Alert archive / Texas / Red Flag Warnings in 2008

Red Flag Warning 13, NWS Amarillo, TX

March 31, 200820 counties in Texas; Cimarron County, Oklahoma

NWS Amarillo, TX issued this red flag warning at Mar 31, 2008, 3:24 AM CDT for 20 counties in Texas; Cimarron County, Oklahoma. It took effect at Mar 31, 2008, 12:00 PM CDT. It was in force for 9 hr. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Mar 31, 2008, 3:24 AM CDT (08:24 UTC)
In effect from
Mar 31, 2008, 12:00 PM CDT
Expired
Mar 31, 2008, 9:00 PM CDT
In force
9 hr
Issued by
NWS Amarillo, TX
All 21 counties

Cimarron County, OK, Armstrong County, TX, Carson County, TX, Collingsworth County, TX, Dallam County, TX, Deaf Smith County, TX, Donley County, TX, Gray County, TX, Hansford County, TX, Hartley County, TX, Hemphill County, TX, Hutchinson County, TX, Lipscomb County, TX, Moore County, TX, Ochiltree County, TX, Oldham County, TX, Potter County, TX, Randall County, TX, Roberts County, TX, Sherman County, TX, Wheeler County, TX

The radar

The Amarillo radar (KAMA), 55 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:21 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.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Mar 31, 5:00 PM CDTWILDFIRE 10003 Wnw Kelton, TX*** 1 FATAL *** THREE HOMES SAVED...2 OTHER STRUCTURES LOST. ONE FATALITY. OIL FIELD EQUIPMENT WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. 13 FIRE DEPARTMENTS INCLUDING THE TEXAS FOREST SERVICE WERE INVOLVED IN THE RESPONSE. THE FIRE WAS CONTAINED AROUND 0100

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

Amarillo Airport, TX (KAMA), launched 00:00Z, 8.4 hours before the alert went out and 55 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.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Amarillo Airport, TX at 00:00Z on 2008-03-31Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Amarillo Airport, TX at 00:00Z on 2008-03-31The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 177 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
2800 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
60 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
177 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
421 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
WWUS84 KAMA 310824
RFWAMA

RED FLAG WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
324 AM CDT MON MAR 31 2008

...RED FLAG FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING...

.A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL DEVELOP OVER THE CENTRAL HIGH
PLAINS TODAY. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT AROUND THIS LOW WILL
CAUSE STRONG WINDS ACROSS THE PANHANDLES. THE DOWNSLOPING WEST
WINDS WILL CAUSE THE AIR TO DRY OUT. THE WARM...DRY AND WINDY
WEATHER WILL SET THE STAGE FOR DANGEROUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
TODAY THROUGH THIS EVENING.

OKZ002-003-310930-
/O.CAN.KAMA.FW.A.0011.080331T1700Z-080401T0200Z/
TEXAS-BEAVER-
324 AM CDT MON MAR 31 2008

...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS CANCELLED...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN AMARILLO HAS CANCELLED THE FIRE
WEATHER WATCH FOR THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE. 

LIGHTER WINDS AND RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES ABOVE 15 PERCENT WILL
OCCUR ACROSS THE CENTRAL TO EASTERN OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE TODAY.
THUS...RED FLAG CONDITIONS ARE NOT ANTICIPATED.

$$

OKZ001-TXZ001>020-311630-
/O.UPG.KAMA.FW.A.0011.080331T1700Z-080401T0200Z/
/O.NEW.KAMA.FW.W.0013.080331T1700Z-080401T0200Z/
CIMARRON-DALLAM-SHERMAN-HANSFORD-OCHILTREE-LIPSCOMB-HARTLEY-MOORE-
HUTCHINSON-ROBERTS-HEMPHILL-OLDHAM-POTTER-CARSON-GRAY-WHEELER-
DEAF SMITH-RANDALL-ARMSTRONG-DONLEY-COLLINGSWORTH-
324 AM CDT MON MAR 31 2008

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 9 PM CDT THIS
EVENING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN AMARILLO HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 9 PM CDT THIS
EVENING FOR THE TEXAS AND WESTERN OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES. THE FIRE
WEATHER WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

AFTERNOON HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE 70S TO MID 80S WILL COMBINE WITH
DRY AIR TODAY TO RESULT IN MINIMUM AFTERNOON RELATIVE HUMIDITIES
OF 10 TO 15 PERCENT. WEST WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH ARE ALSO EXPECTED AS
A DRYLINE MOVES EASTWARD ACROSS THE PANHANDLES. WITH DRY FUELS STILL
PRESENT...THESE CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST TO YIELD CRITICAL FIRE
WEATHER CONDITIONS OVER THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES DURING THE
AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING TODAY.

