Alert archive / Colorado / Red Flag Warnings in 2012
Red Flag Warning 2, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued this red flag warning at Mar 16, 2012, 3:07 PM MDT for 16 counties in Colorado. It took effect at Mar 17, 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
- Mar 16, 2012, 3:07 PM MDT (21:07 UTC)
- In effect from
- Mar 17, 2012, 11:00 AM MDT
- Expired
- Mar 17, 2012, 7:38 PM MDT
- In force
- 9 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
Counties Adams County, CO, Arapahoe County, CO, Boulder County, CO, Broomfield County, CO, Denver County, CO, Douglas County, CO, Elbert County, CO, Jefferson County, CO, Larimer County, CO, Lincoln County, CO, Logan County, CO, Morgan County, CO, Phillips County, CO, Sedgwick County, CO, Washington County, CO, Weld County, CO
The radar
The Denver radar (KFTG), 42 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:04 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 80 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 2986 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 16 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -12 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 19 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
698 WWUS85 KBOU 162107 RFWBOU URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 307 PM MDT FRI MAR 16 2012 ...FIRE DANGER WILL INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY THIS WEEKEND... .SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE ACROSS NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO SATURDAY...WITH EVEN STRONGER WINDS SUNDAY. AT THE SAME TIME...HUMIDITIES WILL BE DROPPING TO 10 PERCENT OR LESS. THE COMBINATION OF EXTREMELY LOW HUMIDITIES... STRONG GUSTY WINDS...AND VERY DRY CURED GRASSES WILL LEAD TO CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. THE MOST DANGEROUS CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR SUNDAY WHEN WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 60 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED OVER THE PLAINS. COZ238>251-170515- /O.UPG.KBOU.FW.A.0002.120317T1700Z-120319T0400Z/ /O.NEW.KBOU.FW.W.0002.120317T1700Z-120319T0400Z/ LARIMER COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/NORTHWEST WELD COUNTY- BOULDER AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES BELOW 6000 FEET/WEST BROOMFIELD COUNTY- NORTH DOUGLAS COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/DENVER/WEST ADAMS AND ARAPAHOE COUNTIES/EAST BROOMFIELD COUNTY- ELBERT/CENTRAL AND EAST DOUGLAS COUNTIES ABOVE 6000 FEET- NORTHEAST WELD COUNTY-CENTRAL AND SOUTH WELD COUNTY-MORGAN COUNTY- CENTRAL AND EAST ADAMS AND ARAPAHOE COUNTIES- 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- 307 PM MDT FRI MAR 16 2012 ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM SATURDAY TO 10 PM MDT SUNDAY FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR ALL OF THE PLAINS OF NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DENVER HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG WARNING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM SATURDAY TO 10 PM MDT SUNDAY. THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. * AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 238...239...240...241... 242...243...244...245...246...247...248...249...250 AND 251. * TIMING...LATE SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING. * WINDS...SOUTH 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 30 MPH ON SATURDAY. ON SUNDAY...SOUTH WINDS 20 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS BETWEEN 40 AND 60 MPH...STRONGEST EAST OF INTERSTATE 25. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...5 TO 10 PERCENT SATURDAY...AND AROUND 10 PERCENT SUNDAY. POOR HUMIDITY RECOVERY SATURDAY NIGHT. * IMPACTS...ANY NEW FIRE STARTS WILL LIKELY EXHIBIT RAPID WILDFIRE GROWTH DUE TO THE EXTREMELY LOW HUMIDITIES AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS. ANY OUTDOOR BURNING SHOULD BE DELAYED UNTIL NEXT WEEK. 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. && $$ LESZCYNSKI
4 follow-up statements
