Alert archive / Texas / Red Flag Warnings in 2012

Red Flag Warning 5, NWS Brownsville, TX

December 19, 20128 counties in Texas

NWS Brownsville, TX issued this red flag warning at Dec 19, 2012, 12:27 PM CST for 8 counties in Texas. It took effect at Dec 20, 2012, 8:00 AM CST. It was in force for 10 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
Dec 19, 2012, 12:27 PM CST (18:27 UTC)
In effect from
Dec 20, 2012, 8:00 AM CST
Expired
Dec 20, 2012, 6:00 PM CST
In force
10 hr
Issued by
NWS Brownsville, TX

Counties Brooks County, TX, Cameron County, TX, Hidalgo County, TX, Jim Hogg County, TX, Kenedy County, TX, Starr County, TX, Willacy County, TX, Zapata County, TX

The radar

The Brownsville radar (KBRO), 118 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:29 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

Brownsville Intl, TX (KBRO), launched 12:00Z, 6.5 hours before the alert went out and 120 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, Brownsville Intl, TX at 12:00Z on 2012-12-19Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 950 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, Brownsville Intl, TX at 12:00Z on 2012-12-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 79 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
950 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-105 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
474 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
13 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
79 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
181 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.

072 
WWUS84 KBRO 191827
RFWBRO

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
1227 PM CST WED DEC 19 2012

...EXTREME RISK OF WILDFIRE GROWTH AND SPREAD THURSDAY...

.A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL ARRIVE THURSDAY MORNING...WITH 20 FT
WINDS IN THE 15 TO 25 MPH RANGE. MUCH DRIER AIR WILL ALSO QUICKLY
MOVE INTO DEEP SOUTH TEXAS...WITH RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES
DECREASING BELOW 20 PERCENT BY MID MORNING AND REMAINING IN THE
TEENS THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. THE COMBINATION OF THESE EFFECTS WILL
BRING AN EXTREME RISK OF WILDFIRE GROWTH AND SPREAD THROUGH THURSDAY
AFTERNOON. THE WORST CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR FROM AROUND 9 AM TO 3
PM.

TXZ256-257-191930-
/O.CAN.KBRO.FW.A.0005.121220T1200Z-121221T0000Z/
COASTAL WILLACY-COASTAL CAMERON-
1227 PM CST WED DEC 19 2012

...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS CANCELLED FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW
HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 256 AND 257...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BROWNSVILLE HAS CANCELLED THE
FIRE WEATHER WATCH. A FIRE DANGER STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED FOR
ENHANCED SPREAD AND GROWTH POTENTIAL.

$$

TXZ248>255-201100-
/O.UPG.KBRO.FW.A.0005.121220T1200Z-121221T0000Z/
/O.NEW.KBRO.FW.W.0005.121220T1400Z-121221T0000Z/
ZAPATA-JIM HOGG-BROOKS-KENEDY-STARR-HIDALGO-INLAND WILLACY-
INLAND CAMERON-
1227 PM CST WED DEC 19 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 8 AM TO 6 PM CST THURSDAY FOR
GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 248...249...
250...251...252...253...254 AND 255...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BROWNSVILLE HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 8 AM TO 6 PM CST THURSDAY. THE
FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 248...249...250...251... 
  252...253...254 AND 255. 

* TIMING...A COLD FRONT WILL RACE THROUGH THE COUNTY WARNING AREA
  BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND 6 AM.

* WIND...NORTH WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT WILL INCREASE TO AROUND 25
  MPH WITH GUSTS OF 35 TO 40 MPH POSSIBLE.

* HUMIDITY...RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL DECREASE TO BELOW 20
  PERCENT BY MID MORNING AND REMAIN IN THE TEENS THROUGH THE
  AFTERNOON.

