Alert archive / Colorado / Red Flag Warnings in 2011

Red Flag Warning 25, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO

October 4, 201110 counties in Colorado

NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued this red flag warning at Oct 4, 2011, 2:50 AM MDT for 10 counties in Colorado. It took effect at Oct 4, 2011, 12:00 PM MDT. 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
Oct 4, 2011, 2:50 AM MDT (08:50 UTC)
In effect from
Oct 4, 2011, 12:00 PM MDT
Expired
Oct 4, 2011, 6:00 PM MDT
In force
6 hr
Issued by
NWS Denver/Boulder, CO

Counties Adams County, CO, Arapahoe County, CO, Elbert County, CO, Lincoln County, CO, Logan County, CO, Morgan County, CO, Phillips County, CO, Sedgwick County, CO, Washington County, CO, Weld County, CO

The radar

The Denver radar (KFTG), 90 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:47 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, 8.8 hours before the alert went out and 36 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 2011-10-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 46 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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 2011-10-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 3 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
46 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-6 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
3257 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
9 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
3 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
26 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.

160 
WWUS85 KBOU 040850
RFWBOU

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
250 AM MDT TUE OCT 4 2011

...HIGH FIRE DANGER OVER PORTIONS OF THE PLAINS TODAY...

.SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL INCREASE RATHER SHARPLY ACROSS THE EASTERN
PLAINS OF COLORADO BY THE NOON HOUR. GUSTS BY MID TO LATE
AFTERNOON ARE EXPECTED TO REACH 35 MPH. HUMIDITY READINGS ARE ALSO
EXPECTED TO DROP TO NEAR 15 PERCENT. GIVEN THE VERY DRY
FUELS...FIRE DANGER WILL BE VERY HIGH ESPECIALLY IN GRASSLAND.

COZ242-244>251-041700-
/O.NEW.KBOU.FW.W.0025.111004T1800Z-111005T0000Z/
NORTHEAST WELD COUNTY-MORGAN COUNTY-
CENTRAL AND EAST ADAMS AND ARAPAHOE COUNTIES-
NORTH AND NORTHEAST ELBERT COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/NORTH LINCOLN
COUNTY-
SOUTHEAST ELBERT COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/SOUTH LINCOLN COUNTY-
LOGAN COUNTY-WASHINGTON COUNTY-SEDGWICK COUNTY-PHILLIPS COUNTY-
250 AM MDT TUE OCT 4 2011

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM MDT THIS
EVENING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR PORTIONS OF THE 
EASTERN PLAINS OF COLORADO...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DENVER HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING FOR STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...WHICH
IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING. 

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 242...244...245...246... 
  247...248...249...250 AND 251.

* TIMING...NOON UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING.

* WINDS...SOUTH 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS AROUND 35 MPH.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 15 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS...THE STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS COMBINED WITH VERY DRY
  FUELS WILL LEAD TO HIGH FIRE DANGER. ANY NEW FIRE STARTS WILL BE
  ABLE TO SPREAD RAPIDLY GIVEN THE STRONG WINDS AND VERY DRY FUELS.

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.

CONTROLLED BURNS OR OPEN BURNING SHOULD BE AVOIDED TODAY GIVEN THE
POTENTIAL FOR RAPID OUT OF CONTROL FIRE SPREAD.

&&

$$

BARJENBRUCH
2 follow-up statements
696 
WWUS85 KBOU 041649
RFWBOU

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
1049 AM MDT TUE OCT 4 2011

...HIGH FIRE DANGER OVER PORTIONS OF THE PLAINS TODAY...

.STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE PLAINS OF EASTERN
COLORADO THIS AFTERNOON. BY MID TO LATE AFTERNOON GUSTS WILL REACH
35 MPH. HUMIDITY READINGS ARE ALSO EXPECTED TO DROP TO NEAR 15
PERCENT. GIVEN THE VERY DRY FUELS...FIRE DANGER WILL BE VERY HIGH
ESPECIALLY IN GRASSLANDS.

COZ242-244>251-050000-
/O.CON.KBOU.FW.W.0025.111004T1800Z-111005T0000Z/
NORTHEAST WELD COUNTY-MORGAN COUNTY-
CENTRAL AND EAST ADAMS AND ARAPAHOE COUNTIES-
NORTH AND NORTHEAST ELBERT COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/NORTH LINCOLN
COUNTY-
SOUTHEAST ELBERT COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/SOUTH LINCOLN COUNTY-
LOGAN COUNTY-WASHINGTON COUNTY-SEDGWICK COUNTY-PHILLIPS COUNTY-
1049 AM MDT TUE OCT 4 2011

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING
FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR PORTIONS OF THE EASTERN
PLAINS OF COLORADO...

A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING.

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 242...244...245...246... 
  247...248...249...250 AND 251. 

* TIMING...NOON UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING.

* WINDS...SOUTH 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 35 MPH.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 15 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS...THE STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS COMBINED WITH VERY DRY 
  FUELS WILL LEAD TO HIGH FIRE DANGER. ANY NEW FIRE STARTS WILL 
  BE ABLE TO SPREAD RAPIDLY GIVEN THE STRONG WINDS AND VERY DRY 
  FUELS. 

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.

CONTROLLED BURNS OR OPEN BURNING SHOULD BE AVOIDED TODAY GIVEN
THE POTENTIAL FOR RAPID OUT OF CONTROL FIRE SPREAD.

&&

$$

GIMMESTAD
476 
WWUS85 KBOU 042353
RFWBOU

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
553 PM MDT TUE OCT 4 2011

COZ242-244>251-050100-
/O.EXP.KBOU.FW.W.0025.000000T0000Z-111005T0000Z/
NORTHEAST WELD COUNTY-MORGAN COUNTY-
CENTRAL AND EAST ADAMS AND ARAPAHOE COUNTIES-
NORTH AND NORTHEAST ELBERT COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/NORTH LINCOLN
COUNTY-
SOUTHEAST ELBERT COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/SOUTH LINCOLN COUNTY-
LOGAN COUNTY-WASHINGTON COUNTY-SEDGWICK COUNTY-PHILLIPS COUNTY-
553 PM MDT TUE OCT 4 2011

...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR
WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR PORTIONS OF THE EASTERN
PLAINS OF COLORADO...

THE RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING. 

RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING AROUND 15 PERCENT.
THE WILL INCREASE AFTER 6 PM. THEREFORE...THE RED FLAG WARNING
WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE AT 6 PM.

FIRE DANGER WILL REMAIN ELEVATED THROUGH THE EVENING AS GUSTY
SOUTHERLY WINDS CONTINUE THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. 

$$

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.