Alert archive / Colorado / Red Flag Warnings in 2009

Red Flag Warning 9, NWS Pueblo, CO

February 25, 200910 counties in Colorado

NWS Pueblo, CO issued this red flag warning at Feb 25, 2009, 4:17 AM MST for 10 counties in Colorado. It took effect at Feb 25, 2009, 11:00 AM MST. It was in force for 8 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 25, 2009, 4:17 AM MST (11:17 UTC)
In effect from
Feb 25, 2009, 11:00 AM MST
Expired
Feb 25, 2009, 7:00 PM MST
In force
8 hr
Issued by
NWS Pueblo, CO

Counties Costilla County, CO, Crowley County, CO, Custer County, CO, El Paso County, CO, Fremont County, CO, Huerfano County, CO, Las Animas County, CO, Otero County, CO, Pueblo County, CO, Saguache County, CO

The radar

The Pueblo radar (KPUX), 73 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 11:18 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

Denver, CO (KDNR), launched 00:00Z, 11.3 hours before the alert went out and 247 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, Denver, CO at 00:00Z on 2009-02-25Temperature 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 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Denver, CO at 00:00Z on 2009-02-25The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 25 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
3656 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
47 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
25 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
195 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 
WWUS85 KPUB 251117
RFWPUB

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
417 AM MST WED FEB 25 2009

...A RED FLAG WARNING FOR WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 25 MPH...LOW
RELATIVE HUMIDITY LEVELS AND DRY FUELS...HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING...FROM 1100 TO 1900 LOCAL TIME...FOR THE DRY
EXPOSED LOWER SLOPES OF ZONE 225...AND ALL OF ZONES 222 AND 226
THROUGH 233...INCLUDING THE SANGRE DE CRISTO AND WET
MOUNTAINS...AND EL PASO...FREMONT...PUEBLO...CROWLEY...OTERO...
HUERFANO...AND LAS ANIMAS COUNTIES....

.THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PUEBLO...IN COORDINATION WITH
AREA LAND MANAGEMENT AGENCIES...HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG WARNING FOR
THE LOWER EXPOSED SLOPES OF THE SANGRE DE CRISTO AND WET
MOUNTAINS BELOW SNOW LEVEL...AND FOR THE INTERSTATE 25 CORRIDOR
AND ADJACENT SOUTHEAST PLAINS. ANOTHER WEATHER DISTURBANCE IS
EXPECTED TO SPREAD GUSTY WINDS ACROSS THE AREA THIS
AFTERNOON...WITH WINDS STARTING EARLY THIS AFTERNOON NEAR THE
MOUNTAINS...AND SPREADING INTO THE INTERSTATE 25 CORRIDOR AND
ADJACENT PLAINS LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING.
COMBINED WITH THE DRY FUELS AND LOW HUMIDITY LEVELS...THESE
CONDITIONS WILL BECOME FAVORABLE FOR EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR WITH
RAPID RATES OF FIRE SPREAD POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

COZ222-225>233-260200-
/O.NEW.KPUB.FW.W.0009.090225T1800Z-090226T0200Z/
FREMONT COUNTY-SOUTHERN FRONT RANGE-NORTHERN EL PASO COUNTY-
SOUTHERN EL PASO COUNTY-PUEBLO COUNTY-HUERFANO COUNTY-
WESTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY-CROWLEY COUNTY-OTERO COUNTY-
EASTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY-
417 AM MST WED FEB 25 2009

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 7 PM MST
THIS EVENING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PUEBLO HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 7 PM MST
THIS EVENING. 

THIS RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE LOWER EXPOSED SLOPES OF
THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS AND WET MOUNTAINS BELOW SNOW LEVEL...AND
FOR THE ADJACENT PLAINS INCLUDING FREMONT...EL PASO...PUEBLO...
HUERFANO...LAS ANIMAS...CROWLEY AND OTERO COUNTIES.

GUSTY SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 40
TO 45 MPH WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND INTO THE
ADJACENT PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON. HUMIDITY LEVELS WILL DROP BELOW 15
PERCENT BY THIS AFTERNOON...AND COMBINED WITH THE PERSISTENTLY DRY
FUELS...WILL CREATE CONDITIONS FAVORABLE FOR EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR
THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING.

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.

