Alert archive / Nebraska / Red Flag Warnings in 2012

Red Flag Warning 20, NWS North Platte, NE

May 22, 201211 counties in Nebraska

NWS North Platte, NE issued this red flag warning at May 22, 2012, 2:31 AM MDT for 11 counties in Nebraska. It took effect at May 22, 2012, 12:00 PM MDT. 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
May 22, 2012, 2:31 AM MDT (08:31 UTC)
In effect from
May 22, 2012, 12:00 PM MDT
Expired
May 22, 2012, 8:00 PM MDT
In force
8 hr
Issued by
NWS North Platte, NE

Counties Arthur County, NE, Chase County, NE, Cherry County, NE, Deuel County, NE, Garden County, NE, Grant County, NE, Hayes County, NE, Keith County, NE, Lincoln County, NE, Perkins County, NE, Sheridan County, NE

The radar

The North Platte radar (KLNX), 110 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:30 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

N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE (KLBF), launched 00:00Z, 8.5 hours before the alert went out and 95 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, N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE at 00:00Z on 2012-05-22Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 37 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE at 00:00Z on 2012-05-22The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 20 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
37 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-132 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2501 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
31 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
20 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
222 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.

581 
WWUS83 KLBF 220831
RFWLBF

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
331 AM CDT TUE MAY 22 2012

...CRITICAL FIRE DANGER LIKELY IN THE EASTERN NEBRASKA PANHANDLE
THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING...

.A VERY WARM AIR MASS WILL PUSH NORTH INTO THE NEBRASKA PANHANDLE
LATER TODAY WITH AFTERNOON HIGHS IN THE MID 90S. AT THE SAME
TIME...A DRY LINE WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE EASTERN PANHANDLE LATER
THIS AFTERNOON. HOT TEMPERATURES AND DRY AIR WEST OF THE DRY LINE
WILL RESULT IN MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITIES OF 10 TO 15 PERCENT.
SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL GUST OVER 25 MPH LATER THIS AFTERNOON IN
THE EASTERN PANHANDLE AS WELL. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP
LATER THIS AFTERNOON ALONG THE DRY LINE...AND WITH LOW LEVEL
MOISTURE LACKING...THUNDERSTORMS WHICH MAY DEVELOP WILL BE ELEVATED
AND CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GUSTY ERRATIC WINDS AND DRY LIGHTNING. 

NEZ204-222030-
/O.NEW.KLBF.FW.W.0020.120522T1800Z-120523T0200Z/
EASTERN PANHANDLE/CRESCENT LAKE NWR-
231 AM MDT TUE MAY 22 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM MDT THIS
EVENING FOR LOW MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITIES...GUSTY WINDS AND DRY LIGHTNING
FOR THE EASTERN NEBRASKA PANHANDLE...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NORTH PLATTE HAS ISSUED A RED
FLAG WARNING FOR LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES...GUSTY WINDS AND THE
THREAT OF DRY LIGHTNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM MDT
THIS EVENING.

* AFFECTED AREA...IN NEBRASKA...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 204 EASTERN 
  PANHANDLE/CRESCENT LAKE NWR.

* WINDS...SOUTHWEST 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH.

* TIMING...FROM NOON MDT THROUGH 8 PM MDT...WITH THE GREATEST
  THREAT FROM 3 PM MDT THROUGH 8 PM MDT.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 12 PERCENT.

* TEMPERATURES...IN THE MID 90S.

* LIGHTNING...ISOLATED...ELEVATED THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP BY MID
  AFTERNOON ALONG THE DRY LINE AND WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
  DRY LIGHTNING.

* IMPACTS...ANY FIRES WHICH MAY DEVELOP LATER TODAY...HAVE A VERY
  HIGH POTENTIAL FOR EXPLOSIVE GROWTH.

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.

&&

$$

HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/LBF
2 follow-up statements
513 
WWUS83 KLBF 221915
RFWLBF

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
215 PM CDT TUE MAY 22 2012

...CRITICAL FIRE DANGER THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING...

