Alert archive / Virginia / Red Flag Warnings in 2008

Red Flag Warning 2, NWS Blacksburg, VA

February 9, 200831 counties in Virginia; 9 counties in North Carolina

NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this red flag warning at Feb 9, 2008, 1:33 PM EST for 31 counties in Virginia; 9 counties in North Carolina. It took effect at Feb 10, 2008, 9:00 AM EST. It was in force for 12 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
Feb 9, 2008, 1:33 PM EST (18:33 UTC)
In effect from
Feb 10, 2008, 9:00 AM EST
Expired
Feb 10, 2008, 9:00 PM EST
In force
12 hr
Issued by
NWS Blacksburg, VA
All 40 counties

Alleghany County, NC, Ashe County, NC, Caswell County, NC, Rockingham County, NC, Stokes County, NC, Surry County, NC, Watauga County, NC, Wilkes County, NC, Yadkin County, NC, Alleghany County, VA, Amherst County, VA, Appomattox County, VA, Bath County, VA, Bedford County, VA, Bland County, VA, Botetourt County, VA, Buckingham County, VA, Campbell County, VA, Carroll County, VA, Charlotte County, VA, City of Danville, VA, City of Lynchburg, VA, City of Martinsville, VA, City of Radford, VA, City of Roanoke, VA, City of Salem, VA, Craig County, VA, Floyd County, VA, Franklin County, VA, Giles County, VA, Grayson County, VA, Halifax County, VA, Henry County, VA, Montgomery County, VA, Patrick County, VA, Pittsylvania County, VA, Pulaski County, VA, Roanoke County, VA, Rockbridge County, VA, Wythe County, VA

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 18 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:39 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

Roanoke, VA (KRNK), launched 12:00Z, 6.6 hours before the alert went out and 56 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, Roanoke, VA at 12:00Z on 2008-02-09Temperature 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, Roanoke, VA at 12:00Z on 2008-02-09The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 60 square meters per square second.1939587897117136156Sfc1 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
1083 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
107 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
60 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
245 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 
WWUS81 KRNK 091833 AAA
RFWRNK

RED FLAG WARNING...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
133 PM EST SAT FEB 9 2008

...POST FRONTAL HIGH WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES SUNDAY INTO SUNDAY
EVENING...

.A FAST MOVING ARCTIC COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE MOUNTAINS LATE
TONIGHT. IN ITS WAKE...STRONG WEST WINDS WILL DEVELOP AND MUCH
DRIER AIR WILL FILTER IN CREATING CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER
CONDITIONS... ESPECIALLY DURING SUNDAY AFTERNOON.

NCZ001>006-018>020-VAZ010>020-022>024-032>035-043>047-058-059-
100245-
/O.UPG.KRNK.FW.A.0002.080210T1400Z-080211T0200Z/
/O.NEW.KRNK.FW.W.0002.080210T1400Z-080211T0200Z/
ASHE-ALLEGHANY NC-SURRY-STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-WATAUGA-WILKES-
YADKIN-BLAND-GILES-WYTHE-PULASKI-MONTGOMERY-GRAYSON-CARROLL-FLOYD-
CRAIG-ALLEGHANY VA-BATH-ROANOKE-BOTETOURT-ROCKBRIDGE-PATRICK-
FRANKLIN-BEDFORD-AMHERST-HENRY-PITTSYLVANIA-CAMPBELL-APPOMATTOX-
BUCKINGHAM-HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE-
133 PM EST SAT FEB 9 2008

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM TO 9 PM EST SUNDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM TO 9 PM EST SUNDAY. THE
FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. 

SUSTAINED WINDS OF 15 TO 40 MPH ARE LIKELY SUNDAY WITH GUSTS
BETWEEN 40 AND 60 MPH. THE HIGHEST WINDS WILL BE AT HIGHER
ELEVATIONS. RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL DROP TO BETWEEN 25 AND 30
PERCENT IN THE MOUNTAINS SUNDAY AFTERNOON...WHILE READINGS IN THE
PIEDMONT DROP TO AROUND 20 PERCENT OR LESS.

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 WARM TEMPERATURES WILL
CREATE EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.

$$
5 follow-up statements
000 
WWUS81 KRNK 100229
RFWRNK

RED FLAG WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
929 PM EST SAT FEB 9 2008

...POST FRONTAL HIGH WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES SUNDAY INTO SUNDAY
EVENING...

.A FAST MOVING ARCTIC COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE MOUNTAINS LATE
TONIGHT. IN ITS WAKE...STRONG WEST WINDS WILL DEVELOP AND MUCH
DRIER AIR WILL FILTER IN CREATING CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER
CONDITIONS... ESPECIALLY SUNDAY AFTERNOON.

