Alert archive / Colorado / Red Flag Warnings in 2011

Red Flag Warning 1, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO

February 28, 20119 counties in Colorado

NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued this red flag warning at Feb 28, 2011, 11:20 AM MST for 9 counties in Colorado. It was in force for 6 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 28, 2011, 11:20 AM MST (18:20 UTC)
Expired
Feb 28, 2011, 5:00 PM MST
In force
6 hr
Issued by
NWS Denver/Boulder, CO

Counties Adams County, CO, Arapahoe County, CO, Boulder County, CO, Broomfield County, CO, Denver County, CO, Douglas County, CO, Elbert County, CO, Jefferson County, CO, Lincoln County, CO

The radar

The Denver radar (KFTG), 21 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:23 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 12:00Z, 6.3 hours before the alert went out and 124 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 12:00Z on 2011-02-28Temperature 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 12:00Z on 2011-02-28The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 162 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
2318 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
49 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
162 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
254 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.

281 
WWUS85 KBOU 281820
RFWBOU

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
1120 AM MST MON FEB 28 2011

...DRY AND WINDY CONDITIONS FOR THE PALMER DIVIDE AND ADJACENT
PLAINS...

.DRY SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW UNDER A BUILDING RIDGE AND A DEEPENING
SURFACE TROUGH WILL COMBINE TO BRING CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER
CONDITIONS OVER THE PALMER DIVIDE...INTO THE SOUTHERN PART OF ZONE
240 AND THEN STRETCHING OVER ALL OF ZONES 246 AND 247. AS THE
SURFACE LOW MOVES SOUTH LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND THE DIURNAL
EFFECTS TAKE PLACE...RED FLAG CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO DIMINISH
BY 5 PM. 

COZ240-241-246-247-010000-
/O.NEW.KBOU.FW.W.0001.110228T1820Z-110301T0000Z/
NORTH DOUGLAS COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/DENVER/WEST ADAMS AND
ARAPAHOE COUNTIES/EAST BROOMFIELD COUNTY-
ELBERT/CENTRAL AND EAST DOUGLAS COUNTIES ABOVE 6000 FEET-
NORTH AND NORTHEAST ELBERT COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/NORTH LINCOLN
COUNTY-
SOUTHEAST ELBERT COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/SOUTH LINCOLN COUNTY-
1120 AM MST MON FEB 28 2011

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON FOR
GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 240...241...
246 AND 247...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DENVER HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON. 


* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 240...AURORA...DENVER
  INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...HIGHLANDS RANCH...LITTLETON...PARKER
  ...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 241...CASTLE ROCK...ELBERT...FONDIS
  ...KIOWA...LARKSPUR...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 246...AGATE...HUGO
  LIMON...MATHESON...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 247...FORDER...KARVAL
  ...KUTCH...PUNKIN CENTER.

* TIMING...THE PALMER DIVIDE IS CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING RED FLAG
  CONDITIONS WHICH WILL SPREAD TO THE SOUTHERN PARTS OF ZONE 240
  AND ALL OF 246 AND 247 WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR OR TWO. WINDS WILL
  DIMINISH BY 00Z.

* WIND...SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS OF 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30
  MPH.

* HUMIDITY...LOWEST HUMIDITIES RIGHT AROUND 10 PERCENT

* IMPACTS...LOW HUMIDITY AND GUSTY WINDS WILL COMBINE WITH DRY
  FUELS TO CREATE CONDITIONS FOR QUICK FIRE SPREAD IF ONE WERE TO
  START.


PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING OR IMMINENT. PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE
OFFICIALS AND FIRE CREWS IN THE FIELD OF THIS RED FLAG WARNING.

&&

$$
2 follow-up statements
757 
WWUS85 KBOU 282143
RFWBOU

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
243 PM MST MON FEB 28 2011

...DRY AND WINDY CONDITIONS CONTINUE FOR THE PALMER DIVIDE AND
WESTERN AND CENTRAL DENVER METRO AREA AND EAST TO LINCOLN COUNTY...

.DRY SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW UNDER A BUILDING RIDGE AND A DEEPENING
SURFACE TROUGH WILL CONTINUE TO BRING CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER
CONDITIONS OVER THE PALMER DIVIDE...ZONE 239 AND THE SOUTHERN
PART OF ZONE 240...THEN STRETCHING OVER ALL OF ZONES 246 AND 247.
AS THE SURFACE LOW MOVES SOUTH LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND THE
DIURNAL EFFECTS TAKE PLACE...RED FLAG CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO
DIMINISH BY 5 PM.

