Alert archive / Texas / Red Flag Warnings in 2008

Red Flag Warning 21, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX

March 17, 20087 counties in Texas

NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this red flag warning at Mar 17, 2008, 2:56 PM CDT for 7 counties in Texas. It took effect at Mar 18, 2008, 12:00 PM CDT. 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
Mar 17, 2008, 2:56 PM CDT (19:56 UTC)
In effect from
Mar 18, 2008, 12:00 PM CDT
Expired
Mar 18, 2008, 7:00 PM CDT
In force
7 hr
Issued by
NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX

Counties Dimmit County, TX, Frio County, TX, Kinney County, TX, Maverick County, TX, Uvalde County, TX, Val Verde County, TX, Zavala County, TX

The radar

The Laughlin AFB radar (KDFX), 32 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:01 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

Del Rio, TX (KDRT), launched 12:00Z, 7.9 hours before the alert went out and 85 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, Del Rio, TX at 12:00Z on 2008-03-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1454 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Del Rio, TX at 12:00Z on 2008-03-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 331 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
1454 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-163 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
693 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
53 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
331 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
339 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
3.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WWUS84 KEWX 171956
RFWEWX

RED FLAG WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
256 PM CDT MON MAR 17 2008

...A RED FLAG WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR WESTERN PORTIONS OF
SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS FOR BREEZY AND DRY WEATHER TUESDAY...

.A STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL PRODUCE STRONG WEST TO NORTHWEST
WINDS LATE TUESDAY MORNING THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON. THESE WINDS
WILL RESULT IN DRYING CONDITIONS FOR SEVERAL HOURS...WITH
AFTERNOON RELATIVE HUMIDITIES FALLING TO NEAR 25 PERCENT OVER THE
WATCH AREA. 20-FOOT WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 20 TO 30 MPH AND GUSTY
BY MID AFTERNOON. HUMIDITIES WILL REBOUND ABOVE 25 PERCENT BY
EVENING BUT NORTHWEST WINDS WILL STILL BE IN THE 15 TO 25 MPH
RANGE TIL AROUND 9 PM. THE DRY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE FROM
TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THE STORM SYSTEM COULD
PRODUCE A WETTING RAIN OVER SOME AREAS MONDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY
TUESDAY MORNING. HOWEVER...THESE RAINS MAY NOT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE
A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION TO FIRE SPREAD POTENTIAL...SINCE THE
ABUNDANT DEAD GRASSES WILL DRY QUICKLY FROM THE PERSISTENT DRY
WINDS.

TXZ183-202-203-217>219-228-180400-
/O.UPG.KEWX.FW.A.0007.080318T1700Z-080319T0000Z/
/O.NEW.KEWX.FW.W.0021.080318T1700Z-080319T0000Z/
VAL VERDE-KINNEY-UVALDE-MAVERICK-ZAVALA-FRIO-DIMMIT-
256 PM CDT MON MAR 17 2008

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 12 PM TO 7 PM CDT TUESDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO HAS ISSUED A
RED FLAG WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 12 PM TO 7 PM CDT
TUESDAY. THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. 

EXPECT A SIGNIFICANT CHANCE OF WETTING RAINS ACROSS THE WATCH
AREA. HOWEVER...THIS MOISTURE WILL BEGIN TO ERODE LATE TUESDAY
MORNING AS STRONG 20-FOOT WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WILL DRY OUT DEAD
GRASSES. EXPECT RELATIVE HUMIDITIES TO FALL TO BELOW RED FLAG
LEVELS BY AROUND 7 PM BUT WINDS MAY STAY ABOVE CRITERIA TIL AROUND
9 PM.

