THE RED FLAG WARNING IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. A FIRE WEATHER WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING. HIGH PRESSURE AND AN ASSOCIATED DRY AIRMASS WILL REMAIN OVER THE AREA THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. IN ADDITION...DRY AIR ALOFT WILL MIX DOWN TO THE SURFACE AGAIN ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON...ALONG WITH GUSTY WEST WINDS. THESE CONDITIONS WILL RESULT IN DANGEROUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS...WITH THE THE RISK FOR RAPID SPREAD OF WILD FIRES. PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE OFFICIALS OR FIRE CREWS IN THE FIELD. $$ FLZ043-190115- /O.EXP.KTBW.FW.W.0065.000000T0000Z-060519T0000Z/ SUMTER- 805 PM EDT THU MAY 18 2006 ...RED FLAG WARNING HAS EXPIRED... THE RED FLAG WARNING IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. $$
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this red flag warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Tampa Bay, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before this red flag warning went out at May 18, 3:59 AM EDT, 55 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 18, 3:59 AM EDT, 55 minutes before
WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY RUSKIN FL
359 AM EDT THU MAY 18 2006
.UPDATE...TO FIRE WEATHER...JUST A QUICK NOTE TO SAY WE HAVE
DECIDED TO GO WITH A RED FLAG WARNING FOR THE INTERIOR. THE
COUNTIES INCLUDED WILL BE POLK...HIGHLANDS...HARDEE...DESOTO...
CHARLOTTE AND LEE COUNTIES. THE BEST CHANCE OF SEEING RED FLAG
CONDITIONS WILL BE IN HIGHLANDS COUNTY WHERE DRIEST AIR WILL BE.
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... (ISSUED 226 AM EDT THU MAY 18 2006)
SHORT TERM (TODAY-SAT)...DEEP MID-LEVEL TROUGH OVER THE EASTERN
GULF WILL LIFT EVER SO SLOWLY OUT TO THE NORTH AND EAST. THIS
ALLOWS H5 RIDGING TO BUILD BACK OVER THE PENINSULA BY SATURDAY.
MEANWHILE...SURFACE RIDGE STRETCHING FROM THE WESTERN GULF...
EASTWARD TO THE FLORIDA PENINSULA TODAY WILL CONTINUE TO
STRENGTHEN AND SLIDE EAST. BY SATURDAY...SURFACE PRESSURES ARE
CLIMBING BACK TO NEAR 1018 MB WITH THE AXIS OF THE RIDGE SETTLING
IN OVER THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE STATE. THIS PATTERN WILL RESULT
IN MILD DRY CONDITIONS TODAY TRANSITIONING TO WARMER AND SLIGHTLY
MORE HUMID CONDITIONS BY SATURDAY. WARM AND VERY DRY AIR WILL BE
MOVING IN ALOFT AS THE RIDGING SETS IN WHICH WILL KEEP RAIN
CHANCES NEAR ZERO THROUGH THE PERIOD.
LONG TERM (SAT NGT-WED)...HIGH PRES WILL BE THE STORY SAT NT THRU
SUNDAY GIVING US WARM AND DRY WX FOR LATE WEEKEND. BY MONDAY A MID
LEVEL WEAKNESS WILL COMBINE WITH SOME LOW LEVEL MOISTURE MOVING UP
FROM THE SOUTH TO GIVE US INCREASED CLOUDINESS AND VERY SLIGHT
CHANCE FOR SHOWERS...MAINLY ACROSS OUR SOUTHERN ZONES. LATEST GFS
NOW SHOWS THE AFOREMENTIONED WEAKNESS CONNECTING WITH THE LONG WAVE
TROF OFF THE EAST COAST AND THE DEEPER MOISTURE SINKING BACK SOUTH
AGAIN AFTER MONDAY...WITH SFC HIGH PRES REMAINING IN CONTROL OF OUR WX
RIGHT THRU THE REST OF THE LONG TERM PERIOD. AS SUCH...WILL KEEP THE
FORECAST WARM AND MAINLY DRY TUE-WED...WITH BEST CHANCE FOR ANY
ISOLD SHOWER ACTIVITY ALONG OUR SOUTHERN MOST ZONES CLOSER TO THE
DEEPER MOISTURE.
MARINE...BUOY 42036 HAS BEEN RUNNING RIGHT AROUND 15 KNOTS WITH
SEAS BETWEEN 3 AND 4 FEET. EXPECT THESE CONDITIONS TO PRETTY MUCH
PERSIST FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS...THEN THE SURFACE RIDGE MOVES
OVERHEAD AND WINDS AND SEAS BECOME EVEN LIGHTER.
AVIATION...SCAT MID CLOUDS MOVING ACROSS THE AREA ATTM. LCL SCAT
STRATO CU MAY DEVELOP TOWARD SUNRISE...BUT WILL THEN LIFT DURING THE
LATE MORNING WITH HEATING. AFTERNOON WEST WINDS MAY BECOME A LITTLE
GUSTY (UP TO 15KT OR SO)...BUT OVERALL EXPECTING VFR CONDITIONS THRU
THE DAY.
FIRE WEATHER...SEE UPDATE ABOVE.
&&
.TBW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FL...RED FLAG WARNING FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 PM EDT THIS
EVENING FOR CHARLOTTE-DE SOTO-HARDEE-HIGHLANDS-LEE-POLK.
GULF WATERS...NONE.
&&
SHORT TERM/MARINE....JILLSON
LONG TERM/AVIATION...PETROHazardous weather outlook, May 18, 4:51 AM EDT, 3 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 451 AM EDT THU MAY 18 2006 FLZ039-042-043-048>051-055-060-181500- LEVY-CITRUS-SUMTER-HERNANDO-PASCO-PINELLAS-HILLSBOROUGH-MANATEE- SARASOTA- 451 AM EDT THU MAY 18 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT WARM AND DRY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TODAY. SOME AREAS WELL AWAY FROM THE GULF COAST MAY SEE CRITICAL RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES FOR ONE TO THREE HOURS THIS AFTERNOON...BUT RED FLAG CONDITIONS ARE NOT EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NO SIGNIFICANT HAZARDS ARE EXPECTED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE REQUIRED TODAY. FLZ052-056-057-061-062-065-181500- POLK-HARDEE-HIGHLANDS-DE SOTO-CHARLOTTE-LEE- 451 AM EDT THU MAY 18 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA AND WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT VERY DRY AIR WILL RESULT IN LONG DURATIONS OF CRITICAL RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES TODAY. THE MOST CRITICAL AREAS WILL BE WELL AWAY FROM THE INFLUENCE OF THE GULF COAST SEA BREEZE THIS AFTERNOON... AND IN PARTICULAR...HIGHLANDS COUNTY. THESE CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST UNTIL AROUND SUNSET AND RESULT IN THE POTENTIAL FOR RAPIDLY SPREADING WILD FIRES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY DRY CONDITIONS MAY LEAD TO NEAR RED FLAG CONDITIONS ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. A SLOW INCREASE IN LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE WILL ALLOW FOR GRADUAL IMPROVEMENT NEXT WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE REQUIRED.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Tampa Bay, FL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 18, 1:43 PM EDT | Fire Weather Watch | TBW | DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Polk | 16 hr |
Nearby
Red Flag Warnings in Florida, 2006Every red flag warning in 2006
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.