Alert archive / Minnesota / Red Flag Warnings in 2012

Red Flag Warning 1, NWS Grand Forks, ND

April 6, 201218 counties in Minnesota; 17 counties in North Dakota

NWS Grand Forks, ND issued this red flag warning at Apr 6, 2012, 4:37 AM CDT for 18 counties in Minnesota; 17 counties in North Dakota. It took effect at Apr 6, 2012, 1:00 PM CDT. It was in force for 7 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, 4:37 AM CDT (09:37 UTC)
In effect from
Apr 6, 2012, 1:00 PM CDT
Expired
Apr 6, 2012, 8:00 PM CDT
In force
7 hr
Issued by
NWS Grand Forks, ND
All 35 counties

Becker County, MN, Beltrami County, MN, Clay County, MN, Clearwater County, MN, Grant County, MN, Hubbard County, MN, Kittson County, MN, Lake of the Woods County, MN, Mahnomen County, MN, Marshall County, MN, Norman County, MN, Otter Tail County, MN, Pennington County, MN, Polk County, MN, Red Lake County, MN, Roseau County, MN, Wadena County, MN, Wilkin County, MN, Barnes County, ND, Benson County, ND, Cass County, ND, Cavalier County, ND, Eddy County, ND, Grand Forks County, ND, Griggs County, ND, Nelson County, ND, Pembina County, ND, Ramsey County, ND, Ransom County, ND, Richland County, ND, Sargent County, ND, Steele County, ND, Towner County, ND, Traill County, ND, Walsh County, ND

The radar

The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 32 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 09:41 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

International Fa, MN (KINL), launched 00:00Z, 9.6 hours before the alert went out and 290 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, International Fa, MN 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, International Fa, MN at 00:00Z on 2012-04-06The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 42 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
2576 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
9 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
42 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
90 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.

859 
WWUS83 KFGF 060937
RFWFGF

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
437 AM CDT FRI APR 6 2012

...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON...

.THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA INTO WEST CENTRAL AND
NORTHWESTERN MINNESOTA STRONG WINDS...DRY FUELS AND LOW HUMIDITIES
WILL COMBINE TO MAKE HAZARDOUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. WIND SPEEDS
WILL BE SUSTAINED 20 TO 35 MPH...AND WIND GUSTS WILL APPROACHING
40MPH IN E ND AND 30 MPH IN THE MN PINES. AFTERNOON HUMIDITY
VALUES WILL BE NEAR 25 PERCENT. THE VEGETATION IS DRY ACROSS THE
REGION...AND THERE ARE HAVE BEEN OCCURRENCES OF WILDFIRES THE PAST
FEW DAYS. THE COMBINATION OF THE DRY AND WINDY CONDITIONS WILL
CREATE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS.

MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-024-
026>030-038-039-049-052>054-061745-
/O.NEW.KFGF.FW.W.0001.120406T1800Z-120407T0100Z/
WEST POLK-NORMAN-CLAY-KITTSON-ROSEAU-LAKE OF THE WOODS-
WEST MARSHALL-EAST MARSHALL-NORTH BELTRAMI-PENNINGTON-RED LAKE-
EAST POLK-NORTH CLEARWATER-SOUTH BELTRAMI-MAHNOMEN-
SOUTH CLEARWATER-HUBBARD-WEST BECKER-EAST BECKER-WILKIN-
WEST OTTER TAIL-EAST OTTER TAIL-WADENA-GRANT-TOWNER-CAVALIER-
PEMBINA-BENSON-RAMSEY-EASTERN WALSH-EDDY-NELSON-GRAND FORKS-
GRIGGS-STEELE-TRAILL-BARNES-CASS-RANSOM-SARGENT-RICHLAND-
WESTERN WALSH-
437 AM CDT FRI APR 6 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 PM
CDT THIS EVENING FOR STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES ACROSS EASTERN 
NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND FORKS HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING FOR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS... WHICH IS IN EFFECT
FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING.

* AFFECTED AREA...IN MINNESOTA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 001...002... 
  003...004...005...006...007...008...009...013...014...015...
  016... 017...022...023...024...027...028...029...030...031...
  032 AND 040. IN NORTH DAKOTA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 006...007...
  008...014... 015...016...024...026...027...028...029...030...
  038...039...049... 052...053 AND 054.

* WINDS...SOUTHEAST 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH.

* TIMING...DEVELOPING IN THE EARLY AFTERNOON AND ENDING NEAR SUNDOWN.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...NEAR 25 PERCENT...ISOLATED LOCALES DOWN TO
  20 PERCENT.

* TEMPERATURES...HIGHS THIS AFTERNOON 60 TO 65.