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL PROMOTE FIRES
THAT ARE DIFFICULT TO CONTROL ACROSS THE WARNED AREA. A RED FLAG
WARNING IS COMPLETELY SEPARATE FROM A LOCAL BURN BAN WHICH IS
ISSUED BY LOCAL OFFICIALS.

$$
3 follow-up statements
000 
WWUS84 KEWX 172013
RFWEWX

RED FLAG WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
313 PM CDT MON MAR 17 2008

...A RED FLAG WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR WESTERN PORTIONS OF
SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS FOR BREEZY AND DRY WEATHER TUESDAY...

.A STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL PRODUCE STRONG WEST TO NORTHWEST
WINDS LATE TUESDAY MORNING THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON. THESE WINDS
WILL RESULT IN DRYING CONDITIONS FOR SEVERAL HOURS...WITH
AFTERNOON RELATIVE HUMIDITIES FALLING TO NEAR 25 PERCENT OVER THE
WATCH AREA. 20-FOOT WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 20 TO 30 MPH AND GUSTY
BY MID AFTERNOON. HUMIDITIES WILL REBOUND ABOVE 25 PERCENT BY
EVENING BUT NORTHWEST WINDS WILL STILL BE IN THE 15 TO 25 MPH
RANGE TIL AROUND 9 PM. THE DRY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE FROM
TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THE STORM SYSTEM COULD
PRODUCE A WETTING RAIN OVER SOME AREAS MONDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY
TUESDAY MORNING. HOWEVER...THESE RAINS MAY NOT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE
A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION TO FIRE SPREAD POTENTIAL...SINCE THE
ABUNDANT DEAD GRASSES WILL DRY QUICKLY FROM THE PERSISTENT DRY
WINDS.

TXZ183-202-203-217>219-228-181300-
/O.CON.KEWX.FW.W.0021.080318T1700Z-080319T0000Z/
VAL VERDE-KINNEY-UVALDE-MAVERICK-ZAVALA-FRIO-DIMMIT-
313 PM CDT MON MAR 17 2008

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 12 PM TO 7 PM CDT
TUESDAY...

A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 12 PM TO 7 PM CDT
TUESDAY. 

EXPECT A SIGNIFICANT CHANCE OF WETTING RAINS ACROSS THE WATCH
AREA. HOWEVER...THIS MOISTURE WILL BEGIN TO ERODE LATE TUESDAY
MORNING AS STRONG 20-FOOT WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WILL DRY OUT DEAD
GRASSES. EXPECT RELATIVE HUMIDITIES TO FALL TO BELOW RED FLAG
LEVELS BY AROUND 7 PM BUT WINDS MAY STAY ABOVE CRITERIA TIL
AROUND 9 PM.

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL PROMOTE FIRES
THAT ARE DIFFICULT TO CONTROL ACROSS THE WARNED AREA. A RED FLAG
WARNING IS COMPLETELY SEPARATE FROM A LOCAL BURN BAN WHICH IS
ISSUED BY LOCAL OFFICIALS.

$$
000 
WWUS84 KEWX 180948
RFWEWX

RED FLAG WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
448 AM CDT TUE MAR 18 2008

...A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE WEST AND SOUTHWEST 
PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS FOR WINDY AND DRY CONDITIONS TODAY...

.A STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL PRODUCE GUSTY WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS
THIS MORNING INTO THIS AFTERNOON. THESE WINDS WILL RESULT IN
DRYING CONDITIONS FOR SEVERAL HOURS...WITH AFTERNOON RELATIVE
HUMIDITIES FALLING TO 15 TO 25 PERCENT OVER THE WARNING AREA.
20-FOOT WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 20 TO 30 MPH AND GUSTY BY LATE
MORNING. HUMIDITIES WILL REBOUND TO ABOVE 25 PERCENT BY EVENING
BUT NORTHWEST WINDS WILL STILL BE IN THE 20 TO 30 MPH RANGE UNTIL
AROUND 9 PM. THE DRY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE FROM THIS AFTERNOON
THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THE STORM SYSTEM HAS PRODUCE SOME
SIGNIFICANT WETTING RAINS OVER VAL VERDE COUNTY LAST NIGHT.
HOWEVER...THESE RAINS MAY NOT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A SIGNIFICANT
REDUCTION TO FIRE SPREAD POTENTIAL...SINCE THE ABUNDANT DEAD
GRASSES WILL DRY QUICKLY FROM THE DEVELOPING DRY GUSTY WINDS.