NCZ001>006-018>020-VAZ010>020-022>024-032>035-043>047-058-059-
100930-
/O.CON.KRNK.FW.W.0002.080210T1400Z-080211T0200Z/
ASHE-ALLEGHANY NC-SURRY-STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-WATAUGA-WILKES-
YADKIN-BLAND-GILES-WYTHE-PULASKI-MONTGOMERY-GRAYSON-CARROLL-FLOYD-
CRAIG-ALLEGHANY VA-BATH-ROANOKE-BOTETOURT-ROCKBRIDGE-PATRICK-
FRANKLIN-BEDFORD-AMHERST-HENRY-PITTSYLVANIA-CAMPBELL-APPOMATTOX-
BUCKINGHAM-HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE-
929 PM EST SAT FEB 9 2008

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM TO 9 PM EST
SUNDAY...

A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM TO 9 PM EST
SUNDAY. 

SUSTAINED WINDS OF 15 TO 40 MPH ARE LIKELY SUNDAY WITH GUSTS
BETWEEN 40 AND 60 MPH. THE HIGHEST WINDS WILL BE AT HIGHER
ELEVATIONS. RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL DROP TO BETWEEN 25 AND
30 PERCENT IN THE MOUNTAINS SUNDAY AFTERNOON...WHILE READINGS IN
THE PIEDMONT DROP TO AROUND 20 PERCENT OR LESS.

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 WARM TEMPERATURES WILL
CREATE EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.

$$
000 
WWUS81 KRNK 100914
RFWRNK

RED FLAG WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
414 AM EST SUN FEB 10 2008

...POST FRONTAL HIGH WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES TODAY AND INTO THE 
EVENING...

.A FAST MOVING ARCTIC COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE MOUNTAINS THIS
MORNING. IN ITS WAKE...STRONG WEST WINDS WILL DEVELOP AND MUCH
DRIER AIR WILL FILTER IN...COMBINING WITH DRY FUELS TO CREATE
CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS.

NCZ001>006-018>020-VAZ010>020-022>024-032>035-043>047-058-059-
101715-
/O.CON.KRNK.FW.W.0002.080210T1400Z-080211T0200Z/
ASHE-ALLEGHANY NC-SURRY-STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-WATAUGA-WILKES-
YADKIN-BLAND-GILES-WYTHE-PULASKI-MONTGOMERY-GRAYSON-CARROLL-FLOYD-
CRAIG-ALLEGHANY VA-BATH-ROANOKE-BOTETOURT-ROCKBRIDGE-PATRICK-
FRANKLIN-BEDFORD-AMHERST-HENRY-PITTSYLVANIA-CAMPBELL-APPOMATTOX-
BUCKINGHAM-HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE-
414 AM EST SUN FEB 10 2008

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO
9 PM EST THIS EVENING...

SUSTAINED WINDS OF 15 TO 40 MPH ARE LIKELY TODAY WITH GUSTS
BETWEEN 40 AND 60 MPH. THE HIGHEST WINDS WILL BE AT HIGHER
ELEVATIONS. MEANWHILE RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL DROP TO BETWEEN 25
AND 30 PERCENT IN THE MOUNTAINS THIS AFTERNOON...WHILE READINGS IN
THE PIEDMONT DROP TO 20 PERCENT OR LESS. THESE FACTORS PLUS THE
EXISTENCE OF DRY SMALL FUELS WILL COMBINE TO CREATE CRITICAL FIRE
WEATHER CONDITIONS.

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 WARM TEMPERATURES WILL
CREATE EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.

$$
000 
WWUS81 KRNK 101533
RFWRNK

RED FLAG WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
1033 AM EST SUN FEB 10 2008

...POST FRONTAL HIGH WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING...

.STRONG WEST WINDS IN THE WAKE OF AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT WILL
COMBINE WITH DRY FUELS TO CREATE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER
CONDITIONS INTO THIS EVENING.

NCZ001>006-018>020-VAZ010>020-022>024-032>035-043>047-058-059-
102345-
/O.CON.KRNK.FW.W.0002.000000T0000Z-080211T0200Z/
ASHE-ALLEGHANY NC-SURRY-STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-WATAUGA-WILKES-
YADKIN-BLAND-GILES-WYTHE-PULASKI-MONTGOMERY-GRAYSON-CARROLL-FLOYD-
CRAIG-ALLEGHANY VA-BATH-ROANOKE-BOTETOURT-ROCKBRIDGE-PATRICK-
FRANKLIN-BEDFORD-AMHERST-HENRY-PITTSYLVANIA-CAMPBELL-APPOMATTOX-
BUCKINGHAM-HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE-
1033 AM EST SUN FEB 10 2008

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

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

SUSTAINED WINDS OF 20 TO 40 MPH ARE LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON WITH
GUSTS BETWEEN 40 AND 60 MPH. THE HIGHEST WINDS WILL BE AT HIGHER
ELEVATIONS. MEANWHILE RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL DROP TO BETWEEN 25
AND 30 PERCENT IN THE MOUNTAINS THIS AFTERNOON...WHILE READINGS IN
THE PIEDMONT DROP TO 20 PERCENT OR LESS. THESE FACTORS PLUS THE
EXISTENCE OF DRY SMALL FUELS WILL COMBINE TO CREATE CRITICAL FIRE
WEATHER CONDITIONS.