* IMPACTS...ANY FIRES THAT DEVELOP WILL SPREAD RAPIDLY. OUTDOOR
  BURNING IS RESTRICTED.

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.

&&

$$

JK
2 follow-up statements
642 
WWUS83 KFGF 062024
RFWFGF

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
324 PM CDT FRI APR 6 2012

...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS INTO EARLY EVENING AND
POSSIBLY AGAIN SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING...

.GUSTY SOUTHEAST WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY VALUES WILL CONTINUE INTO
THE EARLY EVENING. LOW PRESSURE WILL LIFT INTO THE MANITOBA LAKES
REGION ON SATURDAY SWINGING A COLD FRONT THROUGH THE AREA. GUSTY
WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED BEHIND THIS FRONT WITH
FALLING AFTERNOON HUMIDITY VALUES. ONCE AGAIN THERE IS THE
POTENTIAL FOR HUMIDITY LEVELS TO GET DOWN INTO THE 20 TO 25
PERCENT RANGE ACROSS SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA AND PORTIONS OF WEST
CENTRAL MINNESOTA. THE VEGETATION REMAINS DRY ACROSS THE
REGION AND THE COMBINATION OF THE DRY AND WINDY CONDITIONS WILL
CREATE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS.

MNZ003-029-030-040-NDZ038-039-049-052-053-070430-
/O.NEW.KFGF.FW.A.0001.120407T1800Z-120408T0100Z/
/O.CON.KFGF.FW.W.0001.000000T0000Z-120407T0100Z/
CLAY-WILKIN-WEST OTTER TAIL-GRANT-BARNES-CASS-RANSOM-SARGENT-
RICHLAND-
324 PM CDT FRI APR 6 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING
FOR STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES ACROSS SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA
AND PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...
...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
SATURDAY EVENING FOR STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES ACROSS
SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA AND PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND FORKS HAS ISSUED A FIRE
WEATHER WATCH FOR POTENTIAL CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER
CONDITIONS...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
SATURDAY EVENING.

* AFFECTED AREA...IN MINNESOTA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 003...029... 
  030 AND 040. IN NORTH DAKOTA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 038...039... 
  049...052 AND 053.

* WINDS...SOUTHEAST 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH INTO THE
  EARLY EVENING TONIGHT. WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS AT 25 TO 35 MPH
  WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING.

* TIMING...CONTINUING INTO THE EARLY EVENING AND DEVELOPING AGAIN
  BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 20 TO 25 PERCENT.

* TEMPERATURES...HIGHS IN THE MID 50S ON SATURDAY.

* IMPACTS...ANY FIRES THAT DEVELOP WILL SPREAD RAPIDLY. OUTDOOR 
  BURNING IS RESTRICTED. 

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.

A FIRE WEATHER WATCH MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE FORECAST TO OCCUR. LISTEN FOR LATER FORECASTS AND POSSIBLE
RED FLAG WARNINGS.

&&

$$

MNZ001-002-004>009-013>017-022>024-027-028-031-032-NDZ006>008-
014>016-024-026>030-054-070100-
/O.CON.KFGF.FW.W.0001.000000T0000Z-120407T0100Z/
WEST POLK-NORMAN-KITTSON-ROSEAU-LAKE OF THE WOODS-WEST MARSHALL-
EAST MARSHALL-NORTH BELTRAMI-PENNINGTON-RED LAKE-EAST POLK-
NORTH CLEARWATER-SOUTH BELTRAMI-MAHNOMEN-SOUTH CLEARWATER-HUBBARD-
WEST BECKER-EAST BECKER-EAST OTTER TAIL-WADENA-TOWNER-CAVALIER-
PEMBINA-BENSON-RAMSEY-EASTERN WALSH-EDDY-NELSON-GRAND FORKS-
GRIGGS-STEELE-TRAILL-WESTERN WALSH-
324 PM CDT FRI APR 6 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING
FOR STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES ACROSS NORTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA
AND PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

* AFFECTED AREA...IN MINNESOTA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 001...002... 
  004...005...006...007...008...009...013...014...015...016...
  017... 022...023...024...027...028...031 AND 032. IN NORTH 
  DAKOTA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 006...007...008...014...015...
  016...024...026... 027...028...029...030 AND 054.

* WINDS...SOUTHEAST 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH.

* TIMING...CONTINUING INTO THE EARLY EVENING.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 20 TO 25 PERCENT.

* TEMPERATURES...HIGHS IN THE LOWER 60S TODAY.

* IMPACTS...ANY FIRES THAT DEVELOP WILL SPREAD RAPIDLY. OUTDOOR 
  BURNING IS RESTRICTED. 

