Alert archive / North Dakota / Red Flag Warnings in 2012

Red Flag Warning 34, NWS Bismarck, ND

September 3, 20129 counties in North Dakota

NWS Bismarck, ND issued this red flag warning at Sep 3, 2012, 2:13 PM MDT for 9 counties in North Dakota. It took effect at Sep 4, 2012, 11:00 AM MDT. 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
Sep 3, 2012, 2:13 PM MDT (20:13 UTC)
In effect from
Sep 4, 2012, 11:00 AM MDT
Expired
Sep 4, 2012, 8:00 PM MDT
In force
9 hr
Issued by
NWS Bismarck, ND

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

The radar

The Bismarck radar (KBIS), 178 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:13 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, 8.2 hours before the alert went out and 182 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 2012-09-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 57 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, Bismarck Municip, ND at 12:00Z on 2012-09-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 141 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
57 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-455 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2218 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
40 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
141 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
154 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.

198 
WWUS83 KBIS 032013
RFWBIS

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
313 PM CDT MON SEP 3 2012

...A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF WESTERN NORTH
DAKOTA TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...

.A COLD FRONT IS FORECAST TO MOVE ACROSS THE STATE TUESDAY...AND
GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS OF 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 30 MPH ARE
EXPECTED. DRY AIR BEHIND THE FRONT WILL MAKE FOR RELATIVE
HUMIDITY VALUES OF AROUND 20 PERCENT ACROSS PORTIONS OF WESTERN
NORTH DAKOTA. PASTURES CONTINUE TO BE VERY DRY...AND THESE
CONDITIONS WOULD RESULT IN RAPID SPREAD OF FIRE SHOULD A FIRE
IGNITE.

NDZ017-018-031>033-040-041-043-044-040500-
/O.UPG.KBIS.FW.A.0027.120904T1700Z-120905T0200Z/
/O.NEW.KBIS.FW.W.0034.120904T1700Z-120905T0200Z/
MCKENZIE-DUNN-GOLDEN VALLEY-BILLINGS-STARK-SLOPE-HETTINGER-BOWMAN-
ADAMS-
313 PM CDT MON SEP 3 2012 /213 PM MDT MON SEP 3 2012/

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON CDT /11 AM MDT/ TO 9 PM
CDT /8 PM MDT/ TUESDAY FOR GUSTY WINDS...LOW RELATIVE
HUMIDITY...AND DRY FUELS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BISMARCK HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING FOR GUSTY WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND DRY FUELS
FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM
NOON CDT /11 AM MDT/ TO 9 PM CDT /8 PM MDT/ TUESDAY. THE FIRE
WEATHER WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* AFFECTED AREA...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...NORTHWEST AROUND 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH TUESDAY
  AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

* TIMING...TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY EVENING.

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

* TEMPERATURES...75 TO 85.

* LIGHTNING...THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR DRY THUNDERSTORMS 
  TUESDAY AFTERNOON. 

* IMPACTS...POTENTIAL FOR RAPID FIRE GROWTH AND 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.

&&

$$

TM
4 follow-up statements
552 
WWUS83 KBIS 040232
RFWBIS

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
932 PM CDT MON SEP 3 2012

...A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF WESTERN NORTH
DAKOTA TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...

.A COLD FRONT IS FORECAST TO MOVE ACROSS THE STATE TUESDAY...AND
GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS OF 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 30 MPH ARE
EXPECTED. DRY AIR BEHIND THE FRONT WILL MAKE FOR RELATIVE
HUMIDITY VALUES OF AROUND 20 PERCENT ACROSS PORTIONS OF WESTERN
NORTH DAKOTA. PASTURES CONTINUE TO BE VERY DRY...AND THESE
CONDITIONS WOULD RESULT IN RAPID SPREAD OF FIRE SHOULD A FIRE
IGNITE.

NDZ017-018-031>033-040-041-043-044-041045-
/O.CON.KBIS.FW.W.0034.120904T1700Z-120905T0200Z/
MCKENZIE-DUNN-GOLDEN VALLEY-BILLINGS-STARK-SLOPE-HETTINGER-BOWMAN-
ADAMS-
932 PM CDT MON SEP 3 2012 /832 PM MDT MON SEP 3 2012/

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON CDT /11 AM MDT/
TO 9 PM CDT /8 PM MDT/ TUESDAY FOR GUSTY WINDS...LOW RELATIVE
HUMIDITY...AND DRY FUELS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA...

* AFFECTED AREA...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...NORTHWEST 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH.

* TIMING...TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY EVENING.

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

* TEMPERATURES...IN THE MID 70S.

* LIGHTNING...THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR DRY THUNDERSTORMS 
  TUESDAY AFTERNOON. 

* IMPACTS...POTENTIAL FOR RAPID FIRE GROWTH AND 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.

&&

$$
WAA
930 
WWUS83 KBIS 040901
RFWBIS

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
401 AM CDT TUE SEP 4 2012

...A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF SOUTHWESTERN NORTH
DAKOTA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...

