Alert archive / North Dakota / Red Flag Warnings in 2012

Red Flag Warning 14, NWS Bismarck, ND

April 3, 201211 counties in North Dakota

NWS Bismarck, ND issued this red flag warning at Apr 3, 2012, 2:50 PM MDT for 11 counties in North Dakota. It took effect at Apr 4, 2012, 12:00 PM MDT. It was in force for 8 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 3, 2012, 2:50 PM MDT (20:50 UTC)
In effect from
Apr 4, 2012, 12:00 PM MDT
Expired
Apr 4, 2012, 8:00 PM MDT
In force
8 hr
Issued by
NWS Bismarck, ND

Counties Adams County, ND, Billings County, ND, Bowman County, ND, Divide County, ND, Dunn County, ND, Golden Valley County, ND, Hettinger County, ND, McKenzie County, ND, Slope County, ND, Stark County, ND, Williams County, ND

The radar

The Bismarck radar (KBIS), 186 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:49 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

Bismarck Municip, ND (KBIS), launched 12:00Z, 8.8 hours before the alert went out and 191 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, Bismarck Municip, ND at 12:00Z on 2012-04-03Temperature 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, Bismarck Municip, ND at 12:00Z on 2012-04-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -39 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
1676 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
20 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-39 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.

793 
WWUS83 KBIS 032050
RFWBIS

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
350 PM CDT TUE APR 3 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING FOR FAR WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA WEDNESDAY
AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING...

.SOUTHEAST WINDS OF 20 TO 35 MPH ARE FORECAST ACROSS FAR WESTERN
NORTH DAKOTA WEDNESDAY AHEAD OF A SURFACE LOW IN CENTRAL MONTANA.
WHEN COMBINED WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR AFTERNOON RELATIVE HUMIDITY
VALUES TO FALL TO NEAR 20 PERCENT WITH HIGHS IN THE MID 60S AND
DRY FUELS...RAPID FIRE GROWTH IS POSSIBLE IN THE FAR WEST
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. THE FIRE DANGER INDEX WILL ALSO BE IN THE
VERY HIGH CATEGORY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING.

NDZ001-009-017-018-031>033-040-041-043-044-040500-
/O.UPG.KBIS.FW.A.0012.120404T1800Z-120405T0200Z/
/O.NEW.KBIS.FW.W.0014.120404T1800Z-120405T0200Z/
DIVIDE-WILLIAMS-MCKENZIE-DUNN-GOLDEN VALLEY-BILLINGS-STARK-SLOPE-
HETTINGER-BOWMAN-ADAMS-
350 PM CDT TUE APR 3 2012 /250 PM MDT TUE APR 3 2012/

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM CDT /NOON MDT/ TO 9 PM
CDT /8 PM MDT/ WEDNESDAY FOR LOW HUMIDITIES...MILD
TEMPERATURES...STRONG WINDS AND DRY FUELS FOR FAR WESTERN NORTH
DAKOTA...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BISMARCK HAS ISSUED A RED
FLAG WARNING FOR FAR WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA...WHICH IS IN EFFECT
FROM 1 PM CDT /NOON MDT/ TO 9 PM CDT /8 PM MDT/ WEDNESDAY. THE
FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 001 DIVIDE...FIRE WEATHER 
  ZONE 009 WILLIAMS...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 017 MCKENZIE...FIRE 
  WEATHER ZONE 018 DUNN...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 031 GOLDEN VALLEY...
  FIRE WEATHER ZONE 032 BILLINGS...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 033 STARK...
  FIRE WEATHER ZONE 040 SLOPE...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 041 
  HETTINGER...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 043 BOWMAN AND FIRE WEATHER ZONE 
  044 ADAMS.

* WINDS...SOUTHEAST 20 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 20 PERCENT.

* TEMPERATURES...IN THE MIDDLE 60S.

* THE COMBINATION OF LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...MILD TEMPERATURES...
   STRONG WINDS AND DRY FUELS MAY CREATE VERY HIGH FIRE DANGER 
  ACROSS THE FAR WEST WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. 

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.

&&

$$
TWH
5 follow-up statements
233 
WWUS83 KBIS 040253
RFWBIS

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
953 PM CDT TUE APR 3 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING FOR FAR WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA WEDNESDAY
AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING...

.SOUTHEAST WINDS OF 20 TO 35 MPH ARE FORECAST ACROSS FAR WESTERN
NORTH DAKOTA WEDNESDAY AHEAD OF A SURFACE LOW IN CENTRAL MONTANA.
WHEN COMBINING POTENTIAL AFTERNOON RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES NEAR
20 PERCENT WITH HIGHS IN THE MID 60S AND DRY FUELS...RAPID FIRE
GROWTH IS POSSIBLE IN THE FAR WEST WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. THE FIRE
DANGER INDEX WILL ALSO BE IN THE VERY HIGH CATEGORY WEDNESDAY
AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING.