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.

&&

$$
425 
WWUS83 KFGF 070055
RFWFGF

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
755 PM CDT FRI APR 6 2012

...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS POSSIBLE AGAIN SATURDAY
AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING...

.COOLING TEMPERATURES HAVE ALLOWED DEWPOINTS TO RISE INTO THE
UPPER 20 TO LOWER 30 PERCENT RANGE...AND THE THREAT  FOR CRITICAL
FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS HAS DIMINISHED FOR THE EVENING. LOW
PRESSURE WILL LIFT INTO THE MANITOBA LAKES REGION ON
SATURDAY...SWINGING A COLD FRONT THROUGH THE AREA. GUSTY WEST TO
NORTHWEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED BEHIND THIS FRONT...WITH FALLING
AFTERNOON HUMIDITY VALUES. THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR HUMIDITY
LEVELS TO GET DOWN INTO THE 20 TO 25 PERCENT RANGE ACROSS
SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA AND PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA. THE
VEGETATION REMAINS DRY ACROSS THE REGION AND THE COMBINATION OF
DRY AND WINDY CONDITIONS WILL CREATE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER
CONDITIONS.

MNZ003-029-030-040-NDZ038-039-049-052-053-070900-
/O.EXP.KFGF.FW.W.0001.000000T0000Z-120407T0100Z/
/O.CON.KFGF.FW.A.0001.120407T1800Z-120408T0100Z/
CLAY-WILKIN-WEST OTTER TAIL-GRANT-BARNES-CASS-RANSOM-SARGENT-
RICHLAND-
755 PM CDT FRI APR 6 2012

...FIRE WEATHER WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY AFTERNOON
THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING FOR STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES
ACROSS SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA AND PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL
MINNESOTA...
...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR
STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES ACROSS SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA AND
PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

* AFFECTED AREA...IN MINNESOTA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 003...029... 
  030 AND 040. IN NORTH DAKOTA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 038...039... 
  049...052 AND 053.

* WINDS...SOUTHEAST 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH INTO 
  THE EARLY EVENING TONIGHT. WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS AT 25 TO 35 
  MPH WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EARLY 
  EVENING. 

* TIMING...CONTINUING INTO THE EARLY EVENING AND DEVELOPING 
  AGAIN BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON. 

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 20 TO 25 PERCENT SATURDAY AFTERNOON.

* TEMPERATURES...HIGHS IN THE MID 50S ON SATURDAY.

* IMPACTS...ANY FIRES THAT DEVELOP WILL SPREAD RAPIDLY. OUTDOOR 
  BURNING IS RESTRICTED. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FIRE WEATHER WATCH MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE FORECAST TO OCCUR. LISTEN FOR LATER FORECASTS AND POSSIBLE
RED FLAG WARNINGS.

&&

$$

MNZ001-002-004>009-013>017-022>024-027-028-031-032-NDZ006>008-
014>016-024-026>030-054-070200-
/O.EXP.KFGF.FW.W.0001.000000T0000Z-120407T0100Z/
WEST POLK-NORMAN-KITTSON-ROSEAU-LAKE OF THE WOODS-WEST MARSHALL-
EAST MARSHALL-NORTH BELTRAMI-PENNINGTON-RED LAKE-EAST POLK-
NORTH CLEARWATER-SOUTH BELTRAMI-MAHNOMEN-SOUTH CLEARWATER-HUBBARD-
WEST BECKER-EAST BECKER-EAST OTTER TAIL-WADENA-TOWNER-CAVALIER-
PEMBINA-BENSON-RAMSEY-EASTERN WALSH-EDDY-NELSON-GRAND FORKS-
GRIGGS-STEELE-TRAILL-WESTERN WALSH-
755 PM CDT FRI APR 6 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR
STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES ACROSS NORTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA AND
PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

COOLING TEMPERATURES HAVE ALLOWED DEWPOINTS TO RISE INTO THE
UPPER 20 TO LOWER 30 PERCENT RANGE...AND THE THREAT  FOR CRITICAL
FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS HAS DIMINISHED FOR THE EVENING. THE RED
FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 8 PM CDT.

$$
12

The office that day

Everything else NWS Grand Forks, ND issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 6, 4:27 AM CDTWind AdvisoryFGFBecker, Clay, Grant, Kittson, Mahnomen, Marshall and 7 more16 hr
Apr 6, 3:24 PM CDTFire Weather WatchFGFClay, Grant, Otter Tail, Wilkin12 hr

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Minnesota, 2012Red Flag Warnings in North Dakota, 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.