827 WWUS85 KBOU 170334 RFWBOU URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 934 PM MDT FRI MAR 16 2012 ...FIRE DANGER WILL INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY THIS WEEKEND... .SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE ACROSS NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO SATURDAY...WITH EVEN STRONGER WINDS SUNDAY. AT THE SAME TIME...HUMIDITIES WILL BE DROPPING TO 10 PERCENT OR LESS. THE COMBINATION OF EXTREMELY LOW HUMIDITIES... STRONG GUSTY WINDS...AND VERY DRY CURED GRASSES WILL LEAD TO CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. THE MOST DANGEROUS CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR SUNDAY WHEN WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 60 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED OVER THE PLAINS. COZ238>251-171200- /O.CON.KBOU.FW.W.0002.120317T1700Z-120319T0400Z/ LARIMER COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/NORTHWEST WELD COUNTY- BOULDER AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES BELOW 6000 FEET/WEST BROOMFIELD COUNTY- NORTH DOUGLAS COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/DENVER/WEST ADAMS AND ARAPAHOE COUNTIES/EAST BROOMFIELD COUNTY- ELBERT/CENTRAL AND EAST DOUGLAS COUNTIES ABOVE 6000 FEET- NORTHEAST WELD COUNTY-CENTRAL AND SOUTH WELD COUNTY-MORGAN COUNTY- CENTRAL AND EAST ADAMS AND ARAPAHOE COUNTIES- 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- 934 PM MDT FRI MAR 16 2012 ...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM SATURDAY TO 10 PM MDT SUNDAY FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR ALL OF THE PLAINS OF NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO... * AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 238...239...240...241... 242...243...244...245...246...247...248...249...250 AND 251. * TIMING...LATE SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING. * WINDS...SOUTH 20 TO 30 MPH. GUSTS UP TO 55 MPH SUNDAY AFTERNOON ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 7 PERCENT. * IMPACTS...ANY NEW FIRE STARTS WILL LIKELY EXHIBIT RAPID WILDFIRE GROWTH DUE TO THE EXTREMELY LOW HUMIDITIES AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS. ANY OUTDOOR BURNING SHOULD BE DELAYED UNTIL NEXT WEEK. 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. && $$
853 WWUS85 KBOU 170946 RFWBOU URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 346 AM MDT SAT MAR 17 2012 ...VERY HIGH TO EXTREME FIRE DANGER THIS WEEKEND... .SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE REGION TODAY... WITH EVEN STRONGER WINDS DEVELOPING SUNDAY. AT THE SAME TIME...HUMIDITIES WILL BE DROPPING TO 10 PERCENT OR LESS. THE COMBINATION OF EXTREMELY LOW HUMIDITIES...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...AND VERY DRY CURED GRASSES WILL LEAD TO CRITICAL AND POTENTIALLY EXTREME FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. THE MOST DANGEROUS CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR SUNDAY WHEN WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 60 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED OVER THE PLAINS. COZ238>251-172215- /O.CON.KBOU.FW.W.0002.120317T1700Z-120319T0400Z/ LARIMER COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/NORTHWEST WELD COUNTY- BOULDER AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES BELOW 6000 FEET/WEST BROOMFIELD COUNTY- NORTH DOUGLAS COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/DENVER/WEST ADAMS AND ARAPAHOE COUNTIES/EAST BROOMFIELD COUNTY- ELBERT/CENTRAL AND EAST DOUGLAS COUNTIES ABOVE 6000 FEET- NORTHEAST WELD COUNTY-CENTRAL AND SOUTH WELD COUNTY-MORGAN COUNTY- CENTRAL AND EAST ADAMS AND ARAPAHOE COUNTIES- 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- 346 AM MDT SAT MAR 17 2012 ...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 10 PM MDT SUNDAY FOR STRONG GUSTY WINDS...VERY LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND DRY FUELS FOR ALL OF THE PLAINS OF EASTERN COLORADO... * AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 238...239...240...241... 242...243...244...245...246...247...248...249...250 AND 251. * TIMING...LATE THIS MORNING ALL THE WAY THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING. * WINDS...SOUTH 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS AROUND 35 MPH TODAY... INCREASING TO 20 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS BETWEEN 40 AND 55 MPH ON SUNDAY. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AROUND 5 PERCENT TODAY...AND NEAR 10 PERCENT ON SUNDAY. POOR OVERNIGHT HUMIDITY RECOVERY IS ALSO ANTICIPATED. * IMPACTS...ANY NEW FIRE STARTS WILL LIKELY EXHIBIT RAPID GROWTH AND EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR DUE TO THE VERY LOW HUMIDITIES AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS. ALL OUTDOOR BURNING SHOULD BE DELAYED UNTIL MONDAY. ANY SMALL SPARK INCLUDING CARELESSLY DISCARDED CIGARETTE BUTTS MAY GENERATE A LARGE 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
