Alert archive / Minnesota / Red Flag Warnings in 2012

Red Flag Warning 9, NWS Aberdeen, SD

April 8, 2012Big Stone County, Traverse County, Minnesota

NWS Aberdeen, SD issued this red flag warning at Apr 8, 2012, 3:50 AM CDT for Big Stone County, Traverse County, Minnesota. It took effect at Apr 8, 2012, 1:00 PM CDT. 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
Apr 8, 2012, 3:50 AM CDT (08:50 UTC)
In effect from
Apr 8, 2012, 1:00 PM CDT
Expired
Apr 8, 2012, 8:00 PM CDT
In force
7 hr
Issued by
NWS Aberdeen, SD

Counties Big Stone County, MN, Traverse County, MN

The radar

The Aberdeen radar (KABR), 154 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:51 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

Aberdeen, SD (KABR), launched 00:00Z, 8.8 hours before the alert went out and 172 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, Aberdeen, SD at 00:00Z on 2012-04-08Temperature 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, Aberdeen, SD at 00:00Z on 2012-04-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
2838 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
26 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-1 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-2 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.

662 
WWUS83 KABR 080850
RFWABR

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABERDEEN SD
350 AM CDT SUN APR 8 2012

...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS EXPECTED TODAY...

BREEZY AND GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS WILL DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON
ACROSS THE REGION. THE COMBINATION OF LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY
VALUES...VERY DRY FUELS AND GUSTY WINDS WILL ALLOW FOR A
REDEVELOPMENT OF CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON
AND INTO THE EARLY EVENING HOURS.

MNZ039-046-SDZ267>273-081700-
/O.UPG.KABR.FW.A.0006.120408T1800Z-120409T0100Z/
/O.NEW.KABR.FW.W.0009.120408T1800Z-120409T0100Z/
TRAVERSE-BIG STONE-LOWER BAD RIVER-UPPER CHEYENNE-
UPPER MISSOURI COTEAU-MISSOURI COTEAU-UPPER JAMES RIVER-
PRAIRIE COTEAU-RED RIVER VALLEY-
350 AM CDT SUN APR 8 2012 /250 AM MDT SUN APR 8 2012/

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM CDT /NOON MDT/ THIS
AFTERNOON TO 8 PM CDT /7 PM MDT/ THIS EVENING FOR WIND AND LOW
RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 039...046...267...268...
269...270...271...272 AND 273...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ABERDEEN HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT
FROM 1 PM CDT /NOON MDT/ THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 PM CDT /7 PM MDT/
THIS EVENING. THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* AFFECTED AREA...IN MINNESOTA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 039 AND 046. 
  IN SOUTH DAKOTA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 267...268...269...270... 
  271...272 AND 273.

* WINDS...NORTHWEST 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH. THE
  HIGHEST SPEEDS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA TO
  NORTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA AND WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA. 

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...LOWEST READINGS WILL RANGE FROM ABOUT 17 TO
  23 PERCENT BY MID TO LATE AFTERNOON.

* IMPACTS...TALL VEGETATION IS STILL DORMANT OR DEAD. THEREFORE 
  FIRES WILL SPREAD RAPIDLY AND EXHIBIT CRITICAL FIRE BEHAVIOR 
  WITH LONG RANGE SPOTTING AND RAPID RATES OF SPREAD. 

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.

&&

$$
TMT
3 follow-up statements
194 
WWUS83 KABR 081629
RFWABR

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABERDEEN SD
1129 AM CDT SUN APR 8 2012

...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON...

BREEZY AND GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS ARE DEVELOPING LATE THIS MORNING
AND WILL PERSIST THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY THIS EVENING
ACROSS THE REGION. THERE IS ALSO MARKEDLY DRY AIR IN PLACE OVER
THE WARNED AREA. THE COMBINATION OF LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY
VALUES...VERY DRY FUELS AND GUSTY WINDS WILL RESULT IN CRITICAL
FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY THIS EVENING.