&&

$$
2 follow-up statements
000 
WWUS85 KPUB 252232
RFWPUB

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
332 PM MST WED FEB 25 2009

...RED FLAG WARNING FOR WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 25 MPH...LOW
RELATIVE HUMIDITY LEVELS AND DRY FUELS...REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL
1900 LOCAL TIME THIS EVENING...FOR THE DRY EXPOSED LOWER SLOPES OF
ZONE 225...AND ALL OF ZONES 222 AND 226 THROUGH 233...INCLUDING
THE SANGRE DE CRISTO AND WET MOUNTAINS...AND EL
PASO...FREMONT...PUEBLO...CROWLEY...OTERO... HUERFANO...AND LAS
ANIMAS COUNTIES...

...A FIRE WEATHER WATCH FOR WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 25 MPH...LOW
RELATIVE HUMIDITY LEVELS AND DRY FUELS...HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE
DRY EXPOSED LOWER SLOPES OF ZONE 225....ALL OF ZONE 222 AND ZONES
228 THROUGH 230...INCLUDING THE SANGRE DE CRISTO AND WET
MOUNTAINS...AND FREMONT...PUEBLO...HUERFANO...AND LAS ANIMAS
COUNTIES. THIS FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM 1100 LOCAL TO
1900 LOCAL TIME THURSDAY...

.THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PUEBLO...IN COORDINATION WITH
AREA LAND MANAGEMENT AGENCIES...HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG WARNING FOR
THE LOWER EXPOSED SLOPES OF THE SANGRE DE CRISTO AND WET
MOUNTAINS BELOW SNOW LEVEL...AND FOR THE INTERSTATE 25 CORRIDOR
AND ADJACENT SOUTHEAST PLAINS. GUSTY SOUTH WINDS...COMBINED WITH THE DRY
FUELS AND LOW HUMIDITY LEVELS...WILL CREATE FAVORABLE CONDITIONS FOR
EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR WITH RAPID RATES OF FIRE SPREAD POSSIBLE
THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

ON THURSDAY...A FIRE WEATHER WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE THE
LOWER EXPOSED SLOPES OF THE SANGRE DE CRISTO AND WET MOUNTAINS
BELOW SNOW LEVEL...AND FOR THE SOUTHERN INTERSTATE 25 CORRIDOR
AND ADJACENT PLAINS. GUSTY WEST WINDS...COMBINED WITH DRY FUELS
AND LOW HUMIDITY LEVELS...WILL CREATE FAVORABLE CONDITIONS FOR
EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR WITH RAPID RATES OF FIRE SPREAD POSSIBLE
ONCE AGAIN THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING.

COZ222-225-228>230-261445-
/O.NEW.KPUB.FW.A.0005.090226T1800Z-090227T0100Z/
/O.CON.KPUB.FW.W.0009.000000T0000Z-090226T0200Z/
FREMONT COUNTY-SOUTHERN FRONT RANGE-PUEBLO COUNTY-HUERFANO COUNTY-
WESTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY-
332 PM MST WED FEB 25 2009

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM MST THIS
EVENING...
...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH
THURSDAY AFTERNOON...

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PUEBLO HAS ALSO ISSUED A FIRE
WEATHER WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH
THURSDAY AFTERNOON.

THIS RED FLAG WARNING AND FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE
LOWER EXPOSED SLOPES OF THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS AND WET
MOUNTAINS BELOW SNOW LEVEL...AND FOR THE ADJACENT PLAINS INCLUDING
FREMONT...PUEBLO... HUERFANO AND LAS ANIMAS COUNTIES.

GUSTY SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO
40 TO 45 MPH WILL CONTINUE THROUGH EARLY EVENING. HUMIDITY LEVELS WILL
DROP BELOW 15 PERCENT LATE THIS AFTERNOON...AND COMBINED WITH THE
PERSISTENTLY DRY FUELS...WILL CREATE CONDITIONS FAVORABLE FOR
EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING.
CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE AFTER 7 PM MST THIS EVENING AS RELATIVE
HUMIDITY LEVELS INCREASE. 

ON THURSDAY...GUSTY WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL REDEVELOP BY LATE
MORNING...WITH GUSTS OF 30 TO 35 MPH POSSIBLE DURING THE
AFTERNOON. RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL FALL TO AROUND 15
PERCENT BY MID TO LATE AFTERNOON...WITH CONDITIONS FAVORABLE FOR
EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR AGAIN POSSIBLE. 

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.

A FIRE WEATHER WATCH MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE FORECAST TO OCCUR. LISTEN FOR LATER FORECASTS AND POSSIBLE
RED FLAG WARNINGS.