* IMPACTS...ANY FIRES THAT DEVELOP WILL LIKELY SPREAD RAPIDLY.
  OUTDOOR BURNING IS NOT RECOMMENDED

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY.  IN GENERAL...THESE CONDITIONS
INCLUDE SUSTAINED 20 FOOT WINDS OF 25 MPH OR GREATER...HUMIDITY
RANGING FROM BELOW 25 PERCENT IN ZAPATA COUNTY TO BELOW
45 PERCENT ALONG THE COAST...EACH LASTING FOR 2 HOURS OR MORE...
AND CURED FUELS.  HUMIDITY BELOW 25 PERCENT IN MOST AREAS WILL
TRIGGER FIRE DANGER AT LOWER WIND SPEEDS.  DETAILED DECISION
TABLES ARE FOUND AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/RGV/?N=MAPCOLORS#FIRE.

&&

$$
1 follow-up statement
139 
WWUS84 KBRO 200954
RFWBRO

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
354 AM CST THU DEC 20 2012

...EXTREME RISK OF WILDFIRE GROWTH AND SPREAD THURSDAY...

.A STRONG COLD FRONT IS NOW PASSING THROUGH DEEP SOUTH TEXAS...WITH
20 FT WINDS IN THE 15 TO 25 MPH RANGE. MUCH DRIER AIR WILL ALSO
QUICKLY MOVE INTO DEEP SOUTH TEXAS...WITH RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES
DECREASING BELOW 20 PERCENT BY MID MORNING AND REMAINING IN THE
TEENS THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. THE COMBINATION OF THESE EFFECTS WILL
BRING AN EXTREME RISK OF WILDFIRE GROWTH AND SPREAD THROUGH
THURSDAY AFTERNOON. THE WORST CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR FROM AROUND 9
AM TO 3 PM.

TXZ248>255-201800-
/O.CON.KBRO.FW.W.0005.121220T1400Z-121221T0000Z/
ZAPATA-JIM HOGG-BROOKS-KENEDY-STARR-HIDALGO-INLAND WILLACY-
INLAND CAMERON-
354 AM CST THU DEC 20 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO
6 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY FOR FIRE
WEATHER ZONES 248...249...250...251...252...253...254 AND 255...

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 248...249...250...251... 
  252...253...254 AND 255. 

* TIMING...A COLD FRONT IS RACING THROUGH THE COUNTY WARNING AREA
  AT THE CURRENT TIME.

* WIND...NORTH WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT WILL INCREASE TO 20 TO 25
  MPH WITH GUSTS OF 35 MPH POSSIBLE.

* HUMIDITY...RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL DECREASE TO BELOW 20
  PERCENT BY MID MORNING AND REMAIN IN THE TEENS THROUGH THE
  AFTERNOON. RH RECOVERY OVERNIGHT WILL ONLY REACH 30 TO 35
  PERCENT. 

* IMPACTS...ANY FIRES THAT DEVELOP WILL LIKELY SPREAD RAPIDLY. 
  OUTDOOR BURNING IS NOT RECOMMENDED

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY.  IN GENERAL...THESE CONDITIONS
INCLUDE SUSTAINED 20 FOOT WINDS OF 25 MPH OR GREATER...HUMIDITY
RANGING FROM BELOW 25 PERCENT IN ZAPATA COUNTY TO BELOW
45 PERCENT ALONG THE COAST...EACH LASTING FOR 2 HOURS OR MORE...
AND CURED FUELS.  HUMIDITY BELOW 25 PERCENT IN MOST AREAS WILL
TRIGGER FIRE DANGER AT LOWER WIND SPEEDS.  DETAILED DECISION
TABLES ARE FOUND AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/RGV/?N=MAPCOLORS#FIRE.

&&

$$

The office that day

Everything else NWS Brownsville, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Dec 19, 4:06 AM CSTGale WarningBRO38 hr
Dec 19, 4:09 AM CSTWind AdvisoryBROBrooks, Cameron, Hidalgo, Kenedy, Willacy13 hr
Dec 19, 4:15 AM CSTFire Weather WatchBROBrooks, Cameron, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Kenedy, Starr and 2 more8 hr
Dec 19, 9:14 AM CSTSmall Craft AdvisoryBRO9 hr

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Texas, 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.