Alert archive / Colorado / Red Flag Warnings in 2012

Red Flag Warning 13, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO

May 15, 20126 counties in Colorado

NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued this red flag warning at May 15, 2012, 3:06 PM MDT for 6 counties in Colorado. It took effect at May 16, 2012, 10:00 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
May 15, 2012, 3:06 PM MDT (21:06 UTC)
In effect from
May 16, 2012, 10:00 AM MDT
Expired
May 16, 2012, 7:00 PM MDT
In force
9 hr
Issued by
NWS Denver/Boulder, CO

Counties Elbert County, CO, Lincoln County, CO, Logan County, CO, Phillips County, CO, Sedgwick County, CO, Washington County, CO

The radar

The Denver radar (KFTG), 126 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:05 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

Denver, CO (KDNR), launched 12:00Z, 9.1 hours before the alert went out and 25 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, Denver, CO at 12:00Z on 2012-05-15Temperature 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 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Denver, CO at 12:00Z on 2012-05-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -14 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
3649 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
23 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-14 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
52 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.

472 
WWUS85 KBOU 152106
RFWBOU

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
306 PM MDT TUE MAY 15 2012

...STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING WEATHER
DISTURBANCE WILL PRODUCE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ON THE
COLORADO EASTERN PLAINS WEDNESDAY...

COZ246>251-160515-
/O.NEW.KBOU.FW.W.0013.120516T1600Z-120517T0100Z/
NORTH AND NORTHEAST ELBERT COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/NORTH LINCOLN
COUNTY-
SOUTHEAST ELBERT COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/SOUTH LINCOLN COUNTY-
LOGAN COUNTY-WASHINGTON COUNTY-SEDGWICK COUNTY-PHILLIPS COUNTY-
306 PM MDT TUE MAY 15 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 7 PM MDT WEDNESDAY
FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR THE EASTERN COLORADO PLAINS...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DENVER HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT
FROM 10 AM TO 7 PM MDT WEDNESDAY.

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 246...247...248...249... 
  250 AND 251.

* TIMING...WINDS WILL INCREASE LATE WEDNESDAY MORNING. 

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

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 14 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS...THE STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY WILL ALLOW RAPID
  SPREAD OF ANY GRASSLAND WILDFIRE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING OR IMMINENT. PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE
OFFICIALS AND FIRE CREWS IN THE FIELD OF THIS RED FLAG WARNING.

&&

$$
3 follow-up statements
905 
WWUS85 KBOU 160712
RFWBOU

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
112 AM MDT WED MAY 16 2012

...STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING
WEATHER DISTURBANCE WILL PRODUCE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ON THE COLORADO EASTERN PLAINS WEDNESDAY...

COZ246>251-161800-
/O.CON.KBOU.FW.W.0013.120516T1600Z-120517T0100Z/
NORTH AND NORTHEAST ELBERT COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/NORTH LINCOLN
COUNTY-
SOUTHEAST ELBERT COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/SOUTH LINCOLN COUNTY-
LOGAN COUNTY-WASHINGTON COUNTY-SEDGWICK COUNTY-PHILLIPS COUNTY-
112 AM MDT WED MAY 16 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO
7 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR THE
EASTERN COLORADO PLAINS...

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 246...247...248...249... 
  250 AND 251.

* TIMING...WINDS WILL INCREASE LATE WEDNESDAY MORNING.

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

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 14 PERCENT.
  
* THUNDERSTORMS...ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP. MUST OF THESE
  STORMS WILL PRODUCE GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS AND ONLY LIGHT RAINFALL.

* IMPACTS...THE STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY WILL ALLOW RAPID 
  SPREAD OF ANY GRASSLAND WILDFIRE. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING OR IMMINENT. PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE
OFFICIALS AND FIRE CREWS IN THE FIELD OF THIS RED FLAG WARNING.

&&

$$
116 
WWUS85 KBOU 161748
RFWBOU

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
1148 AM MDT WED MAY 16 2012

...STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING
WEATHER DISTURBANCE WILL PRODUCE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ON THE COLORADO EASTERN PLAINS INTO THIS EVENING...

COZ246>251-170100-
/O.CON.KBOU.FW.W.0013.000000T0000Z-120517T0100Z/
NORTH AND NORTHEAST ELBERT COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/NORTH LINCOLN
COUNTY-
SOUTHEAST ELBERT COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/SOUTH LINCOLN COUNTY-
LOGAN COUNTY-WASHINGTON COUNTY-SEDGWICK COUNTY-PHILLIPS COUNTY-
1148 AM MDT WED MAY 16 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM MDT THIS EVENING
FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR THE EASTERN COLORADO
PLAINS...

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 246...247...248...249... 
  250 AND 251.

* TIMING...GUSTY WINDS WILL CONTINUE UNTIL 7 PM...AND THEN
  GRADUALLY DECREASE.

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

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 12 PERCENT.

* THUNDERSTORMS...ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP. MUST OF 
  THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS AND ONLY LIGHT 
  RAINFALL. 

* IMPACTS...THE STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY WILL ALLOW RAPID 
  SPREAD OF ANY GRASSLAND WILDFIRE. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING OR IMMINENT. PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE
OFFICIALS AND FIRE CREWS IN THE FIELD OF THIS RED FLAG WARNING.

&&

$$

BARJENBRUCH
027 
WWUS85 KBOU 170102
RFWBOU

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
702 PM MDT WED MAY 16 2012


COZ246>251-170215-
/O.EXP.KBOU.FW.W.0013.000000T0000Z-120517T0100Z/
NORTH AND NORTHEAST ELBERT COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/NORTH LINCOLN
COUNTY-
SOUTHEAST ELBERT COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/SOUTH LINCOLN COUNTY-
LOGAN COUNTY-WASHINGTON COUNTY-SEDGWICK COUNTY-PHILLIPS COUNTY-
702 PM MDT WED MAY 16 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING HAS EXPIRED FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE
HUMIDITY FOR THE EASTERN COLORADO PLAINS...

THE RED FLAG WANRING FOR THE EASTERN COLORADO PLAINS HAS EXPIRED.

$$

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Colorado, 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.