Alert archive / Texas / Red Flag Warnings in 2011

Red Flag Warning 4, NWS Brownsville, TX

April 4, 20118 counties in Texas

NWS Brownsville, TX issued this red flag warning at Apr 4, 2011, 4:32 AM CDT for 8 counties in Texas. It took effect at Apr 4, 2011, 12:00 PM CDT. It was in force for 10 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
Apr 4, 2011, 4:32 AM CDT (09:32 UTC)
In effect from
Apr 4, 2011, 12:00 PM CDT
Expired
Apr 4, 2011, 10:00 PM CDT
In force
10 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 09:31 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 00:00Z, 9.5 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 00:00Z on 2011-04-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1989 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 00:00Z on 2011-04-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 76 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
1989 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-343 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1166 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
14 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
76 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
203 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.

631 
WWUS84 KBRO 040932
RFWBRO

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
432 AM CDT MON APR 4 2011

...ROBUST WILDFIRE CONDITIONS EXPECTED TODAY...

.A COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP THROUGH DEEP SOUTH TEXAS THIS MORNING.
WINDS WILL INCREASE TO BETWEEN 25 AND 35 MPH FROM THE NORTHWEST
AND NORTH BEHIND THE FRONT...USHERING IN MUCH DRIER AIR. THESE
WINDS WILL COMBINE WITH LOWER RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES AND CURED
FUELS TO GREATLY ENHANCE THE POTENTIAL FOR WILDFIRE ACTIVITY IN
DEEP SOUTH TEXAS AND THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY TODAY.

TXZ248>253-041745-
/O.UPG.KBRO.FW.A.0005.110404T1700Z-110405T0300Z/
/O.NEW.KBRO.FW.W.0004.110404T1700Z-110405T0300Z/
ZAPATA-JIM HOGG-BROOKS-KENEDY-STARR-HIDALGO-
432 AM CDT MON APR 4 2011

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 10 PM CDT THIS
EVENING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BROWNSVILLE HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 10 PM CDT THIS
EVENING FOR ALL OF DEEP SOUTH TEXAS. 

NORTHWESTERLY TO NORTHERLY WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH WILL DEVELOP AS A
COLD FRONT PASSES THROUGH THIS MORNING...WITH RELATIVE HUMIDITY
VALUES FALLING TO BETWEEN 10 AND 30 PERCENT DUE TO AN INFLUX OF
DRIER AIR PROVIDED BY THE WINDS. THESE WINDS WILL COMBINE WITH THE
MUCH DRIER ATMOSPHERE AND ABUNDANT CURED FUELS TO PRODUCE WEATHER
CONDITIONS MUCH MORE SUITABLE FOR WILDFIRE ACTIVITY TODAY. 

LESS ROBUST WILDFIRE CONDITIONS ARE ANTICIPATED LATER TONIGHT AS
WINDS GRADUALLY DIMINISH...AND RELATIVE HUMIDITY PERCENTAGES RISE.

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.

&&

$$

TXZ254>257-041745-
/O.NEW.KBRO.FW.W.0004.110404T1700Z-110405T0300Z/
INLAND WILLACY-INLAND CAMERON-COASTAL WILLACY-COASTAL CAMERON-
432 AM CDT MON APR 4 2011

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 10 PM CDT THIS
EVENING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BROWNSVILLE HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 10 PM CDT THIS
EVENING FOR ALL OF DEEP SOUTH TEXAS. 

NORTHWESTERLY TO NORTHERLY WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH WILL DEVELOP AS A
COLD FRONT PASSES THROUGH THIS MORNING...WITH RELATIVE HUMIDITY
VALUES FALLING TO BETWEEN 10 AND 30 PERCENT DUE TO AN INFLUX OF
DRIER AIR PROVIDED BY THE WINDS. THESE WINDS WILL COMBINE WITH THE
MUCH DRIER ATMOSPHERE AND ABUNDANT CURED FUELS TO PRODUCE WEATHER
CONDITIONS MUCH MORE SUITABLE FOR WILDFIRE ACTIVITY TODAY. 

LESS ROBUST WILDFIRE CONDITIONS ARE ANTICIPATED LATER TONIGHT AS
WINDS GRADUALLY DIMINISH...AND RELATIVE HUMIDITY PERCENTAGES RISE.

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.

&&

$$
2 follow-up statements
768 
WWUS84 KBRO 041822
RFWBRO

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
122 PM CDT MON APR 4 2011

...CRITICAL WILDFIRE BEHAVIOR CONDITIONS EXPECTED TODAY...

.A COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP THROUGH DEEP SOUTH TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON.
WINDS WILL INCREASE TO BETWEEN 25 AND 35 MPH FROM THE NORTHWEST
AND NORTH BEHIND THE FRONT...USHERING IN MUCH DRIER AIR. THESE
WINDS WILL COMBINE WITH LOWER RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES AND CURED
FUELS TO GREATLY ENHANCE THE POTENTIAL FOR ERRATIC WILDFIRE
BEHAVIOR IN DEEP SOUTH TEXAS AND THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY TODAY.

TXZ248>257-050200-
/O.CON.KBRO.FW.W.0004.000000T0000Z-110405T0300Z/
ZAPATA-JIM HOGG-BROOKS-KENEDY-STARR-HIDALGO-INLAND WILLACY-
INLAND CAMERON-COASTAL WILLACY-COASTAL CAMERON-
122 PM CDT MON APR 4 2011

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT THIS
EVENING...

A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT THIS
EVENING. 

NORTHWESTERLY TO NORTHERLY WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH WILL DEVELOP AS
A COLD FRONT PASSES THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON...WITH RELATIVE
HUMIDITY VALUES FALLING TO BETWEEN 10 AND 30 PERCENT DUE TO AN
INFLUX OF DRIER AIR PROVIDED BY THE WINDS. THESE WINDS WILL
COMBINE WITH THE MUCH DRIER ATMOSPHERE AND ABUNDANT CURED FUELS TO
PRODUCE WEATHER CONDITIONS MUCH MORE SUITABLE FOR ERRATIC WILDFIRE
BEHAVIOR ACTIVITY TODAY.

LESS ROBUST WILDFIRE CONDITIONS ARE ANTICIPATED LATER TONIGHT AS
WINDS GRADUALLY DIMINISH...AND RELATIVE HUMIDITY PERCENTAGES
RISE.

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.

&&

$$
064 
WWUS84 KBRO 050305
RFWBRO

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
1005 PM CDT MON APR 4 2011

...RED FLAG WARNING FOR DEEP SOUTH TEXAS EXPIRED...

.NORTH WINDS HAVE DECREASED ACROSS DEEP SOUTH TEXAS IN THE WAKE
OF A COLD FRONT...WITH CONDITIONS BELOW RED FLAG WARNING CRITERIA
AND THE RED FLAG WARNING EXPIRING AS SCHEDULED.

TXZ248>257-050415-
/O.EXP.KBRO.FW.W.0004.000000T0000Z-110405T0300Z/
ZAPATA-JIM HOGG-BROOKS-KENEDY-STARR-HIDALGO-INLAND WILLACY-
INLAND CAMERON-COASTAL WILLACY-COASTAL CAMERON-
1005 PM CDT MON APR 4 2011

...RED FLAG WARNING HAS EXPIRED...

THE RED FLAG WARNING IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 4, 1:05 AM CDTSmall Craft Advisory for WindsBRO24 hr
Apr 4, 4:18 AM CDTWind AdvisoryBROBrooks, Cameron, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Kenedy, Starr and 2 more17 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.