Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Red Flag Warnings in 2012

Red Flag Warning 1, NWS State College, PA

April 6, 201213 counties in Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this red flag warning at Apr 6, 2012, 4:19 AM EDT for 13 counties in Pennsylvania. It took effect at Apr 6, 2012, 11:00 AM EDT. 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
Apr 6, 2012, 4:19 AM EDT (08:19 UTC)
In effect from
Apr 6, 2012, 11:00 AM EDT
Expired
Apr 6, 2012, 8:00 PM EDT
In force
9 hr
Issued by
NWS State College, PA

Counties Columbia County, PA, Dauphin County, PA, Lancaster County, PA, Lebanon County, PA, Lycoming County, PA, Montour County, PA, Northumberland County, PA, Schuylkill County, PA, Snyder County, PA, Sullivan County, PA, Tioga County, PA, Union County, PA, York County, PA

The radar

The State College radar (KCCX), 110 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:22 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

Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 00:00Z, 8.3 hours before the alert went out and 216 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, Washington/Dulle, VA at 00:00Z on 2012-04-06Temperature 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 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Washington/Dulle, VA at 00:00Z on 2012-04-06The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -20 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
0 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
49 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-20 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
40 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.

242 
WWUS81 KCTP 060819
RFWCTP

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
419 AM EDT FRI APR 6 2012

PAZ037-041-042-046-049>053-057>059-065-066-061630-
/O.UPG.KCTP.FW.A.0001.120406T1500Z-120407T0000Z/
/O.NEW.KCTP.FW.W.0001.120406T1500Z-120407T0000Z/
TIOGA-NORTHERN LYCOMING-SULLIVAN-SOUTHERN LYCOMING-UNION-SNYDER-
MONTOUR-NORTHUMBERLAND-COLUMBIA-DAUPHIN-SCHUYLKILL-LEBANON-YORK-
LANCASTER-
419 AM EDT FRI APR 6 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM EDT
THIS EVENING FOR MUCH OF THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY FOR ELEVATED WILD
FIRE DANGER...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE HAS ISSUED A RED
FLAG WARNING FOR ELEVATED WILD FIRE DANGER...WHICH IS IN EFFECT
FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING. THE FIRE WEATHER
WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* AFFECTED AREA...MUCH OF THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY.

* WINDS...NORTHWEST 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH.

* TIMING...LATE MORNING THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 20 PERCENT.

* TEMPERATURES...IN THE UPPER 40S.

* IMPACTS...THE FIRE DANGER WILL BE ELEVATED DUE TO THE GUSTY
  WINDS...RECENT LACK OF PRECIPITATION...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES
  AND DRY FUELS. BECAUSE OF THESE FORECAST CONDITIONS...THE
  POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR RAPID SPREAD IF UNCONTROLLED FIRES DEVELOP.

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.

&&

$$

LA CORTE
1 follow-up statement
714 
WWUS81 KCTP 061501
RFWCTP

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
1101 AM EDT FRI APR 6 2012

PAZ037-041-042-046-049>053-057>059-065-066-062315-
/O.NEW.KCTP.FW.W.0002.120407T1500Z-120408T0000Z/
/O.CON.KCTP.FW.W.0001.000000T0000Z-120407T0000Z/
TIOGA-NORTHERN LYCOMING-SULLIVAN-SOUTHERN LYCOMING-UNION-SNYDER-
MONTOUR-NORTHUMBERLAND-COLUMBIA-DAUPHIN-SCHUYLKILL-LEBANON-YORK-
LANCASTER-
1101 AM EDT FRI APR 6 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING
FOR EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA... 
...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM TO 8 PM EDT SATURDAY FOR
ALL OF CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE HAS ISSUED A RED
FLAG WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM TO 8 PM EDT SATURDAY.
A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING.

* AFFECTED AREA...TODAY...MUCH OF THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY AND
  NORTHEASTERN MOUNTAINS. SATURDAY...ALL OF CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA
  WILL BE AFFECTED.

* WINDS...NORTHWEST 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH.

* TIMING...LATE MORNING THROUGH EARLY EVENING EACH DAY.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 20 PERCENT.

* TEMPERATURES...IN THE LOWER 40S.

* IMPACTS...THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR RAPID SPREAD IF UNCONTROLLED
  FIRES DEVELOP...OR EVEN FOR PRESCRIBED BURNS TO GET OUT OF
  CONTROL. 

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.

&&

$$

PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>036-045-056-063-064-062315-
/O.NEW.KCTP.FW.W.0002.120407T1500Z-120408T0000Z/
WARREN-MCKEAN-POTTER-ELK-CAMERON-NORTHERN CLINTON-CLEARFIELD-
NORTHERN CENTRE-SOUTHERN CENTRE-CAMBRIA-BLAIR-HUNTINGDON-MIFFLIN-
JUNIATA-SOMERSET-BEDFORD-FULTON-FRANKLIN-SOUTHERN CLINTON-PERRY-
CUMBERLAND-ADAMS-
1101 AM EDT FRI APR 6 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM TO 8 PM EDT SATURDAY FOR
ALL OF CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE HAS ISSUED A RED
FLAG WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM TO 8 PM EDT
SATURDAY.

* AFFECTED AREA...ALL OF CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA.

* WINDS...NORTHWEST 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH.

* TIMING...FROM MID MORNING TO EARLY EVENING ON SATURDAY.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 22 PERCENT.

* TEMPERATURES...IN THE LOWER 50S.

* IMPACTS...THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR RAPID SPREAD IF UNCONTROLLED
  FIRES DEVELOP...OR EVEN FOR PRESCRIBED BURNS TO GET OUT OF
  CONTROL. 

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.

&&

$$

DANGELO

The office that day

Everything else NWS State College, PA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 6, 11:01 AM EDTRed Flag WarningCTPAdams, Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Cameron, Centre and 27 more33 hr
Apr 6, 11:05 AM EDTFreeze WarningCTPAdams, Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Centre, Clearfield and 20 more21 hr

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Pennsylvania, 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.