Alert archive / Arizona / Red Flag Warnings in 2009

Red Flag Warning 13, NWS Tucson, AZ

April 15, 2009

NWS Tucson, AZ issued this red flag warning at Apr 15, 2009, 3:03 AM MST. It took effect at Apr 15, 2009, 1:00 PM MST. 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
Apr 15, 2009, 3:03 AM MST (10:03 UTC)
In effect from
Apr 15, 2009, 1:00 PM MST
Expired
Apr 15, 2009, 7:46 PM MST
In force
7 hr
Issued by
NWS Tucson, AZ

The text

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

000 
WWUS85 KTWC 151003
RFWTWC

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
303 AM MST WED APR 15 2009

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH
8 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR GRAHAM COUNTY SOUTH OF THE GILA
RIVER AND COCHISE COUNTY FOR CONTINUED STRONG AND GUSTY
WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES AND A HIGH FIRE DANGER RATING...

A STRONG PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO PROGRESS TOWARD
THE GREAT BASIN TODAY. WIND SPEEDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE AGAIN
BY LATE MORNING WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS AREA
OR LOW PRESSURE. WIND SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH WITH GUSTS OVER
50 MPH ARE EXPECTED BY MID AFTERNOON. THIS COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE
WILL ALSO BRING COOLER TEMPERATURES...BUT PORTIONS OF GRAHAM
COUNTY SOUTH OF THE GILA RIVER AND COCHISE COUNTY WILL STILL SEE
MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES AT OR JUST BELOW THE 15 PERCENT
THRESHOLD. THUS...THE EXISTING FIRE WEATHER WATCH HAS BEEN
UPGRADED TO A RED FLAG WARNING.

AZZ148-152200-
/O.UPG.KTWC.FW.A.0011.090415T2000Z-090416T0300Z/
/O.NEW.KTWC.FW.W.0013.090415T2000Z-090416T0300Z/
ARIZONA FIRE WEATHER ZONE 148
GRAHAM COUNTY SOUTH OF GILA RIVER-TUCSON/MARANA/GREEN
VALLEY-SANTA CRUZ-COCHISE COUNTY-CORONADO NF/
SAFFORD BLM/TDC-
303 AM MST WED APR 15 2009

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 PM
MST THIS EVENING FOR GRAHAM COUNTY SOUTH OF THE GILA RIVER AND
COCHISE COUNTY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TUCSON HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 PM MST
THIS EVENING. THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. 

A STRONG PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO PROGRESS TOWARD THE
GREAT BASIN TODAY. WIND SPEEDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE AGAIN
BY LATE MORNING TODAY WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS
AREA OF LOW PRESSURE. WIND SPEEDS ARE EXPECTED TO START OFF UP TO
35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH IN THE LATE MORNING AND INTO EARLY
AFTERNOON...BUT AFTER 2 PM MST WILL INCREASE TO IN EXCESS OF 40
MPH WITH GUSTS EXCEEDING 50 MPH. WHILE THIS COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE
WILL ALSO BRING COOLER TEMPERATURES...PORTIONS OF GRAHAM COUNTY
SOUTH OF THE GILA RIVER AND COCHISE...SANTA CRUZ AND EASTERN PIMA
COUNTY WILL STILL SEE MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES AT OR JUST
BELOW THE 15 PERCENT THRESHOLD ALONG WITH THE AFOREMENTIONED
INCREASED WIND SPEEDS. THUS...THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH HAS BEEN
UPGRADED TO A RED FLAG WARNING FOR GRAHAM COUNTY SOUTH OF THE GILA
RIVER AND ALL OF COCHISE COUNTY.

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 THE POTENTIAL FOR RAPID AND ERRATIC FIRE GROWTH.

PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE OFFICIALS OR FIRE CREWS IN THE
FIELD OF THE RED FLAG WARNING TODAY FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST
ARIZONA.

&&

$$
2 follow-up statements
000 
WWUS85 KTWC 152101
RFWTWC

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
201 PM MST WED APR 15 2009

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH 8 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR
SOUTHERN GREENLEE COUNTY...GRAHAM COUNTY SOUTH OF THE GILA RIVER
AND COCHISE COUNTY FOR CONTINUED STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS... LOW
RELATIVE HUMIDITIES AND A HIGH FIRE DANGER RATING...

