Alert archive / Texas / Red Flag Warnings in 2011

Red Flag Warning 2, NWS Brownsville, TX

January 31, 20118 counties in Texas

NWS Brownsville, TX issued this red flag warning at Jan 31, 2011, 2:27 PM CST for 8 counties in Texas. It took effect at Feb 1, 2011, 9:00 AM CST. It was in force for 9 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
Jan 31, 2011, 2:27 PM CST (20:27 UTC)
In effect from
Feb 1, 2011, 9:00 AM CST
Expired
Feb 1, 2011, 6:00 PM CST
In force
9 hr
Issued by
NWS Brownsville, TX

Counties Brooks County, TX, Cameron County, TX, Hidalgo County, TX, Jim Hogg County, TX, Kenedy County, TX, Starr County, TX, Willacy County, TX, Zapata County, TX

The radar

The Brownsville radar (KBRO), 118 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:28 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

Brownsville Intl, TX (KBRO), launched 12:00Z, 8.5 hours before the alert went out and 120 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, Brownsville Intl, TX at 12:00Z on 2011-01-31Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 82 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Brownsville Intl, TX at 12:00Z on 2011-01-31The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -104 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
82 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-241 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
461 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
42 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-104 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-66 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.

527 
WWUS84 KBRO 312027
RFWBRO

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
227 PM CST MON JAN 31 2011

...CRITICAL CONDITIONS FOR WILDFIRE BEHAVIOR ACTIVITY TUESDAY...

.A DRY LINE WILL USHER IN MUCH DRIER AND VERY WINDY CONDITIONS
ACROSS ALL OF DEEP SOUTH TEXAS TUESDAY. HUMIDITY LEVELS WILL CRASH
DURING THE DAY COMBINING WITH CURED FUELS AND STRONG SURFACE
WINDS TO ENHANCE WILDFIRE GROWTH AND SPREAD TUESDAY. AN ARCTIC
FRONT BARRELS THROUGH DEEP SOUTH TEXAS TUESDAY EVENING DROPPING
TEMPERATURES 30 TO 40 DEGREES AND LOWERING DEW POINTS INTO THE
TEENS BY WEDNESDAY MORNING.

TXZ248>255-010400-
/O.UPG.KBRO.FW.A.0002.110201T1500Z-110201T2300Z/
/O.NEW.KBRO.FW.W.0002.110201T1500Z-110202T0000Z/
ZAPATA-JIM HOGG-BROOKS-KENEDY-STARR-HIDALGO-INLAND WILLACY-
INLAND CAMERON-
227 PM CST MON JAN 31 2011

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM TO 6 PM CST TUESDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BROWNSVILLE HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM TO 6 PM CST TUESDAY. THE
FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. 

RELATIVE HUMIDITY LEVELS TO FALL INTO THE 15 TO 25 PERCENT RANGE
ACROSS THE WEST AND 25 TO 35 PERCENT EAST OF HIGHWAY 281 TUESDAY
AFTERNOON. DOWNSLOPING WEST TO NORTHWEST TO INCREASE TO 20 TO 30
MPH WITH GUSTS EXCEEDING 40 MPH. THE COMBINATION OF LOW RH VALUES
AND STRONG GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS WILL PROVIDE EXTREME FIRE DANGER
ACROSS THE REGION.


PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY. THESE CONDITIONS INCLUDE
SUSTAINED 20 FOOT WINDS OF 25 MPH OR GREATER AND CURED FUELS...OR
THE COMBINATION OF RELATIVE HUMIDITY BELOW 35 PERCENT FOR 2 HOURS
OR MORE AND SUSTAINED 20 FOOT WINDS OF 25 MPH OR HIGHER WHEN
FUELS ARE NOT CURED. THESE CONDITIONS WILL CREATE EXPLOSIVE FIRE
GROWTH POTENTIAL.

&&

$$

TXZ256-257-010400-
/O.NEW.KBRO.FW.W.0002.110201T1500Z-110202T0000Z/
COASTAL WILLACY-COASTAL CAMERON-
227 PM CST MON JAN 31 2011

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM TO 6 PM CST TUESDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BROWNSVILLE HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM TO 6 PM CST TUESDAY. 

