Alert archive / Arizona / Red Flag Warnings in 2009

Red Flag Warning 2, NWS Las Vegas, NV

March 28, 2009Mohave County, Arizona; Clark County, Nevada

NWS Las Vegas, NV issued this red flag warning at Mar 28, 2009, 2:18 PM MST for Mohave County, Arizona; Clark County, Nevada. It took effect at Mar 29, 2009, 10:00 AM MST. It was in force for 14 hr. 9 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: Mar 28, 2009, 2:18 PM MST (21:18 UTC)
In effect from: Mar 29, 2009, 10:00 AM MST
Expired: Mar 30, 2009, 12:00 AM MST
In force: 14 hr
Issued by: NWS Las Vegas, NV

Counties Mohave County, AZ, Clark County, NV

The radar

The Las Vegas radar (KESX), 54 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:21 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.

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where
Mar 29, 6:06 PM MST	NON-TSTM WND GST 56	W Hurricane Raws, AZ
Mar 29, 7:10 PM MST	NON-TSTM WND GST 49	W Olaf Knolls Raws, AZ
Mar 29, 8:15 PM MST	NON-TSTM WND GST 55	North Las Vegas Ap, NV
Mar 29, 8:26 PM MST	NON-TSTM WND GST 51	Las Vegas Mccarran Ap, NV
Mar 29, 8:54 PM MST	NON-TSTM WND GST 47	Nellis Afb, NV
Mar 29, 9:02 PM MST	NON-TSTM WND GST 67	Nellis Afb, NV
Mar 29, 9:30 PM MST	NON-TSTM WND GST 46	E I-40 At Fort Rock, AZ
Mar 29, 10:13 PM MST	NON-TSTM WND GST 59	Las Vegas Mccarran Ap, NV
Mar 29, 11:30 PM MST	NON-TSTM WND GST 75	W Desert Nwr Raws, NV

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

Flgstf/Belemont, AZ (KFGZ), launched 12:00Z, 9.3 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 2400 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 52 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -77 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: -36 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 KVEF 282118
RFWVEF

RED FLAG WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
218 PM PDT SAT MAR 28 2009

AZZ102-291400-
/O.UPG.KVEF.FW.A.0002.090329T2000Z-090330T0300Z/
/O.NEW.KVEF.FW.W.0002.090329T1700Z-090330T0400Z/
NORTHWEST DESERTS/NORTHWEST PLATEAU-
218 PM MST SAT MAR 28 2009

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 9 PM MST SUNDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAS VEGAS HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 9 PM MST SUNDAY FOR THE
NORTHWEST DESERTS AND NORTHWEST PLATEAU OF ARIZONA FOR GUSTY WINDS
AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY. THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS NO LONGER IN
EFFECT. 

WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE SUNDAY MORNING AHEAD OF AN
APPROACHING COLD FRONT. SUSTAINED WINDS WILL REACH 15 TO 25 MPH BY
LATE MORNING WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH. IN ADDITION...RELATIVE
HUMIDITY WILL DECREASE TO 10 TO 15 PERCENT BY NOON. STRONG WINDS
WILL PERSIST INTO THE EVENING HOURS BUT RELATIVE HUMIDITY WILL
INCREASE TO ABOVE 15 PERCENT BY 9 PM. WINDS WILL SHIFT TO A
NORTHERLY DIRECTION SOMETIME SUNDAY EVENING.

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING OR ARE IMMINENT. A COMBINATION OF STRONG
WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND WARM TEMPERATURES WILL CREATE
EXTREME FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.

$$

AZZ101-NVZ466-291400-
/O.NEW.KVEF.FW.W.0002.090329T1700Z-090330T0400Z/
LAKE MEAD NRA/COLORADO RIVER-AZ SIDE-LAKE MEAD NRA/COLORADO RIVER-
NV SIDE-
218 PM PDT SAT MAR 28 2009 /218 PM MST SAT MAR 28 2009/

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM PDT /10 AM MST/ TO 9 PM
PDT /9 PM MST/ SUNDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAS VEGAS HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM PDT TO 9 PM SUNDAY FOR THE
LAKE MEAD NATIONAL RECREATION AREA AND COLORADO RIVER VALLEY FOR
GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY.

SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING
COLD FRONT. SUSTAINED WINDS WILL REACH 15 TO 25 MPH BY LATE
MORNING WITH GUSTS AROUND 35 MPH. IN ADDITION...RELATIVE HUMIDITY
WILL DECREASE TO AROUND 10 PERCENT BY NOON. STRONG WINDS WILL
PERSIST INTO THE EVENING HOURS BUT RELATIVE HUMIDITY WILL INCREASE
TO ABOVE 15 PERCENT BY 9 PM. WINDS WILL SHIFT TO A NORTHERLY
DIRECTION SOMETIME SUNDAY EVENING.

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING OR ARE IMMINENT. A COMBINATION OF STRONG
WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND WARM TEMPERATURES WILL CREATE
EXTREME FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.

$$

4 follow-up statements

000 
WWUS85 KVEF 291131
RFWVEF

RED FLAG WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
431 AM PDT SUN MAR 29 2009

AZZ101-102-NVZ466-291945-
/O.CON.KVEF.FW.W.0002.090329T1700Z-090330T0400Z/
LAKE MEAD NRA/COLORADO RIVER-AZ SIDE-
NORTHWEST DESERTS/NORTHWEST PLATEAU-LAKE MEAD NRA/COLORADO RIVER-
NV SIDE-
431 AM PDT SUN MAR 29 2009 /431 AM MST SUN MAR 29 2009/

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM PDT /10 AM MST/
THIS MORNING TO 9 PM PDT /9 PM MST/ THIS EVENING FOR GUSTY WINDS
AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES...

A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM PDT /10 AM MST/
THIS MORNING TO 9 PM PDT /9 PM MST/ THIS EVENING FOR LAKE MEAD NRA/
COLORADO RIVER-AZ SIDE-NORTHWEST DESERTS/NORTHWEST PLATEAU-LAKE
MEAD NRA/COLORADO RIVER-NV SIDE FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE
HUMIDITIES.

SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING
COLD FRONT. SUSTAINED WINDS WILL REACH 15 TO 25 MPH BY LATE THIS 
MORNING WITH GUSTS AROUND 35 MPH. IN ADDITION...RELATIVE HUMIDITY
WILL DECREASE TO AROUND 10 PERCENT BY NOON. STRONG WINDS WILL
PERSIST INTO THE EVENING HOURS BUT RELATIVE HUMIDITY WILL
INCREASE TO ABOVE 15 PERCENT BY 9 PM. WINDS WILL SHIFT TO A
NORTHERLY DIRECTION SOMETIME BETWEEN 7 PM PDT/ 7 PM MST AND
10 PM PDT/ 10 PM MST THIS EVENING.

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING OR ARE IMMINENT. A COMBINATION OF STRONG
WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND WARM TEMPERATURES WILL CREATE
EXTREME FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.

$$

000 
WWUS85 KVEF 292019
RFWVEF

RED FLAG WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
119 PM PDT SUN MAR 29 2009

AZZ101-102-NVZ466-300400-
/O.CON.KVEF.FW.W.0002.000000T0000Z-090330T0400Z/
LAKE MEAD NRA/COLORADO RIVER-AZ SIDE-
NORTHWEST DESERTS/NORTHWEST PLATEAU-LAKE MEAD NRA/COLORADO RIVER-
NV SIDE-
119 PM PDT SUN MAR 29 2009 /119 PM MST SUN MAR 29 2009/

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM PDT /9 PM MST/
THIS EVENING...

A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM PDT /9 PM MST/
THIS EVENING. 

SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS BETWEEN 35 AND
45 MPH WILL CONTINUE ACROSS MUCH OF MOHAVE COUNTY AND THE LAKE
MEAD RECREATION AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. RELATIVE HUMIDITY
VALUES WERE ALREADY BELOW 15 PERCENT IN MOST AREAS EARLY THIS
AFTERNOON AND MAY DECREASE A LITTLE MORE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON.
STRONG WINDS WILL PERSIST INTO THE EVENING HOURS BUT RELATIVE
HUMIDITY WILL INCREASE TO ABOVE 15 PERCENT BY 9 PM. WINDS WILL
SHIFT TO A NORTHERLY DIRECTION SOMETIME BETWEEN 5 PM AND 10 PM
THIS EVENING.

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING OR ARE IMMINENT. A COMBINATION OF STRONG
WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND WARM TEMPERATURES WILL CREATE
EXTREME FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.

$$

000 
WWUS85 KVEF 300339
RFWVEF

RED FLAG WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
839 PM PDT SUN MAR 29 2009

AZZ101-102-NVZ466-300700-
/O.EXT.KVEF.FW.W.0002.000000T0000Z-090330T0700Z/
LAKE MEAD NRA/COLORADO RIVER-AZ SIDE-
NORTHWEST DESERTS/NORTHWEST PLATEAU-LAKE MEAD NRA/COLORADO RIVER-
NV SIDE-
839 PM PDT SUN MAR 29 2009 /839 PM MST SUN MAR 29 2009/

...RED FLAG WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT PDT /MIDNIGHT
MST/ TONIGHT...

THE RED FLAG WARNING FOR MOHAVE COUNTY AND THE LAKE MEAD NATIONAL
RECREATION AREA IS NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT PDT /MIDNIGHT MST/
TONIGHT.

A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL BRING NORTH WINDS GUSTING OVER 35 MPH
THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE EVENING...ALONG WITH MUCH DRIER AIR
WHICH WILL KEEP RELATIVE HUMIDITY NEAR 15 PERCENT UNTIL MIDNIGHT.
THUS...THE RED FLAG WARNING HAS BEEN EXTENDED UNTIL MIDNIGHT.

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING OR ARE IMMINENT. A COMBINATION OF STRONG
WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND WARM TEMPERATURES WILL CREATE
EXTREME FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.

$$

MORGAN

000 
WWUS85 KVEF 300636
RFWVEF

RED FLAG WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
1136 PM PDT SUN MAR 29 2009

AZZ101-102-NVZ466-300745-
/O.EXP.KVEF.FW.W.0002.000000T0000Z-090330T0700Z/
LAKE MEAD NRA/COLORADO RIVER-AZ SIDE-
NORTHWEST DESERTS/NORTHWEST PLATEAU-LAKE MEAD NRA/COLORADO RIVER-
NV SIDE-
1136 PM PDT SUN MAR 29 2009 /1136 PM MST SUN MAR 29 2009/

...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT MIDNIGHT PDT /MIDNIGHT MST/
TONIGHT...

THE RED FLAG WARNING FOR MOHAVE COUNTY AND THE LAKE MEAD NATIONAL
RECREATION AREA WILL EXPIRE AT MIDNIGHT TONIGHT.

WINDS WERE DECREASING ACROSS THE WARNING AREA LATE THIS EVENING.
ALTHOUGH LOCALLY GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES WILL PERSIST FOR
MUCH OF THE NIGHT...THE THREAT FOR WIDESPREAD CRITICAL FIRE
WEATHER CONDITIONS WAS DECREASING. THUS...THE RED FLAG WARNING
WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE AT MIDNIGHT.

$$

MORGAN

The office that day

Everything else NWS Las Vegas, NV issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Mar 28, 4:34 AM MST	Fire Weather Watch	VEF	Mohave	10 hr
Mar 28, 2:07 PM MST	Lake Wind Advisory	VEF		33 hr
Mar 28, 2:07 PM MST	Wind Advisory	VEF	Mohave	37 hr

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Arizona, 2009 Red Flag Warnings in Nevada, 2009 Every 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.