.A COLD FRONT IS FORECAST TO MOVE ACROSS THE STATE TODAY...AND
GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS OF 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 30 MPH ARE EXPECTED.
DRY AIR BEHIND THE FRONT WILL MAKE FOR RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES OF
15 TO 20 PERCENT ACROSS SOUTHWESTERN NORTH DAKOTA. PASTURES CONTINUE
TO BE VERY DRY...AND THESE CONDITIONS WOULD RESULT IN RAPID SPREAD
OF FIRE SHOULD A FIRE IGNITE.

NDZ017-018-031>033-040-041-043-044-041900-
/O.CON.KBIS.FW.W.0034.120904T1700Z-120905T0200Z/
MCKENZIE-DUNN-GOLDEN VALLEY-BILLINGS-STARK-SLOPE-HETTINGER-BOWMAN-
ADAMS-
401 AM CDT TUE SEP 4 2012 /301 AM MDT TUE SEP 4 2012/

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON CDT /11 AM MDT/
TODAY TO 9 PM CDT /8 PM MDT/ THIS EVENING FOR GUSTY WINDS...LOW
RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND DRY FUELS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN NORTH
DAKOTA...

* AFFECTED AREA...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...NORTHWEST 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH.

* TIMING...THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY EVENING.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...15 TO 20 PERCENT.

* TEMPERATURES...MAX TEMPERATURES 75 TO 85.

* LIGHTNING...THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR DRY THUNDERSTORMS 
  TUESDAY AFTERNOON. 

* IMPACTS...POTENTIAL FOR RAPID FIRE GROWTH AND 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.

&&

$$

JV
229 
WWUS83 KBIS 041838
RFWBIS

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
138 PM CDT TUE SEP 4 2012

...A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF SOUTHWESTERN NORTH
DAKOTA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...

.A COLD FRONT PUSHED THROUGH MOST OF NORTHWESTERN NORTH DAKOTA THIS
MORNING. NORTHERLY TO NORTHWESTERLY WINDS AROUND 20 MPH WITH GUSTS
TO 30 MPH ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP LATER THIS AFTERNOON IN THE WAKE
OF THE FRONT. DRY AIR BEHIND THE FRONT WILL MAKE FOR RELATIVE
HUMIDITY VALUES AROUND 15 PERCENT ACROSS SOUTHWESTERN NORTH
DAKOTA. PASTURES CONTINUE TO BE VERY DRY...AND THESE CONDITIONS
WOULD RESULT IN RAPID SPREAD OF FIRE SHOULD A FIRE IGNITE.

NDZ017-018-031>033-040-041-043-044-050200-
/O.CON.KBIS.FW.W.0034.000000T0000Z-120905T0200Z/
MCKENZIE-DUNN-GOLDEN VALLEY-BILLINGS-STARK-SLOPE-HETTINGER-BOWMAN-
ADAMS-
138 PM CDT TUE SEP 4 2012 /1238 PM MDT TUE SEP 4 2012/

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CDT /8 PM MDT/
THIS EVENING FOR FOR GUSTY WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND DRY
FUELS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA...

* AFFECTED AREA...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...NORTH TO NORTHWEST AROUND 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH.

* TIMING...THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY EVENING.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 16 PERCENT.

* TEMPERATURES...75 TO 85.

* LIGHTNING...THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR DRY THUNDERSTORMS THIS 
  AFTERNOON.

* IMPACTS...POTENTIAL FOR RAPID FIRE GROWTH AND 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.

&&

$$

TM
646 
WWUS83 KBIS 050205
RFWBIS

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
905 PM CDT TUE SEP 4 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING HAS EXPIRED FOR SOUTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA..

.COOLER TEMPERATURES AND HIGHER RELATIVE HUMIDITY HAS LOWERED THE
FIRE DANGER THIS EVENING. THE RED FLAG WARNING HAS EXPIRED.

NDZ017-018-031>033-040-041-043-044-050315-
/O.EXP.KBIS.FW.W.0034.000000T0000Z-120905T0200Z/
MCKENZIE-DUNN-GOLDEN VALLEY-BILLINGS-STARK-SLOPE-HETTINGER-BOWMAN-
ADAMS-
905 PM CDT TUE SEP 4 2012 /805 PM MDT TUE SEP 4 2012/

...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 9 PM CDT /8 PM MDT/ THIS
EVENING FOR FOR GUSTY WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND DRY
FUELS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA...

COOL TEMPERATURES AND HIGHER RELATIVE HUMIDITY WILL LOWER THE
FIRE DANGER TUESDAY EVENING. ON WEDNESDAY THE FIRE DANGER INDEX
IS FORECAST TO BE BELOW THE VERY HIGH CATEGORY OVER WESTERN AND
CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA DUE TO COOLER TEMPERATURES AND LIGHTER WINDS.

$$
WAA

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 3, 3:18 AM MDTFire Weather WatchBISAdams, Billings, Bowman, Dunn, Golden Valley, Hettinger and 3 more11 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.