Alert archive / Montana / Red Flag Warnings in 2011

Red Flag Warning 9, NWS Great Falls, MT

September 11, 201114 counties in Montana

NWS Great Falls, MT issued this red flag warning at Sep 11, 2011, 3:17 AM MDT for 14 counties in Montana. It took effect at Sep 11, 2011, 12:00 PM MDT. It was in force for 10 hr. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Sep 11, 2011, 3:17 AM MDT (09:17 UTC)
In effect from
Sep 11, 2011, 12:00 PM MDT
Expired
Sep 11, 2011, 10:00 PM MDT
In force
10 hr
Issued by
NWS Great Falls, MT

Counties Blaine County, MT, Cascade County, MT, Chouteau County, MT, Fergus County, MT, Glacier County, MT, Hill County, MT, Judith Basin County, MT, Lewis and Clark County, MT, Liberty County, MT, Meagher County, MT, Phillips County, MT, Pondera County, MT, Teton County, MT, Toole County, MT

The radar

The Great Falls radar (KTFX), 63 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 09:15 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.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Sep 11, 7:56 PM MDTNON-TSTM WND GST 493 Sw Cut Bank, MTWIND GUST OF 49 MPH WITH FRONTAL PASSAGE MEASURED BY ASOS.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

Great_falls, MT (KTFX), launched 00:00Z, 9.3 hours before the alert went out and 51 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, Great_falls, MT at 00:00Z on 2011-09-11Temperature 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, Great_falls, MT at 00:00Z on 2011-09-11The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
4111 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
14 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-1 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
38 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.

190 
WWUS85 KTFX 110917
RFWTFX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
317 AM MDT SUN SEP 11 2011

MTZ112>115-117-112200-
/O.UPG.KTFX.FW.A.0006.110911T1800Z-110912T0400Z/
/O.NEW.KTFX.FW.W.0009.110911T1800Z-110912T0400Z/
EASTERN GLACIER/TOOLE/CENTRAL AND EASTERN PONDERA/LIBERTY
COUNTIES-HILL AND BLAINE COUNTIES-
LEWIS AND CLARK NATIONAL FOREST ROCKY MOUNTAIN DISTRICT/ROCKY
MOUNTAIN FRONT-CHOUTEAU AND FERGUS COUNTIES-
CENTRAL AND EASTERN LEWIS AND CLARK NATIONAL FOREST AREAS-
317 AM MDT SUN SEP 11 2011

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 10 PM MDT THIS
EVENING FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOLLOWED BY A
COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE WITH A STRONG WIND SHIFT FOR FIRE WEATHER
ZONES 112...113...114...115 AND 117...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREAT FALLS HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOLLOWED BY A
COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE WITH A STRONG WIND SHIFT...WHICH IS IN
EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 10 PM MDT THIS EVENING. THE FIRE WEATHER
WATCH HAS BEEN REPLACED BY THIS WARNING.

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 112...113...114...115 AND 
  117.

* WINDS...WEST 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 10 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS...THE COMBINATION OF GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE
  HUMIDITY WILL CREATE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS
  AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THESE CONDITIONS WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A
  STRONG WIND SHIFT TO THE NORTH AS A COLD FRONT PUSHES THROUGH
  THE DISTRICTS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE OFFICIALS OR FIRE CREWS IN THESE
AREAS OF THIS RED FLAG WARNING.

&&

$$

HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/GREATFALLS
2 follow-up statements
042 
WWUS85 KTFX 112101
RFWTFX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
301 PM MDT SUN SEP 11 2011

MTZ112>115-117-120400-
/O.CON.KTFX.FW.W.0009.000000T0000Z-110912T0400Z/
EASTERN GLACIER/TOOLE/CENTRAL AND EASTERN PONDERA/LIBERTY
COUNTIES-HILL AND BLAINE COUNTIES-
LEWIS AND CLARK NATIONAL FOREST ROCKY MOUNTAIN DISTRICT/ROCKY
MOUNTAIN FRONT-CHOUTEAU AND FERGUS COUNTIES-
CENTRAL AND EASTERN LEWIS AND CLARK NATIONAL FOREST AREAS-
301 PM MDT SUN SEP 11 2011

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM MDT THIS
EVENING FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOLLOWED BY A
COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE WITH A STRONG WIND SHIFT FOR FIRE WEATHER
ZONES 112...113...114...115 AND 117...

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

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 112...113...114...115 AND 
  117. 

* WINDS...WEST 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 11 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS...THE COMBINATION OF GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE 
  HUMIDITY WILL CREATE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS 
  AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THESE CONDITIONS WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A 
  STRONG WIND SHIFT TO THE NORTH AS A COLD FRONT PUSHES THROUGH 
  THE DISTRICTS. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE OFFICIALS OR FIRE CREWS IN THESE
AREAS OF THIS RED FLAG WARNING.

&&

$$

HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/GREATFALLS
967 
WWUS85 KTFX 120336
RFWTFX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
936 PM MDT SUN SEP 11 2011


MTZ112>115-117-120445-
/O.EXP.KTFX.FW.W.0009.000000T0000Z-110912T0400Z/
EASTERN GLACIER/TOOLE/CENTRAL AND EASTERN PONDERA/LIBERTY
COUNTIES-HILL AND BLAINE COUNTIES-
LEWIS AND CLARK NATIONAL FOREST ROCKY MOUNTAIN DISTRICT/ROCKY
MOUNTAIN FRONT-CHOUTEAU AND FERGUS COUNTIES-
CENTRAL AND EASTERN LEWIS AND CLARK NATIONAL FOREST AREAS-
936 PM MDT SUN SEP 11 2011

...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 10 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR
GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOLLOWED BY A COLD FRONTAL
PASSAGE WITH A STRONG WIND SHIFT FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES
112...113...114... 115 AND 117...

THE RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 10 PM MDT THIS EVENING. 

A CANADIAN COLD FRONT MOVED ACROSS THE CANADIAN
BORDER EARLY SUNDAY EVENING. VERY STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS HAVE
ACCOMPANIED THIS FRONT ALTHOUGH RELATIVE HUMIDITIES DROPPED
RAPIDLY AS THE FRONT PASSED. STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS ARE EXPECTED
TO MOVE INTO CENTRAL MONTANA LATER THIS EVENING. WINDS WILL
REMAIN BRISK BUT BECAUSE OF RAPIDLY RISING RELATIVE
HUMIDITIES...THE RED FLAG WARNING WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE AT 10
THIS EVENING. MUCH COOLER TEMPERATURES AND HIGHER RELATIVE
HUMIDITIES ARE FORECAST FOR MONDAY.

$$

HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/GREATFALLS

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Montana, 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.