Alert archive / Colorado / Red Flag Warnings in 2012
Red Flag Warning 3, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued this red flag warning at Mar 17, 2012, 7:38 PM MDT for 16 counties in Colorado. It took effect at Mar 18, 2012, 10:00 AM MDT. It was in force for 12 hr. 41 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.
The facts
- Issued
- Mar 17, 2012, 7:38 PM MDT (01:38 UTC)
- In effect from
- Mar 18, 2012, 10:00 AM MDT
- Expired
- Mar 18, 2012, 10:00 PM MDT
- In force
- 12 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 01:38 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.
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 18, 2:34 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 56 | Loveland, CO | |
| Mar 18, 2:35 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 46 | 4 Ne Loveland, CO | FORT COLLINS/LOVELAND AIRPORT |
| Mar 18, 2:35 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 55 | 1 E Holyoke, CO | RECORDED AT HOLYOKE AIRPORT |
| Mar 18, 2:50 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 69 | Limon, CO | |
| Mar 18, 2:53 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 55 | 7 Ne Denver, CO | DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT |
| Mar 18, 3:15 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 57 | Sterling, CO | |
| Mar 18, 3:20 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 54 | Lafayette, CO | |
| Mar 18, 3:36 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 63 | N Limon, CO | LIMON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT |
| Mar 18, 3:50 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 56 | 2 Nw Strasburg, CO | |
| Mar 18, 3:54 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 57 | Holyoke, CO | |
| Mar 18, 4:09 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 58 | 2 Se Limon, CO | LIMON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT |
| Mar 18, 4:21 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 50 | 1 Sse Erie, CO | |
| Mar 18, 4:26 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 58 | Woodrow, CO | |
| Mar 18, 4:35 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 51 | 9 Sw Denver, CO | |
| Mar 18, 4:49 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 53 | 2 Ssw Broomfield, CO | ROCKY MOUNTAIN METROPOLITAN AIRPORT |
| Mar 18, 4:53 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 51 | 5 E Littleton, CO | CENTENNIAL AIRPORT |
| Mar 18, 4:55 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 50 | 2 Ese Franktown, CO | |
| Mar 18, 4:55 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 55 | Elizabeth, CO | |
| Mar 18, 4:55 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 59 | Aurora, CO | BUCKLEY AFB |
| Mar 18, 5:07 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 58 | 10 Ne Pawnee Buttes, CO | |
| Mar 18, 5:13 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 59 | Bennett, CO | |
| Mar 18, 5:15 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 46 | 7 Se Aurora, CO | AURORA RESERVOIR |
| Mar 18, 5:21 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 49 | Commerce City, CO | |
| Mar 18, 5:21 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 57 | Wiggins, CO | |
| Mar 18, 5:35 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 59 | 3 E Greeley, CO | GREELEY AIRPORT |
| Mar 18, 5:41 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 48 | Natural Fort Rest Area, CO | |
| Mar 18, 5:45 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 52 | 2 Ene Greeley, CO | ROOF BLOWN OFF OF A SMALL LIVESTOCK BARN |
| Mar 18, 5:45 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 66 | Cedar Point, CO | |
| Mar 18, 5:51 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 46 | 1 Ne Boulder, CO | BOULDER AIRPORT |
| Mar 18, 5:53 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 62 | 5 Se Greenwood Village, CO | DENVER CENTENNIAL AIRPORT |
| Mar 18, 5:53 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 66 | Akron, CO | |
| Mar 18, 5:56 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 56 | Strasburg, CO | |
| Mar 18, 5:58 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 48 | 1 N Brighton, CO | |
| Mar 18, 6:01 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 50 | Mead, CO | |
| Mar 18, 6:04 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 64 | Briggsdale, CO | |
| Mar 18, 6:06 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 48 | Longmont, CO | |
| Mar 18, 6:09 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 47 | Johnstown, CO | |
| Mar 18, 6:12 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 47 | Wellington, CO | |
| Mar 18, 6:13 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 49 | Kiowa, CO | |
| Mar 18, 6:23 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 50 | Berthoud, CO | |
| Mar 18, 6:29 PM MDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 47 | Fort Collins, CO |
Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.