COZ239-010000-
/O.EXA.KBOU.FW.W.0001.000000T0000Z-110301T0000Z/
BOULDER AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES BELOW 6000 FEET/WEST BROOMFIELD
COUNTY-
243 PM MST MON FEB 28 2011

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON FOR
GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONE 239...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DENVER HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON. 

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 239...LONGMONT...BOULDER...
  GOLDEN. 

* TIMING...CURRENT RED FLAG CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THIS
  AFTERNOON UNTIL WINDS DECREASE AROUND 00Z.

* WIND...WESTERLY WINDS OF 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH.

* HUMIDITY...LOWEST HUMIDITIES RIGHT AROUND 10 PERCENT

* IMPACTS...LOW HUMIDITY AND GUSTY WINDS WILL COMBINE WITH DRY 
  FUELS TO CREATE CONDITIONS FOR QUICK FIRE SPREAD IF ONE WERE 
  TO START.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING OR IMMINENT. PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE
OFFICIALS AND FIRE CREWS IN THE FIELD OF THIS RED FLAG WARNING.

&&

$$

COZ240-241-246-247-010000-
/O.CON.KBOU.FW.W.0001.000000T0000Z-110301T0000Z/
NORTH DOUGLAS COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/DENVER/WEST ADAMS AND
ARAPAHOE COUNTIES/EAST BROOMFIELD COUNTY-
ELBERT/CENTRAL AND EAST DOUGLAS COUNTIES ABOVE 6000 FEET-
NORTH AND NORTHEAST ELBERT COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/NORTH LINCOLN
COUNTY-
SOUTHEAST ELBERT COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/SOUTH LINCOLN COUNTY-
243 PM MST MON FEB 28 2011

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM MST THIS
AFTERNOON FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES
240...241...246 AND 247...

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 240...AURORA...DENVER
  INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...HIGHLANDS RANCH...LITTLETON...PARKER...
  FIRE WEATHER ZONE 241...CASTLE ROCK...ELBERT...FONDIS...KIOWA
  ...LARKSPUR...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 246...AGATE...HUGO...LIMON...
  MATHESON...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 247...FORDER...KARVAL...KUTCH...
  ...PUNKIN CENTER.

* TIMING...RED FLAG CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE UNTIL WINDS DECREASE BY
  00Z.

* WIND...SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS OF 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 
  30 MPH. 

* HUMIDITY...LOWEST HUMIDITIES RIGHT AROUND 10 PERCENT

* IMPACTS...LOW HUMIDITY AND GUSTY WINDS WILL COMBINE WITH DRY 
  FUELS TO CREATE CONDITIONS FOR QUICK FIRE SPREAD IF ONE WERE 
  TO START.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING OR IMMINENT. PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE
OFFICIALS AND FIRE CREWS IN THE FIELD OF THIS RED FLAG WARNING.

&&

$$
000 
WWUS85 KBOU 010009
RFWBOU

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
509 PM MST MON FEB 28 2011

COZ239>241-246-247-010115-
/O.EXP.KBOU.FW.W.0001.000000T0000Z-110301T0000Z/
BOULDER AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES BELOW 6000 FEET/WEST BROOMFIELD
COUNTY-
NORTH DOUGLAS COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/DENVER/WEST ADAMS AND
ARAPAHOE COUNTIES/EAST BROOMFIELD COUNTY-
ELBERT/CENTRAL AND EAST DOUGLAS COUNTIES ABOVE 6000 FEET-
NORTH AND NORTHEAST ELBERT COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/NORTH LINCOLN
COUNTY-
SOUTHEAST ELBERT COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/SOUTH LINCOLN COUNTY-
509 PM MST MON FEB 28 2011

...RED FLAG WARNING HAS EXPIRED FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY
FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONE 239...

THE RED FLAG WARNING IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. WINDS HAVE DECREASED
INTO THE 15 TO 20 MPH RANGE ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA...AND WILL
CONTINUE TO GRADUALLY DECREASE INTO THE EARLY EVENING. WITH
HUMIDITIES STILL VERY LOW...THE FIRE DANGER WILL REMAIN HIGH THIS
EVENING BUT WILL BE DECREASING.

$$

GIMMESTAD

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Colorado, 2011Every red flag warning in 2011

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.