NDZ001-009-017-018-031>033-040-041-043-044-041100-
/O.CON.KBIS.FW.W.0014.120404T1800Z-120405T0200Z/
DIVIDE-WILLIAMS-MCKENZIE-DUNN-GOLDEN VALLEY-BILLINGS-STARK-SLOPE-
HETTINGER-BOWMAN-ADAMS-
953 PM CDT TUE APR 3 2012 /853 PM MDT TUE APR 3 2012/

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM CDT /NOON MDT/ TO
9 PM CDT /8 PM MDT/ WEDNESDAY FOR LOW HUMIDITIES...MILD
TEMPERATURES...STRONG WINDS AND DRY FUELS FOR FAR WESTERN NORTH
DAKOTA...

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 001 DIVIDE...FIRE WEATHER 
  ZONE 009 WILLIAMS...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 017 MCKENZIE...FIRE 
  WEATHER ZONE 018 DUNN...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 031 GOLDEN VALLEY...
  FIRE WEATHER ZONE 032 BILLINGS...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 033 STARK...
  FIRE WEATHER ZONE 040 SLOPE...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 041 
  HETTINGER...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 043 BOWMAN AND FIRE WEATHER ZONE 
  044 ADAMS.

* WINDS...SOUTHEAST 20 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 20 PERCENT.

* TEMPERATURES...IN THE MIDDLE 60S.

* THE COMBINATION OF LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...MILD TEMPERATURES...
  STRONG WINDS AND DRY FUELS MAY CREATE VERY HIGH FIRE DANGER
  ACROSS THE FAR WEST WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING.

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.

&&

$$

TWH/JJT
613 
WWUS83 KBIS 040917
RFWBIS

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
417 AM CDT WED APR 4 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING FOR FAR WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA THIS AFTERNOON
AND EARLY EVENING...

.SOUTHEAST WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH ARE FORECAST ACROSS FAR WESTERN
NORTH DAKOTA THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. WHEN COMBINED WITH
RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES NEAR 20 PERCENT...HIGHS IN THE MID 60S
AND DRY FUELS...CONDITIONS SUPPORTING RAPID FIRE GROWTH ARE
EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING ACROSS THE FAR WEST. 

NDZ001-009-017-018-031>033-040-041-043-044-042200-
/O.CON.KBIS.FW.W.0014.120404T1800Z-120405T0200Z/
DIVIDE-WILLIAMS-MCKENZIE-DUNN-GOLDEN VALLEY-BILLINGS-STARK-SLOPE-
HETTINGER-BOWMAN-ADAMS-
417 AM CDT WED APR 4 2012 /317 AM MDT WED APR 4 2012/

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM CDT /NOON MDT/
THIS AFTERNOON TO 9 PM CDT /8 PM MDT/ THIS EVENING FOR LOW
HUMIDITIES...MILD TEMPERATURES...STRONG WINDS AND DRY FUELS FOR
FAR WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA...

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 001 DIVIDE...FIRE WEATHER 
  ZONE 009 WILLIAMS...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 017 MCKENZIE...FIRE 
  WEATHER ZONE 018 DUNN...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 031 GOLDEN VALLEY...
  FIRE WEATHER ZONE 032 BILLINGS...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 033 STARK...
  FIRE WEATHER ZONE 040 SLOPE...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 041 
  HETTINGER...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 043 BOWMAN AND FIRE WEATHER ZONE 
  044 ADAMS.

* WINDS...SOUTHEAST 25 TO 35 MPH. 

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 20 PERCENT.

* TEMPERATURES...IN THE MID 60S.

* THE COMBINATION OF LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...MILD TEMPERATURES...
  STRONG WINDS AND DRY FUELS WILL CREATE VERY HIGH FIRE DANGER
  ACROSS THE FAR WEST THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING.

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.

&&

$$

AYD
791 
WWUS83 KBIS 041828
RFWBIS

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
128 PM CDT WED APR 4 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING FOR FAR WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA THIS AFTERNOON
AND EARLY EVENING...

.SOUTHEAST WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH ARE OCCURRING ACROSS FAR WESTERN
NORTH DAKOTA THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL CONTINUE INTO THE EARLY
EVENING. WHEN COMBINED WITH RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WHICH ARE
CURRENTLY NEAR 20 PERCENT...HIGHS IN THE MID 60S AND DRY
FUELS...CONDITIONS SUPPORTING RAPID FIRE GROWTH ARE EXPECTED THIS
AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING ACROSS THE FAR WEST.

