Alert archive / Arkansas / Red Flag Warnings in 2012

Red Flag Warning 3, NWS Memphis, TN

February 29, 2012Dunklin County, Pemiscot County, Missouri; 8 counties in Arkansas

NWS Memphis, TN issued this red flag warning at Feb 29, 2012, 2:32 PM CST for Dunklin County, Pemiscot County, Missouri; 8 counties in Arkansas. It was in force for 3 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 29, 2012, 2:32 PM CST (20:32 UTC)
Expired
Feb 29, 2012, 6:00 PM CST
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Memphis, TN

Counties Clay County, AR, Craighead County, AR, Cross County, AR, Greene County, AR, Lawrence County, AR, Mississippi County, AR, Poinsett County, AR, Randolph County, AR, Dunklin County, MO, Pemiscot County, MO

The radar

The Memphis radar (KNQA), 90 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:34 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

Little Rock, AR (KLZK), launched 12:00Z, 8.5 hours before the alert went out and 136 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, Little Rock, AR at 12:00Z on 2012-02-29Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1168 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, Little Rock, AR at 12:00Z on 2012-02-29The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 289 square meters per square second.1939587897117136Sfc1 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
1168 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-5 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
535 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
64 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
289 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
292 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
2.3
Supercell composite
8.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

147 
WWUS84 KMEG 292032
RFWMEG

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
232 PM CST WED FEB 29 2012

...HIGH FIRE DANGER DEVELOPING ACROSS NORTHEAST ARKANSAS AND THE
MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...

.MUCH DRIER AIR IS BEGINNING TO MOVE IN BEHIND A FRONT THAT HAS
CLEARED THE AREA. STRONG AND GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS AND
TEMPERATURES WARMING WELL INTO THE 70S TO NEAR 80 WILL COMBINE
WITH DRY VEGETATION TO PROVIDE FAVORABLE CONDITIONS THAT CAN LEAD
TO RAPID FIRE SPREAD.

ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-MOZ113-115-010000-
/O.NEW.KMEG.FW.W.0003.120229T2032Z-120301T0000Z/
RANDOLPH-CLAY-LAWRENCE-GREENE-CRAIGHEAD-POINSETT-MISSISSIPPI-
CROSS-DUNKLIN-PEMISCOT-
232 PM CST WED FEB 29 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR
STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS...LOW HUMIDITY...AND LOW FUEL MOISTURE FOR
NORTHEAST ARKANSAS AND THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING. 

* WIND...SOUTHWEST 20 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 35 MPH.

* HUMIDITY...RAPIDLY FALLING TO BETWEEN 17 AND 30 PERCENT.

* 10 HOUR FUEL MOISTURE...BETWEEN 7 AND 10 PERCENT.

* 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 EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.

&&

$$

BORGHOFF
2 follow-up statements
154 
WWUS84 KMEG 292101 AAA
RFWMEG

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
301 PM CST WED FEB 29 2012

...HIGH FIRE DANGER DEVELOPING ACROSS NORTHEAST ARKANSAS AND THE
MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...

.CONSIDERABLY DRIER AIR IS BEGINNING TO MOVE IN BEHIND A FRONT
THAT HAS CLEARED THE AREA. STRONG AND GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS AND
TEMPERATURES WARMING TO NEAR 80 WILL COMBINE WITH DRY VEGETATION
TO PROVIDE FAVORABLE CONDITIONS THAT CAN LEAD TO RAPID FIRE
SPREAD.

ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-MOZ113-115-010000-
/O.CON.KMEG.FW.W.0003.000000T0000Z-120301T0000Z/
RANDOLPH-CLAY-LAWRENCE-GREENE-CRAIGHEAD-POINSETT-MISSISSIPPI-
CROSS-DUNKLIN-PEMISCOT-
301 PM CST WED FEB 29 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING
FOR STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS...LOW HUMIDITY...AND LOW FUEL MOISTURE
FOR |NORTHEAST ARKANSAS AND THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...

* WIND...SOUTHWEST AROUND 25 MPH WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 45 MPH.

* HUMIDITY...RAPIDLY FALLING TO BETWEEN 10 AND 15 PERCENT.

* 10 HOUR FUEL MOISTURE...BETWEEN 7 AND 10 PERCENT.

* 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 EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.

&&

$$

BORGHOFF
465 
WWUS84 KMEG 292354
RFWMEG

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
554 PM CST WED FEB 29 2012

ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-MOZ113-115-010100-
/O.EXP.KMEG.FW.W.0003.000000T0000Z-120301T0000Z/
RANDOLPH-CLAY-LAWRENCE-GREENE-CRAIGHEAD-POINSETT-MISSISSIPPI-
CROSS-DUNKLIN-PEMISCOT-
554 PM CST WED FEB 29 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 6 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR
STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS...LOW HUMIDITY...AND LOW FUEL MOISTURE FOR
NORTHEAST ARKANSAS AND THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...

WINDS WILL RAPIDLY DIMINISH AND RH VALUES WILL INCREASE...EASING
THE HIGH FIRE DANGER.

$$

BORGHOFF

The office that day

Everything else NWS Memphis, TN issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 29, 12:34 AM CSTWind AdvisoryMEGDunklin, Pemiscot10 hr
Feb 29, 4:54 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGDunklin29 min
Feb 29, 5:30 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGDunklin30 min
Feb 29, 6:51 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGDunklin39 min
Feb 29, 7:09 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGDunklin, Pemiscot36 min
Feb 29, 3:51 AM CSTTornado WarningMEGRandolph39 min
Feb 29, 4:22 AM CSTTornado WarningMEGLawrence, Randolph38 min
Feb 29, 4:25 AM CSTTornado WarningMEGClay, Randolph50 min
Feb 29, 4:56 AM CSTTornado WarningMEGClay, Randolph49 min
Feb 29, 5:48 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGLawrence, Randolph42 min
Feb 29, 6:25 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGClay, Greene, Lawrence, Randolph50 min
Feb 29, 6:43 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGLawrence47 min
Feb 29, 7:25 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGLawrence33 min
Feb 29, 7:43 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGCraighead, Greene23 min

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Arkansas, 2012Red Flag Warnings in Missouri, 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.