&&

$$

COZ226-227-231>233-260200-
/O.CON.KPUB.FW.W.0009.000000T0000Z-090226T0200Z/
NORTHERN EL PASO COUNTY-SOUTHERN EL PASO COUNTY-CROWLEY COUNTY-
OTERO COUNTY-EASTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY-
332 PM MST WED FEB 25 2009

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

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

THIS RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE EL PASO COUNTY.

GUSTY SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO
40 TO 45 MPH WILL CONTINUE THROUGH EARLY EVENING. HUMIDITY LEVELS WILL
DROP BELOW 15 PERCENT LATE THIS AFTERNOON...AND COMBINED WITH THE
PERSISTENTLY DRY FUELS...WILL CREATE CONDITIONS FAVORABLE FOR
EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING.
CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE AFTER 7 PM MST THIS EVENING AS RELATIVE
HUMIDITY LEVELS INCREASE. 

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.

&&

$$
000 
WWUS85 KPUB 260153
RFWPUB

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
653 PM MST WED FEB 25 2009

...RED FLAG WARNING FOR THE DRY EXPOSED LOWER SLOPES OF ZONE
225...AND ALL OF ZONES 222 AND 226 THROUGH 233... INCLUDING THE
SANGRE DE CRISTO AND WET MOUNTAINS...AND EL PASO...
FREMONT...PUEBLO...CROWLEY...OTERO... HUERFANO...AND LAS ANIMAS
COUNTIES...WILL EXPIRE AT 7 PM MST...

...A FIRE WEATHER WATCH FOR WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 25 MPH...LOW
RELATIVE HUMIDITY LEVELS AND DRY FUELS...HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE
DRY EXPOSED LOWER SLOPES OF ZONE 225....ALL OF ZONE 222 AND ZONES
228 THROUGH 230...INCLUDING THE SANGRE DE CRISTO AND WET
MOUNTAINS...AND FREMONT...PUEBLO...HUERFANO...AND LAS ANIMAS
COUNTIES. THIS FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM 1100 LOCAL TO
1900 LOCAL TIME THURSDAY...


COZ222-225-228>230-261800-
/O.EXP.KPUB.FW.W.0009.000000T0000Z-090226T0200Z/
/O.CON.KPUB.FW.A.0005.090226T1800Z-090227T0100Z/
FREMONT COUNTY-SOUTHERN FRONT RANGE-PUEBLO COUNTY-HUERFANO COUNTY-
WESTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY-
653 PM MST WED FEB 25 2009

...FIRE WEATHER WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING
THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON...
...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 7 PM MST THIS EVENING...

THE RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 7 PM MST THIS EVENING. A FIRE
WEATHER WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH
THURSDAY AFTERNOON. 

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PUEBLO HAS ALSO ISSUED A FIRE
WEATHER WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH
THURSDAY AFTERNOON.

THIS FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE LOWER EXPOSED SLOPES
OF THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS AND WET MOUNTAINS BELOW SNOW
LEVEL...AND FOR THE ADJACENT PLAINS INCLUDING FREMONT...PUEBLO...
HUERFANO AND LAS ANIMAS COUNTIES.

WINDS HAVE DIMINISHED THIS EVENING...AND HUMIDITIES HAVE INCREASED.

ON THURSDAY...GUSTY WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL REDEVELOP BY
LATE MORNING...WITH GUSTS OF 30 TO 35 MPH POSSIBLE DURING THE
AFTERNOON. RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL FALL TO AROUND
15 PERCENT BY MID TO LATE AFTERNOON...WITH CONDITIONS FAVORABLE
FOR EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR AGAIN POSSIBLE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FIRE WEATHER WATCH MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE FORECAST TO OCCUR. LISTEN FOR LATER FORECASTS AND POSSIBLE
RED FLAG WARNINGS.

&&

$$

COZ226-227-231>233-260300-
/O.EXP.KPUB.FW.W.0009.000000T0000Z-090226T0200Z/
NORTHERN EL PASO COUNTY-SOUTHERN EL PASO COUNTY-CROWLEY COUNTY-
OTERO COUNTY-EASTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY-
653 PM MST WED FEB 25 2009

...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 7 PM MST THIS EVENING...

THE RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 7 PM MST THIS EVENING. 

WINDS HAVE DIMINISHED THIS EVENING...AND HUMIDITIES HAVE INCREASED.
RED FLAG CONDITIONS ARE NO LONGER EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT.

$$
SR

The office that day

Everything else NWS Pueblo, CO issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 25, 3:32 PM MSTFire Weather WatchPUBCostilla, Custer, Fremont, Huerfano, Las Animas, Pueblo and 1 more13 hr

Nearby

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