NDZ001-009-017-018-031>033-040-041-043-044-050200-
/O.CON.KBIS.FW.W.0014.000000T0000Z-120405T0200Z/
DIVIDE-WILLIAMS-MCKENZIE-DUNN-GOLDEN VALLEY-BILLINGS-STARK-SLOPE-
HETTINGER-BOWMAN-ADAMS-
128 PM CDT WED APR 4 2012 /1228 PM MDT WED APR 4 2012/

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CDT /8 PM MDT/
THIS EVENING FOR LOW HUMIDITIES...MILD TEMPERATURES...STRONG
WINDS AND DRY FUELS FOR FAR WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA...

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 001 DIVIDE...FIRE WEATHER 
  ZONE 009 WILLIAMS...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 017 MCKENZIE...FIRE 
  WEATHER ZONE 018 DUNN...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 031 GOLDEN VALLEY...
  FIRE WEATHER ZONE 032 BILLINGS...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 033 STARK...
  FIRE WEATHER ZONE 040 SLOPE...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 041 
  HETTINGER...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 043 BOWMAN AND FIRE WEATHER ZONE 
  044 ADAMS.

* WINDS...SOUTHEAST 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 18 PERCENT.

* TEMPERATURES...IN THE MIDDLE 60S.

* THE COMBINATION OF LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...MILD TEMPERATURES...
   STRONG WINDS AND DRY FUELS WILL CREATE VERY HIGH FIRE DANGER 
  ACROSS THE FAR WEST THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. 

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.

&&

$$
TWH
610 
WWUS83 KBIS 042105
RFWBIS

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
405 PM CDT WED APR 4 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING FOR FAR WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA THROUGH EARLY
EVENING...

.SOUTHEAST WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH ARE OCCURRING ACROSS FAR WESTERN
NORTH DAKOTA THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL CONTINUE INTO THE EARLY
EVENING. WHEN COMBINED WITH RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WHICH ARE
CURRENTLY NEAR 20 PERCENT...HIGHS IN THE MID 60S AND DRY FUELS...
CONDITIONS SUPPORTING RAPID FIRE GROWTH ARE EXPECTED THIS
AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING ACROSS THE FAR WEST.

NDZ001-009-017-018-031>033-040-041-043-044-050200-
/O.CON.KBIS.FW.W.0014.000000T0000Z-120405T0200Z/
DIVIDE-WILLIAMS-MCKENZIE-DUNN-GOLDEN VALLEY-BILLINGS-STARK-SLOPE-
HETTINGER-BOWMAN-ADAMS-
405 PM CDT WED APR 4 2012 /305 PM MDT WED APR 4 2012/

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CDT /8 PM MDT/
THIS EVENING FOR LOW HUMIDITIES...MILD TEMPERATURES...STRONG
WINDS AND DRY FUELS FOR FAR WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA...

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 001 DIVIDE...FIRE WEATHER 
  ZONE 009 WILLIAMS...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 017 MCKENZIE...FIRE 
  WEATHER ZONE 018 DUNN...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 031 GOLDEN VALLEY...
  FIRE WEATHER ZONE 032 BILLINGS...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 033 STARK...
  FIRE WEATHER ZONE 040 SLOPE...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 041 
  HETTINGER...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 043 BOWMAN AND FIRE WEATHER ZONE 
  044 ADAMS.

* WINDS...SOUTHEAST 20 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 21 PERCENT.

* TEMPERATURES...IN THE MIDDLE 60S.

* THE COMBINATION OF LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...MILD TEMPERATURES...
   STRONG WINDS AND DRY FUELS WILL CREATE VERY HIGH FIRE DANGER 
  ACROSS THE FAR WEST THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. 

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.

&&

$$
TWH
983 
WWUS83 KBIS 050157
RFWBIS

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
857 PM CDT WED APR 4 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING FOR WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA HAS BEEN EXPIRED...

.DECREASING WINDS AND RISING RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES THIS EVENING HAVE
LOWERED THE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER THREAT. THEREFORE...THE RED FLAG
WARNING FOR WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.

NDZ001-009-017-018-031>033-040-041-043-044-050300-
/O.EXP.KBIS.FW.W.0014.000000T0000Z-120405T0200Z/
DIVIDE-WILLIAMS-MCKENZIE-DUNN-GOLDEN VALLEY-BILLINGS-STARK-SLOPE-
HETTINGER-BOWMAN-ADAMS-
857 PM CDT WED APR 4 2012 /757 PM MDT WED APR 4 2012/

...RED FLAG WARNING FOR WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA HAS BEEN EXPIRED...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BISMARCK HAS EXPIRED THE RED FLAG
WARNING THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA.

$$

JJT/HW

The office that day

Everything else NWS Bismarck, ND issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 3, 2:55 AM MDTFire Weather WatchBISAdams, Billings, Bowman, Divide, Dunn, Golden Valley and 5 more12 hr

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in North 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.