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF
STRONG WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND DRY FUELS WILL CREATE
DANGEROUS FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.

$$

JJB
2 follow-up statements
000 
WWUS84 KAMA 311643
RFWAMA

RED FLAG WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
1143 AM CDT MON MAR 31 2008

...RED FLAG FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING...

.A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL DEVELOP OVER THE CENTRAL HIGH
PLAINS TODAY. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT AROUND THIS LOW WILL CAUSE
STRONG WINDS ACROSS THE PANHANDLES. THE DOWNSLOPING WEST WINDS
WILL CAUSE THE AIR TO DRY OUT. THE WARM...DRY AND WINDY WEATHER
WILL SET THE STAGE FOR DANGEROUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON 
THROUGH THIS EVENING.

OKZ001-TXZ001>020-312100-
/O.CON.KAMA.FW.W.0013.080331T1700Z-080401T0200Z/
CIMARRON-DALLAM-SHERMAN-HANSFORD-OCHILTREE-LIPSCOMB-HARTLEY-MOORE-
HUTCHINSON-ROBERTS-HEMPHILL-OLDHAM-POTTER-CARSON-GRAY-WHEELER-
DEAF SMITH-RANDALL-ARMSTRONG-DONLEY-COLLINGSWORTH-
1143 AM CDT MON MAR 31 2008

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CDT THIS
EVENING...

A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR
THE WESTERN OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE AND ALL OF THE TEXAS PANHANDLE.

AFTERNOON HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE 70S TO MID 80S WILL COMBINE
WITH DRY AIR TODAY TO RESULT IN MINIMUM AFTERNOON RELATIVE
HUMIDITIES OF 10 TO 15 PERCENT. WEST WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH ARE
ALSO EXPECTED AS A DRYLINE MOVES EASTWARD ACROSS THE PANHANDLES.
WITH DRY FUELS STILL PRESENT...THESE CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST TO
YIELD CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS OVER THE TEXAS AND
OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING TODAY.

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF
STRONG WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND DRY FUELS WILL CREATE
DANGEROUS FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.

$$

SCHNEIDER
000 
WWUS84 KAMA 312054
RFWAMA

RED FLAG WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
354 PM CDT MON MAR 31 2008

...RED FLAG FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THIS EVENING...

.A DRYLINE HAS PUSHED THROUGH THE PANHANDLES THIS AFTERNOON...WITH
RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES UNDER 10 PERCENT ACROSS THE AREA. A COLD
FRONT HAS ENTERED THE OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE...WITH GUSTY WEST TO
SOUTHWEST WINDS AHEAD OF THE FRONT. THESE CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE
EARLY THIS EVENING BEFORE WINDS START TO DIMINISH AND RELATIVE
HUMIDITIES RECOVER.

OKZ001-TXZ001>020-010200-
/O.CON.KAMA.FW.W.0013.000000T0000Z-080401T0200Z/
CIMARRON-DALLAM-SHERMAN-HANSFORD-OCHILTREE-LIPSCOMB-HARTLEY-MOORE-
HUTCHINSON-ROBERTS-HEMPHILL-OLDHAM-POTTER-CARSON-GRAY-WHEELER-
DEAF SMITH-RANDALL-ARMSTRONG-DONLEY-COLLINGSWORTH-
354 PM CDT MON MAR 31 2008

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CDT THIS
EVENING...

A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING.

WARM TEMPERATURES THIS EVENING WILL COMBINE WITH DRY AIR TO KEEP LOW
RELATIVE HUMIDITIES OF AROUND 10 PERCENT ACROSS THE AREA THIS EVENING.
IN ADDITION...GUSTY SOUTHWEST TO WEST WINDS WILL ALSO CONTINUE THIS
EVENING. WITH DRY FUELS STILL PRESENT...THESE CONDITIONS WILL STILL
MAINTAIN CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS OVER THE TEXAS AND PORTION
OF THE OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES EARLY THIS EVENING.

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF
STRONG WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND DRY FUELS WILL CREATE
DANGEROUS FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.

$$

CLK

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Texas, 2008Red Flag Warnings in Oklahoma, 2008Every red flag warning in 2008

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.