Alert archive / Massachusetts / Red Flag Warnings in 2011

Red Flag Warning 1, NWS Boston/Norton, MA

March 28, 201110 counties in Massachusetts; 5 counties in Rhode Island; Capitol Planning Region, Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut

NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued this red flag warning at Mar 28, 2011, 4:04 AM EDT for 10 counties in Massachusetts; 5 counties in Rhode Island; Capitol Planning Region, Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut. It took effect at Mar 28, 2011, 11:00 AM EDT. 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
Mar 28, 2011, 4:04 AM EDT (08:04 UTC)
In effect from
Mar 28, 2011, 11:00 AM EDT
Expired
Mar 28, 2011, 6:17 PM EDT
In force
7 hr
Issued by
NWS Boston/Norton, MA

Counties Capitol Planning Region, CT, Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region, CT, Bristol County, MA, Essex County, MA, Franklin County, MA, Hampden County, MA, Hampshire County, MA, Middlesex County, MA, Norfolk County, MA, Plymouth County, MA, Suffolk County, MA, Worcester County, MA, Bristol County, RI, Kent County, RI, Newport County, RI, Providence County, RI, Washington County, RI

The radar

The Boston radar (KBOX), 43 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:05 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

Chatham, MA (KCHH), launched 00:00Z, 8.1 hours before the alert went out and 145 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, Chatham, MA at 00:00Z on 2011-03-28Temperature 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 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Chatham, MA at 00:00Z on 2011-03-28The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 33 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
2238 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
76 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
33 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
48 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.

629 
WWUS81 KBOX 280804
RFWBOX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
404 AM EDT MON MAR 28 2011

CTZ002>004-MAZ003>007-010>021-026-RIZ001>007-281615-
/O.NEW.KBOX.FW.W.0001.110328T1500Z-110328T2300Z/
HARTFORD CT-TOLLAND CT-WINDHAM CT-EASTERN FRANKLIN MA-
NORTHERN WORCESTER MA-CENTRAL MIDDLESEX MA-WESTERN ESSEX MA-
EASTERN ESSEX MA-EASTERN HAMPSHIRE MA-EASTERN HAMPDEN MA-
SOUTHERN WORCESTER MA-WESTERN NORFOLK MA-SOUTHEAST MIDDLESEX MA-
SUFFOLK MA-EASTERN NORFOLK MA-NORTHERN BRISTOL MA-
WESTERN PLYMOUTH MA-EASTERN PLYMOUTH MA-SOUTHERN BRISTOL MA-
SOUTHERN PLYMOUTH MA-NORTHERN MIDDLESEX MA-
NORTHWEST PROVIDENCE RI-SOUTHEAST PROVIDENCE RI-WESTERN KENT RI-
EASTERN KENT RI-BRISTOL RI-WASHINGTON RI-NEWPORT RI-
404 AM EDT MON MAR 28 2011

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING FOR NORTHERN CONNECTICUT...RHODE ISLAND...AND MOST OF
MASSACHUSETTS...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 7
PM EDT THIS EVENING.

DRY NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTING TO 25 TO 30 MPH WILL CONTINUE TO
AFFECT MUCH OF SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND TODAY. SINGLE DIGIT DEWPOINTS
WILL RESULT IN MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITIES BETWEEN 20 AND 25
PERCENT. THESE CONDITIONS WILL RESULT IN AN ELEVATED FIRE SPREAD
POTENTIAL IN SNOW FREE LOCATIONS.

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.

&&

$$

RLG
2 follow-up statements
985 
WWUS81 KBOX 281527
RFWBOX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
1127 AM EDT MON MAR 28 2011

CTZ002>004-MAZ003>007-010>021-026-RIZ001>007-282300-
/O.CON.KBOX.FW.W.0001.000000T0000Z-110328T2300Z/
HARTFORD CT-TOLLAND CT-WINDHAM CT-EASTERN FRANKLIN MA-
NORTHERN WORCESTER MA-CENTRAL MIDDLESEX MA-WESTERN ESSEX MA-
EASTERN ESSEX MA-EASTERN HAMPSHIRE MA-EASTERN HAMPDEN MA-
SOUTHERN WORCESTER MA-WESTERN NORFOLK MA-SOUTHEAST MIDDLESEX MA-
SUFFOLK MA-EASTERN NORFOLK MA-NORTHERN BRISTOL MA-
WESTERN PLYMOUTH MA-EASTERN PLYMOUTH MA-SOUTHERN BRISTOL MA-
SOUTHERN PLYMOUTH MA-NORTHERN MIDDLESEX MA-
NORTHWEST PROVIDENCE RI-SOUTHEAST PROVIDENCE RI-WESTERN KENT RI-
EASTERN KENT RI-BRISTOL RI-WASHINGTON RI-NEWPORT RI-
1127 AM EDT MON MAR 28 2011

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

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

DRY NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTING TO 25 TO 30 MPH WILL CONTINUE OVER THE
AREA INTO THIS EVENING. SINGLE DIGIT DEWPOINTS ARE KEEPING RELATIVE
HUMIDITIES BETWEEN 20 AND 30 PERCENT. THESE CONDITIONS ARE
MAINTAINING AN ELEVATED FIRE SPREAD POTENTIAL IN SNOW FREE LOCATIONS.

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.

&&

$$

DOODY
139 
WWUS81 KBOX 282217
RFWBOX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
617 PM EDT MON MAR 28 2011


CTZ002>004-MAZ003>007-010>021-026-RIZ001>007-282330-
/O.CAN.KBOX.FW.W.0001.000000T0000Z-110328T2300Z/
HARTFORD CT-TOLLAND CT-WINDHAM CT-EASTERN FRANKLIN MA-
NORTHERN WORCESTER MA-CENTRAL MIDDLESEX MA-WESTERN ESSEX MA-
EASTERN ESSEX MA-EASTERN HAMPSHIRE MA-EASTERN HAMPDEN MA-
SOUTHERN WORCESTER MA-WESTERN NORFOLK MA-SOUTHEAST MIDDLESEX MA-
SUFFOLK MA-EASTERN NORFOLK MA-NORTHERN BRISTOL MA-
WESTERN PLYMOUTH MA-EASTERN PLYMOUTH MA-SOUTHERN BRISTOL MA-
SOUTHERN PLYMOUTH MA-NORTHERN MIDDLESEX MA-
NORTHWEST PROVIDENCE RI-SOUTHEAST PROVIDENCE RI-WESTERN KENT RI-
EASTERN KENT RI-BRISTOL RI-WASHINGTON RI-NEWPORT RI-
617 PM EDT MON MAR 28 2011

...RED FLAG WARNING IS CANCELLED...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON HAS CANCELLED THE RED
FLAG WARNING. 

NORTHWEST WIND GUSTS HAVE DIMINISHED BELOW 25 MPH ACROSS MUCH OF
THE REGION.  THEREFORE...THE RED FLAG WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

$$

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Massachusetts, 2011Red Flag Warnings in Rhode Island, 2011Red Flag Warnings in Connecticut, 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.