The nearest sounding before it
Denver, CO (KDNR), launched 00:00Z, 1.6 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
- 5270 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 24 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 126 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 151 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
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. && $$
3 follow-up statements
968 WWUS85 KBOU 180917 RFWBOU URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 317 AM MDT SUN MAR 18 2012 ...VERY HIGH TO EXTREME FIRE DANGER TODAY... .STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE REGION TODAY AND CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING HOURS. GUSTY WINDS WILL FIRST DEVELOP BY LATE MORNING BUT THEN STRENGTHEN CONSIDERABLY THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS. HUMIDITIES WILL BE VERY LOW...AND COMBINED WITH THE EXTREMELY DRY CONDITIONS AS OF LATE CREATE CONDITIONS FAVORABLE FOR RAPID WILDFIRE GROWTH. COZ238>251-182200- /O.CON.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- 317 AM MDT SUN MAR 18 2012 ...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 10 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR HIGH WINDS...VERY LOW HUMIDITIES...AND DRY FUELS FOR ALL OF THE PLAINS OF NORTHEAST COLORADO... * AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 238...239...240...241... 242...243...244...245...246...247...248...249...250 AND 251. * TIMING...FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING UNTIL 10 PM THIS EVENING. * WINDS...SOUTH 30 TO 40 MPH...WITH GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH EAST OF I-25. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 10 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. && $$ BARJENBRUCH
590 WWUS85 KBOU 182137 RFWBOU URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 337 PM MDT SUN MAR 18 2012 ...RED FLAG WARNING CONTINUES THROUGH 10 PM MDT THIS EVENING... .STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS ARE CURRENTLY BLOWING ACROSS ALL THE PLAINS OF NORTHEAST COLORADO. SPEEDS ARE GENERALLY IN THE 25 TO 40 MPH RANGE. GUSTS IN 50 TO 60 MPH RANGE HAVE BEEN OBSERVED IN MANY AREAS. THIS STRONG LOW LEVEL WIND SHOULD CONTINUE INTO LATE EVENING TONIGHT. HUMIDITIES WILL REMAIN QUITE LOW. A WILDFIRE WAS NOTED ON RADAR. IT WAS BURNING OVER CENTRAL YUMA COUNTY OF EASTERN COLORADO. COZ238>251-190400- /O.CON.KBOU.FW.W.0003.000000T0000Z-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- 337 PM MDT SUN MAR 18 2012 ...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR THE PLAINS OF NORTHEASTERN COLORADO... * AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 238...239...240...241... 242...243...244...245...246...247...248...249...250 AND 251. * TIMING...NOW UNTIL 10 PM THIS EVENING. * WINDS...SOUTH 30 TO 45 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 65 MPH. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 10 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. && $$
251 WWUS85 KBOU 190410 RFWBOU URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 1010 PM MDT SUN MAR 18 2012 COZ238>251-190515- /O.EXP.KBOU.FW.W.0003.000000T0000Z-120319T0400Z/ LARIMER COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/NORTHWEST WELD COUNTY- BOULDER AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES BELOW 6000 FEET/WEST BROOMFIELD COUNTY- NORTH DOUGLAS COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/DENVER/WEST ADAMS AND ARAPAHOE COUNTIES/EAST BROOMFIELD COUNTY- ELBERT/CENTRAL AND EAST DOUGLAS COUNTIES ABOVE 6000 FEET- NORTHEAST WELD COUNTY-CENTRAL AND SOUTH WELD COUNTY-MORGAN COUNTY- CENTRAL AND EAST ADAMS AND ARAPAHOE COUNTIES- NORTH AND NORTHEAST ELBERT COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/NORTH LINCOLN COUNTY- SOUTHEAST ELBERT COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/SOUTH LINCOLN COUNTY- LOGAN COUNTY-WASHINGTON COUNTY-SEDGWICK COUNTY-PHILLIPS COUNTY- 1010 PM MDT SUN MAR 18 2012 ...RED FLAG WARNING HAS EXPIRED FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR NORTHEAST COLORADO. WIND SPEEDS WILL CONTINUE TO DIMINISH LATE THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT AS RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES RISE. FOR THAT REASON THE WARNING HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE. $$
The office that day
Everything else NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 18, 3:10 AM MDT | High Wind Warning | BOU | Adams, Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert, Lincoln, Logan and 4 more | 16 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.