Alert archive / New Mexico / Red Flag Warnings in 2012

Red Flag Warning 3, NWS El Paso, TX

February 1, 20127 counties in New Mexico; El Paso County, Hudspeth County, Texas

NWS El Paso, TX issued this red flag warning at Feb 1, 2012, 1:11 PM MST for 7 counties in New Mexico; El Paso County, Hudspeth County, Texas. It took effect at Feb 2, 2012, 12:00 PM MST. It was in force for 8 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
Feb 1, 2012, 1:11 PM MST (20:11 UTC)
In effect from
Feb 2, 2012, 12:00 PM MST
Expired
Feb 2, 2012, 8:00 PM MST
In force
8 hr
Issued by
NWS El Paso, TX

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

The radar

The El Paso radar (KEPZ), 64 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:16 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

Santa Teresa, NM (KEPZ), launched 12:00Z, 8.2 hours before the alert went out and 64 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 2012-02-01Temperature 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 2012-02-01The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 5 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
3036 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
49 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
5 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
52 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.

773 
WWUS84 KEPZ 012011
RFWEPZ

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM
111 PM MST WED FEB 1 2012

...DRY AND WINDY CONDITIONS EXPECTED ON THURSDAY...

.AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL BE MOVING THROUGH THE GREAT BASIN
TONIGHT AND INTO THE BORDERLAND THURSDAY. AS IT DOES...A
SURFACE LOW WILL DEVELOP OVER EASTERN NEW MEXICO WITH A TIGHT
PRESSURE GRADIENT SETTING UP ALLOWING WEST WINDS OF 20 TO 25 MPH
TO DEVELOP. MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITIES OF LESS THAN 15 PERCENT
WILL COMBINE WITH THESE WINDS TO CREATE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER
CONDITIONS OVER THE LOWLANDS OF SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO AND FAR WEST
TEXAS.

NMZ111-112-TXZ055-056-021430-
/O.UPG.KEPZ.FW.A.0002.120202T1800Z-120203T0200Z/
/O.NEW.KEPZ.FW.W.0003.120202T1900Z-120203T0300Z/
SOUTHWEST DESERTS AND LOWLANDS-
SOUTH CENTRAL LOWLANDS AND SOUTHERN RIO GRANDE VALLEY-EL PASO-
HUDSPETH-
111 PM MST WED FEB 1 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TO 8 PM MST THURSDAY FOR
STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY FOR LOWLANDS OF SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH-
CENTRAL NEW MEXICO AND FAR WEST TEXAS...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA HAS
ISSUED A RED FLAG WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TO 8 PM
MST THURSDAY. THIS REPLACES THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH THAT WAS
PREVIOUSLY IN EFFECT.

* TIMING: NOON THURSDAY TO 8 PM THURSDAY EVENING.

* WIND: 20 FOOT WINDS OF 20 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 35 MPH WILL 
  DEVELOP OVER THE REGION.

* HUMIDITY: MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL FALL TO 10 TO 15 
  PERCENT ACROSS THE LOWLANDS.

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


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.

&&

$$
27 LANEY
2 follow-up statements
813 
WWUS84 KEPZ 021352
RFWEPZ

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM
652 AM MST THU FEB 2 2012

...DRY AND WINDY CONDITIONS EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON...

.AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL BE MOVING THROUGH THE BORDERLAND
TODAY. AS IT DOES...A SURFACE LOW WILL DEVELOP OVER EASTERN NEW
MEXICO WITH A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT SETTING UP ALLOWING WEST
WINDS OF 20 TO 25 MPH TO DEVELOP. MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITIES OF
LESS THAN 15 PERCENT WILL COMBINE WITH THESE WINDS TO CREATE
CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS OVER THE LOWLANDS OF SOUTHERN NEW
MEXICO AND FAR WEST TEXAS.

NMZ111-112-TXZ055-056-022215-
/O.CON.KEPZ.FW.W.0003.120202T1900Z-120203T0300Z/
SOUTHWEST DESERTS AND LOWLANDS-
SOUTH CENTRAL LOWLANDS AND SOUTHERN RIO GRANDE VALLEY-EL PASO-
HUDSPETH-
652 AM MST THU FEB 2 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM MST
THIS EVENING FOR STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY FOR LOWLANDS OF
SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH- CENTRAL NEW MEXICO AND FAR WEST TEXAS...

* TIMING: NOON THURSDAY TO 8 PM THIS EVENING.

* WIND: 20 FOOT WINDS OF 20 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 35 MPH WILL 
  DEVELOP OVER THE REGION.

* HUMIDITY: MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL FALL TO 10 TO 15 
  PERCENT ACROSS THE LOWLANDS.

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

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.

&&

$$
26
828 
WWUS84 KEPZ 022156
RFWEPZ

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM
256 PM MST THU FEB 2 2012

...DRY AND WINDY CONDITIONS EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON...

.AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL BE MOVING THROUGH THE BORDERLAND
TODAY. AS IT DOES...A SURFACE LOW WILL DEVELOP OVER EASTERN NEW
MEXICO WITH A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT SETTING UP ALLOWING WEST
WINDS OF 20 TO 25 MPH TO DEVELOP. MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITIES OF
LESS THAN 15 PERCENT WILL COMBINE WITH THESE WINDS TO CREATE
CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS OVER THE LOWLANDS OF SOUTHERN
NEW MEXICO AND FAR WEST TEXAS.

NMZ111-112-TXZ055-056-030300-
/O.CON.KEPZ.FW.W.0003.000000T0000Z-120203T0300Z/
SOUTHWEST DESERTS AND LOWLANDS-
SOUTH CENTRAL LOWLANDS AND SOUTHERN RIO GRANDE VALLEY-EL PASO-
HUDSPETH-
256 PM MST THU FEB 2 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM MST THIS EVENING
FOR STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY FOR LOWLANDS OF SOUTHWEST AND
SOUTH- CENTRAL NEW MEXICO AND FAR WEST TEXAS...

* TIMING: NOON THURSDAY TO 8 PM THIS EVENING.

* WIND: 20 FOOT WINDS OF AROUND 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 35 MPH WILL 
  DEVELOP OVER THE REGION.

* HUMIDITY: MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL FALL TO 10 TO 15 
  PERCENT ACROSS THE LOWLANDS.

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

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.

&&

$$

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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.