MNZ039-046-SDZ267>273-090030-
/O.CON.KABR.FW.W.0009.120408T1800Z-120409T0100Z/
TRAVERSE-BIG STONE-LOWER BAD RIVER-UPPER CHEYENNE-
UPPER MISSOURI COTEAU-MISSOURI COTEAU-UPPER JAMES RIVER-
PRAIRIE COTEAU-RED RIVER VALLEY-
1129 AM CDT SUN APR 8 2012 /1029 AM MDT SUN APR 8 2012/

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT /7 PM MDT/
THIS EVENING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER
ZONES 039...046...267...268...269...270...271...272 AND 273...

* AFFECTED AREA...IN MINNESOTA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 039 AND 046. 
  IN SOUTH DAKOTA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 267...268...269...270... 
  271...272 AND 273.

* WINDS...NORTHWEST 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH.

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

* IMPACTS...TALL VEGETATION IS STILL DORMANT OR DEAD. THEREFORE 
  FIRES WILL SPREAD RAPIDLY AND EXHIBIT CRITICAL FIRE BEHAVIOR 
  WITH LONG RANGE SPOTTING AND RAPID RATES OF SPREAD. 

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.

&&

$$

DORN
136 
WWUS83 KABR 081957
RFWABR

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABERDEEN SD
257 PM CDT SUN APR 8 2012

...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS TO CONTINUE THROUGH EARLY THIS
EVENING...

BREEZY AND GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS WILL PERSIST THROUGH THIS
AFTERNOON INTO EARLY THIS EVENING ACROSS THE REGION. THERE IS ALSO
MARKEDLY DRY AIR IN PLACE OVER THE WARNED AREA. THE COMBINATION OF
LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES...VERY DRY FUELS AND GUSTY WINDS WILL
RESULT IN CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON INTO
EARLY THIS EVENING.

MNZ039-046-SDZ267>273-090100-
/O.CON.KABR.FW.W.0009.000000T0000Z-120409T0100Z/
TRAVERSE-BIG STONE-LOWER BAD RIVER-UPPER CHEYENNE-
UPPER MISSOURI COTEAU-MISSOURI COTEAU-UPPER JAMES RIVER-
PRAIRIE COTEAU-RED RIVER VALLEY-
257 PM CDT SUN APR 8 2012 /157 PM MDT SUN APR 8 2012/

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT /7 PM MDT/
THIS EVENING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER
ZONES 039...046...267...268...269...270...271...272 AND 273...

* AFFECTED AREA...IN MINNESOTA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 039 AND 046. 
  IN SOUTH DAKOTA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 267...268...269...270... 
  271...272 AND 273.

* WINDS...NORTHWEST 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH.

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

* IMPACTS...TALL VEGETATION IS STILL DORMANT OR DEAD. THEREFORE 
  FIRES WILL SPREAD RAPIDLY AND EXHIBIT CRITICAL FIRE BEHAVIOR 
  WITH LONG RANGE SPOTTING AND RAPID RATES OF SPREAD. 

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.

&&

$$

DORN
716 
WWUS83 KABR 090102
RFWABR

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABERDEEN SD
802 PM CDT SUN APR 8 2012

MNZ039-046-SDZ267>273-090215-
/O.EXP.KABR.FW.W.0009.000000T0000Z-120409T0100Z/
TRAVERSE-BIG STONE-LOWER BAD RIVER-UPPER CHEYENNE-
UPPER MISSOURI COTEAU-MISSOURI COTEAU-UPPER JAMES RIVER-
PRAIRIE COTEAU-RED RIVER VALLEY-
802 PM CDT SUN APR 8 2012 /702 PM MDT SUN APR 8 2012/

...RED FLAG WARNING HAS EXPIRED FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE
HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 039...046...267...268...269...
270...271...272 AND 273...

WIND SPEEDS HAVE DIMINISHED ACROSS THE AREA...AND RELATIVE
HUMIDITIES HAVE BEGUN TO INCREASE. THEREFORE...THE RED FLAG
WARNING HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.


$$

PARKIN

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Minnesota, 2012Red Flag Warnings in South Dakota, 2012Every red flag warning in 2012

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.