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 WARM TEMPERATURES WILL
CREATE EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.

$$
000 
WWUS81 KRNK 102000 AAA
RFWRNK

RED FLAG WARNING...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
300 PM EST SUN FEB 10 2008

...POST FRONTAL HIGH WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES INTO THIS EVENING...

.STRONG WEST WINDS IN THE WAKE OF AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT WILL
COMBINE WITH DRY FUELS TO CREATE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
INTO THIS EVENING.

NCZ001>006-018>020-VAZ010>020-022>024-032>035-043>047-058-059-
110200-
/O.CON.KRNK.FW.W.0002.000000T0000Z-080211T0200Z/
ASHE-ALLEGHANY NC-SURRY-STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-WATAUGA-WILKES-
YADKIN-BLAND-GILES-WYTHE-PULASKI-MONTGOMERY-GRAYSON-CARROLL-FLOYD-
CRAIG-ALLEGHANY VA-BATH-ROANOKE-BOTETOURT-ROCKBRIDGE-PATRICK-
FRANKLIN-BEDFORD-AMHERST-HENRY-PITTSYLVANIA-CAMPBELL-APPOMATTOX-
BUCKINGHAM-HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE-
300 PM EST SUN FEB 10 2008

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

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

SUSTAINED WINDS OF 20 TO 40 MPH ARE LIKELY THROUGH EARLY THIS
EVENING WITH GUSTS BETWEEN 40 AND 60 MPH. THE HIGHEST WINDS WILL
BE AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS. MEANWHILE RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL DROP
TO BETWEEN 20 AND 30 PERCENT IN THE MOUNTAINS...WHILE READINGS IN
THE PIEDMONT DROP TO 20 PERCENT OR LESS. THESE FACTORS PLUS THE
EXISTENCE OF DRY SMALL FUELS WILL COMBINE TO CREATE CRITICAL FIRE
WEATHER CONDITIONS.

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 WARM TEMPERATURES WILL
CREATE EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.

$$
000 
WWUS81 KRNK 110149
RFWRNK

RED FLAG WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
849 PM EST SUN FEB 10 2008

...GRADUALLY DIMINISHING WINDS OVERNIGHT BUT POOR RELATIVE
HUMIDITY RECOVERY...

.WITH SUNSET...THE STRONGER WINDS ARE NOT MIXING TO THE SURFACE...
SO WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO GRADUALLY DIMINISH OVERNIGHT. MUCH
COLDER AND DRIER AIR IS MOVING INTO THE AREA...SO RELATIVE
HUMIDITIES WILL NO RECOVER MUCH OVERNIGHT.

NCZ001>006-018>020-VAZ010>020-022>024-032>035-043>047-058-059-
110300-
/O.EXP.KRNK.FW.W.0002.000000T0000Z-080211T0200Z/
ASHE-ALLEGHANY NC-SURRY-STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-WATAUGA-WILKES-
YADKIN-BLAND-GILES-WYTHE-PULASKI-MONTGOMERY-GRAYSON-CARROLL-FLOYD-
CRAIG-ALLEGHANY VA-BATH-ROANOKE-BOTETOURT-ROCKBRIDGE-PATRICK-
FRANKLIN-BEDFORD-AMHERST-HENRY-PITTSYLVANIA-CAMPBELL-APPOMATTOX-
BUCKINGHAM-HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE-
849 PM EST SUN FEB 10 2008

...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 9 PM EST THIS EVENING...

THE RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 9 PM EST THIS EVENING. 

STRONG WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO GRADUALLY DIMINISH
OVERNIGHT. SUSTAINED WINDS OF 15 TO 30 MPH...WITH GUSTS TO AROUND
40 MPH...WILL DROP TO 10 TO 20 MPH...WITH GUSTS TO 30 MPH AFTER
MIDNIGHT. RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL ONLY RECOVER TO BETWEEN 30 AND
40 PERCENT TOWARD DAYBREAK. 

$$

The office that day

Everything else NWS Blacksburg, VA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 9, 3:18 AM ESTFire Weather WatchRNKAlleghany, Amherst, Appomattox, Bath, Bedford, Bland and 25 more10 hr
Feb 9, 3:29 AM ESTHigh Wind WarningRNKAlleghany, Amherst, Appomattox, Bath, Bedford, Bland and 27 more46 hr
Feb 9, 3:29 AM ESTWind AdvisoryRNKAmherst, Appomattox, Bedford, Bland, Botetourt, Buckingham and 22 more42 hr

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Virginia, 2008Red Flag Warnings in North Carolina, 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.