RELATIVE HUMIDITY LEVELS TO FALL INTO THE 25 TO 35 PERCENT RANGE
ACROSS THE COASTAL REGIONS OF THE LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY WITH 
WEST TO NORTHWEST INCREASING 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS EXCEEDING 40
MPH. THE COMBINATION OF LOW RH VALUES AND STRONG GUSTY NORTHWEST
WINDS WILL PROVIDE AN EXTREME FIRE DANGER ACROSS THE REGION.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY. THESE CONDITIONS INCLUDE
SUSTAINED 20 FOOT WINDS OF 25 MPH OR GREATER AND CURED FUELS...OR
THE COMBINATION OF RELATIVE HUMIDITY BELOW 35 PERCENT FOR 2 HOURS
OR MORE AND SUSTAINED 20 FOOT WINDS OF 25 MPH OR HIGHER WHEN
FUELS ARE NOT CURED. THESE CONDITIONS WILL CREATE EXPLOSIVE FIRE
GROWTH POTENTIAL.

&&

$$
GB
1 follow-up statement
429 
WWUS84 KBRO 010937
RFWBRO

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
337 AM CST TUE FEB 1 2011

...CONDITIONS VERY FAVORABLE FOR WILDFIRE GROWTH AND SPREAD...

.THE PASSAGE OF A COLD FRONT THROUGH DEEP SOUTH TEXAS EARLY THIS
MORNING WILL CAUSE STRONG SURFACE WINDS TO DEVELOP IN THE WAKE 
OF THIS FRONT. MUCH COLDER AND DRIER AIR WILL POUR INTO THE RIO
GRANDE VALLEY ON THESE WINDS...CAUSING A RAPID DROP IN RELATIVE
HUMIDITY VALUES. THE STRONG WINDS WILL COMBINE WITH LOW RELATIVE
HUMIDITY PERCENTAGES AND CURED FUELS TO PRODUCE CONDITIONS VERY
FAVORABLE FOR RAPID WILDFIRE GROWTH AND SPREAD SHOULD ANY WILDFIRE
ACTIVITY INITIATE. 

TXZ248>257-011700-
/O.CON.KBRO.FW.W.0002.110201T1500Z-110202T0000Z/
ZAPATA-JIM HOGG-BROOKS-KENEDY-STARR-HIDALGO-INLAND WILLACY-
INLAND CAMERON-COASTAL WILLACY-COASTAL CAMERON-
337 AM CST TUE FEB 1 2011

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO
6 PM CST THIS EVENING...

A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO
6 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR ALL OF DEEP SOUTH TEXAS. 

STRONGER WINDS AND MUCH DRIER AIR WILL SURGE INTO DEEP SOUTH TEXAS
TODAY DUE TO THE PASSAGE OF A COLD FRONT THIS MORNING AND A STRONG
ARCTIC HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM PLUNGING SOUTH INTO TEXAS. RELATIVE
HUMIDITY VALUES WILL FALL TO BETWEEN 20 AND 30 PERCENT...WHILE 20
FOOT WINDS FROM THE NORTHWEST TO NORTH PREVAIL BETWEEN 20 AND 30
MPH. THESE RELATIVE HUMIDITY PERCENTAGES WILL COMBINE WITH THE 20
FOOT WINDS AND CURED FUELS TO PRODUCE CONDITIONS VERY FAVORABLE
FOR RAPID WILDFIRE GROWTH AND SPREAD TODAY. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY. THESE CONDITIONS INCLUDE
SUSTAINED 20 FOOT WINDS OF 25 MPH OR GREATER AND CURED FUELS...OR
THE COMBINATION OF RELATIVE HUMIDITY BELOW 35 PERCENT FOR 2 HOURS
OR MORE AND SUSTAINED 20 FOOT WINDS OF 25 MPH OR HIGHER WHEN
FUELS ARE NOT CURED. THESE CONDITIONS WILL CREATE EXPLOSIVE FIRE
GROWTH POTENTIAL.

$$

TOMASELLI

The office that day

Everything else NWS Brownsville, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 31, 2:14 AM CSTMarine Dense Fog AdvisoryBRO10 hr
Jan 31, 4:05 AM CSTFire Weather WatchBROBrooks, Cameron, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Kenedy, Starr and 2 more10 hr
Jan 31, 8:14 AM CSTDense Fog AdvisoryBROCameron, Willacy106 min
Jan 31, 2:57 PM CSTGale WatchBRO12 hr
Jan 31, 2:57 PM CSTSmall Craft AdvisoryBRO12 hr
Jan 31, 2:57 PM CSTSmall Craft Advisory for WindsBRO12 hr
Jan 31, 3:33 PM CSTFreeze WatchBROBrooks, Cameron, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Kenedy, Starr and 2 more13 hr

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Texas, 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.