TXZ183-202-203-217>219-228-182030-
/O.CON.KEWX.FW.W.0021.080318T1700Z-080319T0000Z/
VAL VERDE-KINNEY-UVALDE-MAVERICK-ZAVALA-FRIO-DIMMIT-
448 AM CDT TUE MAR 18 2008

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 7 PM CDT
THIS EVENING...

EXPECT SPOTTY WETTING RAINS ACROSS THE WARNING AREA THIS MORNING.
HOWEVER...THIS MOISTURE WILL BEGIN TO ERODE LATER THIS MORNING AS
STRONG 20-FOOT WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WILL DRY OUT DEAD GRASSES.
EXPECT RELATIVE HUMIDITIES TO FALL TO BELOW RED FLAG LEVELS BY
AROUND 7 PM BUT WINDS MAY STAY ABOVE CRITERIA UNTIL AROUND 9 PM.

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL PROMOTE FIRES
THAT ARE DIFFICULT TO CONTROL ACROSS THE WARNED AREA. A RED FLAG
WARNING IS COMPLETELY SEPARATE FROM A LOCAL BURN BAN WHICH IS
ISSUED BY LOCAL OFFICIALS.

$$
000 
WWUS84 KEWX 182026
RFWEWX

RED FLAG WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
326 PM CDT TUE MAR 18 2008

...A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE WEST AND
SOUTHWEST PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS FOR WINDY AND DRY
CONDITIONS TODAY...

.A STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL PRODUCE GUSTY WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS
THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THESE WINDS WILL RESULT IN DRYING
CONDITIONS FOR SEVERAL HOURS...WITH AFTERNOON RELATIVE HUMIDITIES
FALLING TO 15 TO 25 PERCENT OVER THE WARNING AREA. HUMIDITIES WILL
REBOUND TO ABOVE 25 PERCENT BY EVENING BUT NORTHWEST WINDS WILL
STILL BE IN THE 20 TO 30 MPH RANGE INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. DESPITE
THE WETTING RAINS OVER VAL VERDE COUNTY LAST NIGHT...THESE RAINS
WERE NOT ENOUGH TO PROVIDE A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION TO FIRE SPREAD
POTENTIAL...SINCE THE ABUNDANT DEAD GRASSES WILL DRY QUICKLY FROM
THE DRY GUSTY WINDS.

TXZ183-202-203-217>219-228-190000-
/O.CON.KEWX.FW.W.0021.000000T0000Z-080319T0000Z/
VAL VERDE-KINNEY-UVALDE-MAVERICK-ZAVALA-FRIO-DIMMIT-
326 PM CDT TUE MAR 18 2008

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS
EVENING...

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL PROMOTE FIRES
THAT ARE DIFFICULT TO CONTROL ACROSS THE WARNED AREA. A RED FLAG
WARNING IS COMPLETELY SEPARATE FROM A LOCAL BURN BAN WHICH IS
ISSUED BY LOCAL OFFICIALS.

$$

The office that day

Everything else NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 17, 3:37 AM CDTFlash Flood WatchEWXBastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Fayette, Gillespie and 5 more33 hr
Mar 17, 3:47 AM CDTWind AdvisoryEWXAtascosa, Bandera, Bastrop, Bexar, Blanco, Burnet and 27 more12 hr
Mar 17, 6:34 AM CDTFire Weather WatchEWXDimmit, Frio, Kinney, Maverick, Uvalde, Val Verde and 1 more8 hr
Mar 17, 6:31 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXUvalde29 min
Mar 17, 6:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBandera33 min

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Texas, 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.