Alert archive / Minnesota / Red Flag Warnings in 2012

Red Flag Warning 12, NWS Grand Forks, ND

September 30, 201214 counties in Minnesota

NWS Grand Forks, ND issued this red flag warning at Sep 30, 2012, 3:03 PM CDT for 14 counties in Minnesota. It was in force for 5 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
Sep 30, 2012, 3:03 PM CDT (20:03 UTC)
Expired
Sep 30, 2012, 8:00 PM CDT
In force
5 hr
Issued by
NWS Grand Forks, ND

Counties Becker County, MN, Beltrami County, MN, Clay County, MN, Clearwater County, MN, Hubbard County, MN, Kittson County, MN, Lake of the Woods County, MN, Mahnomen County, MN, Marshall County, MN, Norman County, MN, Pennington County, MN, Polk County, MN, Red Lake County, MN, Roseau County, MN

The radar

The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 114 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:01 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 12:00Z, 8.1 hours before the alert went out and 207 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 12:00Z on 2012-09-30Temperature 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 12:00Z on 2012-09-30The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 94 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
2043 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
17 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
94 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
78 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.

737 
WWUS83 KFGF 302003
RFWFGF

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
303 PM CDT SUN SEP 30 2012

...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS EXPECTED INTO THE EVENING...

.SOUTHWEST WINDS AT 10 TO 20 MPH WILL GRADUALLY SWITCH TO THE WEST
OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS BEFORE TRANSITIONING TO THE
NORTHWEST BY EARLY EVENING. FOR THE MOST PART WINDS SHOULD STAY IN
THE 10 TO 20 MPH RANGE...BUT THERE COULD BE SOME HIGHER GUSTS AT
TIMES. THIS WILL RESULT IN EXTREME FIRE DANGER CONDITIONS. FIRE
CREWS ARE RESPONDING TO SEVERAL FIRES ALREADY. FOR THE GENERAL
PUBLIC WORKING OR RECREATING OUTDOORS PLEASE REFRAIN FROM ANY
ACTIVITIES THAT COULD LEAD TO FIRE IGNITIONS...THIS INCLUDES
EQUIPMENT OPERATIONS.

MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027-028-010100-
/O.NEW.KFGF.FW.W.0012.120930T2003Z-121001T0100Z/
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-
303 PM CDT SUN SEP 30 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR VERY
DRY FUELS...A WIND SWITCH AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR PORTIONS OF 
NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

* 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 AND 028.

* WINDS...SOUTHWEST 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH SWITCHING
  TO THE WEST AND THEN NORTHWEST.

* TIMING...UNTIL 8 PM THIS EVENING.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 21 PERCENT.

* TEMPERATURES...LOW 80S FALLING INTO THE LOW TO MID 70S.

* IMPACTS...DANGEROUS FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL. 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.

&&

$$
1 follow-up statement
124 
WWUS83 KFGF 010049
RFWFGF

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
749 PM CDT SUN SEP 30 2012

...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS POSSIBLE MONDAY AFTERNOON...

.FUELS ACROSS NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA ARE VERY
DRY...LEADING TO A CRITICAL SITUATION. RAPID FIRE GROWTH IS LIKELY
WITH RELATIVE HUMIDITY BELOW 30 PERCENT AND WINDS ABOVE 15 MPH
UNDER THESE CONDITIONS. THIS APPEARS POSSIBLE ON MONDAY AFTERNOON
WITH FORECASTED HUMIDITY VALUES AROUND 25 PERCENT AND NORTHWEST
WINDS 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH. 

MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027-028-010900-
/O.EXP.KFGF.FW.W.0012.000000T0000Z-121001T0100Z/
/O.NEW.KFGF.FW.A.0010.121001T1800Z-121002T0000Z/
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-
749 PM CDT SUN SEP 30 2012

...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FROM MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
MONDAY EVENING FOR VERY DRY FUELS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND 
BREEZY WINDS FOR NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...
...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR 
PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND FORKS HAS ISSUED A FIRE
WEATHER WATCH FOR VERY DRY FUELS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND
BREEZY WINDS...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
MONDAY 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 AND 028.

* WINDS...NORTHWEST 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH.

* TIMING...MONDAY AFTERNOON. 

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

* TEMPERATURES...MID TO UPPER 60S.

* IMPACTS...DANGEROUS FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL DUE TO VERY DRY FUELS.
  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.

&&

$$

MNZ029>032-040-010900-
/O.NEW.KFGF.FW.A.0010.121001T1800Z-121002T0000Z/
WILKIN-WEST OTTER TAIL-EAST OTTER TAIL-WADENA-GRANT-
749 PM CDT SUN SEP 30 2012

...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FROM MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
MONDAY EVENING FOR VERY DRY FUELS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND 
BREEZY WINDS FOR NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND FORKS HAS ISSUED A FIRE
WEATHER WATCH FOR VERY DRY FUELS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND
BREEZY WINDS...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
MONDAY EVENING.

* AFFECTED AREA...IN MINNESOTA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 029...030... 
  031...032 AND 040.

* WINDS...NORTH 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH.

* TIMING...MONDAY AFTERNOON. 

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

* TEMPERATURES...MID TO UPPER 60S. 

* IMPACTS...DANGEROUS FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL DUE TO VERY DRY FUELS.
  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.

&&

$$
TG

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Minnesota, 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.