Alert archive / New Mexico / Red Flag Warnings in 2012

Red Flag Warning 2, NWS El Paso, TX

January 21, 2012El Paso County, Hudspeth County, Texas; 4 counties in New Mexico

NWS El Paso, TX issued this red flag warning at Jan 21, 2012, 7:43 AM MST for El Paso County, Hudspeth County, Texas; 4 counties in New Mexico. It took effect at Jan 21, 2012, 2:00 PM MST. It was in force for 6 hr. 2 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
Jan 21, 2012, 7:43 AM MST (14:43 UTC)
In effect from
Jan 21, 2012, 2:00 PM MST
Expired
Jan 21, 2012, 8:00 PM MST
In force
6 hr
Issued by
NWS El Paso, TX

Counties Doña Ana County, NM, Lincoln County, NM, Otero County, NM, Sierra County, NM, El Paso County, TX, Hudspeth County, TX

The radar

The Holloman AFB radar (KHDX), 63 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 14:42 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jan 21, 7:00 PM MSTNON-TSTM WND GST 614 Nne Ruidoso, NM
Jan 21, 8:00 PM MSTNON-TSTM WND GST 682 Sw Ruidoso, NMSMOKEY BEAR RAWS.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

Santa Teresa, NM (KEPZ), launched 12:00Z, 2.7 hours before the alert went out and 89 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, Santa Teresa, NM at 12:00Z on 2012-01-21Temperature 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, Santa Teresa, NM at 12:00Z on 2012-01-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -30 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
3486 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
15 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-30 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
59 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.

819 
WWUS84 KEPZ 211443
RFWEPZ

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM
743 AM MST SAT JAN 21 2012

...CRITICAL FIRE CONDITIONS RETURN THIS AFTERNOON FOR FAR WEST
TEXAS AND SOUTH CENTRAL NEW MEXICO LOWLANDS...

.MIX DOWN OF STRENGTHENING WINDS ALOFT AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING
UPPER LEVEL TROUGH...WILL COMBINE WITH INCREASING 20 FOOT WINDS
THIS AFTERNOON AS SURFACE LOW PRESSURE DEVELOPS TO OUR NORTHEAST.
THIS WILL RESULT IN SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS OVER 20 MPH THROUGH
EARLY THIS EVENING. WITH MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITIES EXPECTED TO
FALL TO THE SINGLE DIGITS AND LOW TEENS...LOW FUEL MOISTURE PRESENT
AND HIGH OR GREATER FIRE DANGERS IN PLACE...CRITICAL FIRE
CONDITIONS WILL LIKELY DEVELOP AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON IN THESE
AREAS.

NMZ112-TXZ055-056-212245-
/O.NEW.KEPZ.FW.W.0002.120121T2100Z-120122T0300Z/
SOUTH CENTRAL LOWLANDS AND SOUTHERN RIO GRANDE VALLEY-EL PASO-
HUDSPETH-
743 AM MST SAT JAN 21 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 PM
MST THIS EVENING FOR STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY FOR FIRE
WEATHER ZONES 055...056 AND 112...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA HAS
ISSUED A RED FLAG WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM THIS
AFTERNOON TO 8 PM MST THIS EVENING. 

* EVENT: FIRE WEATHER...ZONE 112 SOUTH CENTRAL LOWLANDS AND
  SOUTHERN RIO GRANDE VALLEY. FIRE WEATHER ZONE 055 EL PASO...
  FIRE WEATHER ZONE 056 HUDSPETH.

* AREA AND TIMING...FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON...UNTIL 8 PM THIS
  FOR DONA ANA...OTERO AND EASTERN SIERRA COUNTIES NI NEW MEXICO.
  IN FAR WEST TEXAS...EL PASO AND HUDSPETH COUNTIES.

* WIND...SOUTHWEST WINDS 15 TO 25 MPH WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO 35
  MPH IN A FEW AREAS EARLY THIS EVENING.

* HUMIDITY...LOWLAND MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY THIS AFTERNOON
  WILL RANGE FROM 8 TO 15 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS...ANY FIRES THAT DEVELOP WILL LIKELY SPREAD RAPIDLY. 
  OUTDOOR BURNING IS NOT RECOMMENDED.  CHECK LOCAL LAND 
  MANAGEMENT AGENCIES FOR ANY FIRE RESTRICTIONS IN YOUR AREA.

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 EXTREME FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.

&&

$$
TRIPOLI
1 follow-up statement
412 
WWUS84 KEPZ 212035
RFWEPZ

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM
135 PM MST SAT JAN 21 2012

...CRITICAL FIRE CONDITIONS CONTINUE REST OF TODAY AND EARLY
THIS EVENING FOR FAR WEST TEXAS AND SOUTH CENTRAL NEW MEXICO
LOWLANDS...

.MIX DOWN OF STRENGTHENING WINDS ALOFT AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING
UPPER LEVEL TROUGH...WILL COMBINE WITH INCREASING 20 FOOT WINDS
THIS AFTERNOON AS SURFACE LOW PRESSURE DEVELOPS TO OUR NORTHEAST.
THIS WILL RESULT IN SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS OVER 20 MPH THROUGH
EARLY THIS EVENING. WITH MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITIES EXPECTED TO
FALL TO THE SINGLE DIGITS AND LOW TEENS...LOW FUEL MOISTURE
PRESENT AND HIGH OR GREATER FIRE DANGERS IN PLACE...CRITICAL FIRE
CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THE REST OF TODAY AND EARLY THIS EVENING
FOR THESE AREAS

NMZ112-TXZ055-056-220300-
/O.CON.KEPZ.FW.W.0002.120121T2100Z-120122T0300Z/
SOUTH CENTRAL LOWLANDS AND SOUTHERN RIO GRANDE VALLEY-EL PASO-
HUDSPETH-
135 PM MST SAT JAN 21 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM MST THIS EVENING
FOR STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 055...
056 AND 112...

* EVENT...FIRE WEATHER...ZONE 112 SOUTH CENTRAL LOWLANDS AND
  SOUTHERN RIO GRANDE VALLEY. FIRE WEATHER ZONE 055 EL PASO...
  FIRE WEATHER ZONE 056 HUDSPETH.

* AREA AND TIMING...FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON...UNTIL 8 PM THIS 
  FOR DONA ANA...OTERO AND EASTERN SIERRA COUNTIES NI NEW 
  MEXICO. IN FAR WEST TEXAS...EL PASO AND HUDSPETH COUNTIES.

* WIND...SOUTHWEST WINDS 15 TO 25 MPH WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO
  35 MPH IN A FEW AREAS EARLY THIS EVENING. 

* HUMIDITY...LOWLAND MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY THIS AFTERNOON 
  WILL RANGE FROM 8 TO 15 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS...ANY FIRES THAT DEVELOP WILL LIKELY SPREAD RAPIDLY. 
  OUTDOOR BURNING IS NOT RECOMMENDED. CHECK LOCAL LAND 
  MANAGEMENT AGENCIES FOR ANY FIRE RESTRICTIONS IN YOUR AREA.

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 EXTREME FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.

&&

$$
TRIPOLI

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 21, 5:26 AM MSTHigh Wind WarningEPZ31 hr

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in New Mexico, 2012Red 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.