520 WWUS85 KBOU 172126 RFWBOU URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 326 PM MDT SAT MAR 17 2012 ...STRONG WINDS EXPECTED FOR THE NORTHEAST PLAINS OF COLORADO... .FAIRLY STRONG SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THIS EVENING...THEN DECREASE SOMEWHAT LATER TONIGHT. HUMIDITIES WILL NOT RECOVER VERY WELL OVERNIGHT AS THE AIR MASS WILL REMAIN DRY AND TEMPERATURES WILL STAY WELL ABOVE NORMAL READINGS. STRONGER WINDS ARE EXPECTED ON SUNDAY AS A JET MAXIMUM MOVES ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA DURING THE AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING HOURS. COZ238>251-180530- /O.CON.KBOU.FW.W.0002.000000T0000Z-120319T0400Z/ LARIMER COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/NORTHWEST WELD COUNTY- BOULDER AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES BELOW 6000 FEET/WEST BROOMFIELD COUNTY- NORTH DOUGLAS COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/DENVER/WEST ADAMS AND ARAPAHOE COUNTIES/EAST BROOMFIELD COUNTY- ELBERT/CENTRAL AND EAST DOUGLAS COUNTIES ABOVE 6000 FEET- NORTHEAST WELD COUNTY-CENTRAL AND SOUTH WELD COUNTY-MORGAN COUNTY- CENTRAL AND EAST ADAMS AND ARAPAHOE COUNTIES- 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- 326 PM MDT SAT MAR 17 2012 ...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM MDT SUNDAY FOR STRONG GUSTY WINDS...VERY LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND DRY FUELS FOR ALL OF THE PLAINS OF EASTERN COLORADO... * AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 238...239...240...241... 242...243...244...245...246...247...248...249...250 AND 251. * TIMING...NOW THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING. * WINDS...SOUTHWEST 15 TO 30 MPH THIS EVENING. SOUTH-SOUTHWEST WINDS 20 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 50 BY LATE MORNING SUNDAY. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 6 PERCENT. * IMPACTS...ANY NEW FIRE STARTS WILL LIKELY EXHIBIT RAPID GROWTH AND EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR DUE TO THE VERY LOW HUMIDITIES AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS. ALL OUTDOOR BURNING SHOULD BE DELAYED UNTIL MONDAY. ANY SMALL SPARK INCLUDING CARELESSLY DISCARDED CIGARETTE BUTTS MAY GENERATE A LARGE 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. && $$
863 WWUS85 KBOU 180138 RFWBOU URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 738 PM MDT SAT MAR 17 2012 ...STRONG WINDS EXPECTED AGAIN BY MID MORNING ON SUNDAY... .THE GUSTY WINDS HAVE DECREASED THIS EVENING BUT WILL INCREASE AGAIN DURING SUNDAY MORNING. THERE WILL STILL BE POOR HUMIDITY RECOVERY TONIGHT...BUT NOT ENOUGH WIND TO JUSTIFY THE RED FLAG WARNING FOR THE REST OF TONIGHT. THE SOUTHWEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE EVEN STRONGER AND MORE WIDESPREAD BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON OVER ALL THE NORTHEAST PLAINS OF COLORADO. COZ238>251-180945- /O.CAN.KBOU.FW.W.0002.000000T0000Z-120319T0400Z/ /O.NEW.KBOU.FW.W.0003.120318T1600Z-120319T0400Z/ LARIMER COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/NORTHWEST WELD COUNTY- BOULDER AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES BELOW 6000 FEET/WEST BROOMFIELD COUNTY- NORTH DOUGLAS COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/DENVER/WEST ADAMS AND ARAPAHOE COUNTIES/EAST BROOMFIELD COUNTY- ELBERT/CENTRAL AND EAST DOUGLAS COUNTIES ABOVE 6000 FEET- NORTHEAST WELD COUNTY-CENTRAL AND SOUTH WELD COUNTY-MORGAN COUNTY- CENTRAL AND EAST ADAMS AND ARAPAHOE COUNTIES- 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- 738 PM MDT SAT MAR 17 2012 ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 10 PM MDT SUNDAY FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR ALL OF THE PLAINS OF NORTHEAST COLORADO... 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 10 PM MDT SUNDAY. * AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 238...239...240...241... 242...243...244...245...246...247...248...249...250 AND 251. * TIMING...FROM 10 AM SUNDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING. * WINDS...SOUTHWEST 20 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 6 PERCENT. * IMPACTS...ANY NEW FIRE STARTS WILL LIKELY EXHIBIT RAPID GROWTH AND EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR DUE TO THE VERY LOW HUMIDITIES AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS. ALL OUTDOOR BURNING SHOULD BE DELAYED UNTIL MONDAY. ANY SMALL SPARK INCLUDING CARELESSLY DISCARDED CIGARETTE BUTTS MAY GENERATE A LARGE 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. && $$
The office that day
Everything else NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 16, 4:10 AM MDT | Fire Weather Watch | BOU | Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas and 10 more | 11 hr |
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.