.VERY WARM TEMPERATURES AND DRY AIR HAVE MOVED INTO THE NEBRASKA
PANHANDLE AND FAR SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA THIS AFTERNOON. AS THESE
CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EARLY
EVENING...RELATIVE HUMIDITY WILL DROP TO 15 PERCENT OR LOWER FOR
MUCH OF THE AREA. BREEZY SOUTHERLY WINDS...WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH
AT TIMES WILL FURTHER INCREASE THE THREAT FOR RAPID FIRE SPREAD
THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. LOCATIONS THAT WILL SEE THE MOST EXTREME
CONDITIONS WILL BE WEST OF A LINE FROM MERRIMAN TO OGALLALA TO
CHAMPION.

IN ADDITION...ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THESE
AREAS THIS AFTERNOON...WHICH COULD LEAD TO LIGHTNING STRIKES AND
FURTHER GUSTY AND ERRATIC WINDS.

NEZ210-230200-
/O.EXA.KLBF.FW.W.0020.000000T0000Z-120523T0200Z/
FRENCHMAN BASIN-
215 PM CDT TUE MAY 22 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR
WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR LOCATIONS ACROSS PERKINS 
AND CHASE COUNTIES ...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NORTH PLATTE HAS ISSUED A RED
FLAG WARNING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...WHICH IS IN
EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING.

* AFFECTED AREA...IN NEBRASKA...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 210 FRENCHMAN 
  BASIN...MAINLY ALONG AND WEST OF A LINE FROM GRANT TO CHAMPION. 

* WINDS...SOUTH 25 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH.

* TIMING...THROUGH 8 PM MDT...WITH THE GREATEST THREAT FROM 1 PM
  MDT THROUGH 5 PM MDT.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 13 PERCENT.

* TEMPERATURES...IN THE UPPER 80S.

* LIGHTNING...ISOLATED...ELEVATED THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP BY 
  MID AFTERNOON ALONG THE DRY LINE AND WILL BE CAPABLE OF 
  PRODUCING DRY LIGHTNING. 

* IMPACTS...ANY FIRES WHICH MAY DEVELOP LATER TODAY...HAVE A 
  VERY HIGH POTENTIAL FOR EXPLOSIVE GROWTH. 

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.

&&

$$

NEZ204-230200-
/O.CON.KLBF.FW.W.0020.000000T0000Z-120523T0200Z/
EASTERN PANHANDLE/CRESCENT LAKE NWR-
115 PM MDT TUE MAY 22 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM MDT THIS EVENING
FOR LOW MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITIES...GUSTY WINDS AND DRY
LIGHTNING FOR THE EASTERN NEBRASKA PANHANDLE...

* AFFECTED AREA...IN NEBRASKA...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 204 EASTERN 
  PANHANDLE/CRESCENT LAKE NWR.

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

* TIMING...FROM NOON MDT THROUGH 8 PM MDT...WITH THE GREATEST 
  THREAT FROM 3 PM MDT THROUGH 8 PM MDT. 

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 13 PERCENT.

* TEMPERATURES...IN THE UPPER 80S.

* LIGHTNING...ISOLATED...ELEVATED THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP BY 
  MID AFTERNOON ALONG THE DRY LINE AND WILL BE CAPABLE OF 
  PRODUCING DRY LIGHTNING. 

* IMPACTS...ANY FIRES WHICH MAY DEVELOP LATER TODAY...HAVE A 
  VERY HIGH POTENTIAL FOR EXPLOSIVE GROWTH. 

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.

&&

$$

HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/LBF

BROOKS
037 
WWUS83 KLBF 230205
RFWLBF

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
905 PM CDT TUE MAY 22 2012


NEZ204-210-230315-
/O.EXP.KLBF.FW.W.0020.000000T0000Z-120523T0200Z/
EASTERN PANHANDLE/CRESCENT LAKE NWR-FRENCHMAN BASIN-
905 PM CDT TUE MAY 22 2012 /805 PM MDT TUE MAY 22 2012/

...RED FLAG WARNING HAS EXPIRED FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE
HUMIDITY FOR LOCATIONS ACROSS PERKINS AND CHASE COUNTIES ...

RELATIVE HUMIDITY CONDITIONS HAVE IMPROVED THIS EVENING. 
THERFORE THE RED FLAG WARNING HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.

$$

ROBERG

The office that day

Everything else NWS North Platte, NE issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 21, 6:12 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFKeith, Perkins48 min
May 21, 6:42 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFCherry48 min
May 21, 6:59 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFKeith, Lincoln, Perkins35 min
May 22, 6:14 AM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFHolt, Wheeler61 min

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Nebraska, 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.