Alert archive / Washington / Red Flag Warnings in 2009

Red Flag Warning 2, NWS Spokane, WA

July 17, 2009

NWS Spokane, WA issued this red flag warning at Jul 17, 2009, 3:31 AM PDT. It took effect at Jul 17, 2009, 11:00 AM PDT. 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
Jul 17, 2009, 3:31 AM PDT (10:31 UTC)
In effect from
Jul 17, 2009, 11:00 AM PDT
Expired
Jul 17, 2009, 11:00 PM PDT
In force
12 hr
Issued by
NWS Spokane, WA

The text

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

000 
WWUS86 KOTX 171031
RFWOTX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
331 AM PDT FRI JUL 17 2009

...A VERY DRY AND UNSTABLE AIR MASS COMBINED WITH DRY FUELS WILL
MAKE CONDITIONS FAVORABLE FOR HIGH FIRE GROWTH...


WAZ676-677-680-682-171845-
/O.NEW.KOTX.FW.W.0002.090717T1800Z-090718T0600Z/
EAST WASHINGTON SOUTH CENTRAL CASCADE VALLEYS (ZONE 676)-
EAST WASHINGTON CENTRAL CASCADE VALLEYS (ZONE 677)-
EAST WASHINGTON SOUTH CENTRAL CASCADE MOUNTAINS (ZONE 680)-
EAST WASHINGTON CENTRAL CASCADE MOUNTAINS (ZONE 682)-
331 AM PDT FRI JUL 17 2009

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 11 PM
PDT THIS EVENING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SPOKANE HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 11 PM PDT
THIS EVENING. 

A VERY DRY AND UNSTABLE AIR MASS WILL STRENGTHEN OVER THE EAST
SLOPES OF THE CASCADES THIS AFTERNOON. COMBINED WITH DRY FUELS
THIS WILL MAKE THE BURN ENVIRONMENT FAVORABLE FOR HIGH TO EXTREME
FIRE GROWTH.

HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE REGION...COMBINED WITH A THERMAL RIDGE
ALONG THE EAST SLOPES OF THE CASCADES HAS ALLOWED THE LOWER
ATMOSPHERE TO BECOME VERY DRY AND UNSTABLE. ANY ONGOING FIRES
IN THE AREA COULD SEE THE POTENTIAL FOR RAPID FIRE GROWTH. IN
ADDITION WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO PICK UP THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THE
GAPS AND ALONG THE RIDGES WITH GUSTS NEAR 20 MPH.


PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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. 

&&

$$
1 follow-up statement
000 
WWUS86 KOTX 172050
RFWOTX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
150 PM PDT FRI JUL 17 2009

...A VERY DRY AND UNSTABLE AIR MASS COMBINED WITH DRY FUELS WILL
MAKE CONDITIONS FAVORABLE FOR HIGH FIRE GROWTH THROUGH THIS EVENING...

WAZ676-677-680-682-180600-
/O.CON.KOTX.FW.W.0002.000000T0000Z-090718T0600Z/
EAST WASHINGTON SOUTH CENTRAL CASCADE VALLEYS (ZONE 676)-
EAST WASHINGTON CENTRAL CASCADE VALLEYS (ZONE 677)-
EAST WASHINGTON SOUTH CENTRAL CASCADE MOUNTAINS (ZONE 680)-
EAST WASHINGTON CENTRAL CASCADE MOUNTAINS (ZONE 682)-
150 PM PDT FRI JUL 17 2009

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM PDT THIS
EVENING FOR UNSTABLE AND DRY CONDITIONS ACROSS THE CENTRAL 
CASCADES...

A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM PDT THIS
EVENING. 

A VERY DRY AND UNSTABLE AIR MASS WILL PERSIST OVER THE SOUTHERN
WASHINGTON CASCADES THROUGH THIS EVENING. THE UNSTABLE AND DRY
CONDITIONS PAIRED WITH THE DRY FUELS WILL SUPPORT A BURN
ENVIRONMENT CONDUCIVE TO HIGH FIRE GROWTH.

HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE REGION...COMBINED WITH A THERMAL RIDGE
ALONG THE EAST SLOPES OF THE CASCADES HAS ALLOWED THE LOWER
ATMOSPHERE TO BECOME VERY DRY AND UNSTABLE. ANY ONGOING OR NEW FIRES
IN THE AREA COULD POTENTIALLY GROW RAPIDLY. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF
DRY AND UNSTABLE CONDITIONS COULD LEAD TOWARD EXPLOSIVE FIRE
GROWTH.

&&

$$

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Washington, 2009Every red flag warning in 2009

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text.