A STRONG AREA OF LOW PRESSURE NOW LOCATED ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN
WILL CONTINUE TO RESULT IN VERY STRONG WINDS ACROSS SOUTHEAST
ARIZONA THIS AFTERNOON INTO EVENING. WIDESPREAD SUSTAINED WINDS OF 20 
TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH WILL CONTINUE INTO THE EARLY
EVENING HOURS. COOLER AIR AND SLIGHTLY MORE MOISTURE HAS FILTERED
INTO SOUTHEAST ARIZONA THIS AFTERNOON...BUT PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN
GREENLEE COUNTY...GRAHAM COUNTY SOUTH OF THE GILA RIVER AND COCHISE
COUNTY WILL STILL SEE MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES AT OR JUST
BELOW THE 15 PERCENT THRESHOLD. 

AZZ148-160300-
/O.CON.KTWC.FW.W.0013.000000T0000Z-090416T0300Z/
ARIZONA FIRE WEATHER ZONE 148
GRAHAM COUNTY SOUTH OF GILA RIVER-TUCSON/MARANA/GREEN
VALLEY-SANTA CRUZ-COCHISE COUNTY-CORONADO NF/
SAFFORD BLM/TDC-
201 PM MST WED APR 15 2009

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM MST THIS
EVENING FOR SOUTHERN GREENLEE COUNTY...GRAHAM COUNTY SOUTH 
OF THE GILA RIVER AND COCHISE COUNTY...

A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM MST THIS EVENING.

STRONG WINDS ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE NOW
ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN WILL CONTINUE TO IMPACT SOUTHEAST ARIZONA
INTO THE EARLY EVENING HOURS. SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS OF 20 TO 30
MPH WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON INTO THE EARLY EVENING
HOURS WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH. A COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE
AREA IS RESULTING IN SLIGHTLY COOLER TEMPERATURES AND A BIT MORE
MOISTURE TODAY WHICH WILL KEEP THE RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES A BIT
HIGHER THAN IN PREVIOUS DAYS. HOWEVER...THESE MINIMUM RELATIVE
HUMIDITY VALUES WILL BE AT OR JUST BELOW THE CRITICAL 15 PERCENT
THRESHOLD FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN GRAHAM...SOUTHERN GREENLEE AND
COCHISE COUNTY THIS AFTERNOON. THUS...A RED FLAG WARNING CONTINUES
FOR THESE AREAS UNTIL 8 PM MST. 

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 THE POTENTIAL FOR RAPID AND ERRATIC FIRE GROWTH.

PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE OFFICIALS OR FIRE CREWS IN THE
FIELD OF THE RED FLAG WARNING TODAY FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST
ARIZONA.

&&

$$
000 
WWUS85 KTWC 160246
RFWTWC

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
746 PM MST WED APR 15 2009

...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 8 PM MST THIS EVENING...

AZZ148-160400-
/O.CAN.KTWC.FW.W.0013.000000T0000Z-090416T0300Z/
ARIZONA FIRE WEATHER ZONE 148
GRAHAM COUNTY SOUTH OF GILA RIVER-TUCSON/MARANA/GREEN
VALLEY-SANTA CRUZ-COCHISE COUNTY-CORONADO NF/
SAFFORD BLM/TDC-
746 PM MST WED APR 15 2009

...RED FLAG WARNING IS CANCELLED...

...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 8 PM MST THIS EVENING...

STRONG LOW PRESSURE OVER THE GREAT BASIN CONTINUES TO PRODUCE
GUSTY WINDS THIS EVENING. HOWEVER...COOLER AIR IS ARRIVING IN
SOUTHEAST ARIZONA BEHIND A COLD FRONT. HUMIDITY LEVELS HAVE
ALREADY INCREASED ABOVE CRITICAL RED FLAG CONDITIONS FOR MOST
LOCATIONS...AND NIGHTTIME HUMIDITY RECOVERIES WILL CONTINUE. WINDS
WILL CONTINUE TO DECREASE TONIGHT AS WELL. THEREFORE...THE RED
FLAG WARNING WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE AT 8 PM MST.


$$

The office that day

Everything else NWS Tucson, AZ issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 15, 3:03 AM MSTHigh Wind WarningTWC17 hr

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Arizona, 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.