Alert archive / Oregon / Red Flag Warnings in 2012

Red Flag Warning 21, NWS Medford, OR

October 3, 20125 counties in Oregon

NWS Medford, OR issued this red flag warning at Oct 3, 2012, 8:21 AM PDT for 5 counties in Oregon. It took effect at Oct 3, 2012, 11:00 PM PDT. It was in force for 10 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
Oct 3, 2012, 8:21 AM PDT (15:21 UTC)
In effect from
Oct 3, 2012, 11:00 PM PDT
Expired
Oct 4, 2012, 9:00 AM PDT
In force
10 hr
Issued by
NWS Medford, OR

Counties Douglas County, OR, Jackson County, OR, Josephine County, OR, Klamath County, OR, Lane County, OR

The radar

The Medford radar (KMAX), 96 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 15:27 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

Medford/Jackson, OR (KMFR), launched 12:00Z, 3.4 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, Medford/Jackson, OR at 12:00Z on 2012-10-03Temperature 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, Medford/Jackson, OR at 12:00Z on 2012-10-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -15 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
1714 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
21 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-15 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-15 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.

124 
WWUS86 KMFR 031521
RFWMFR

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
821 AM PDT WED OCT 3 2012

ORZ621-040330-
/O.CAN.KMFR.FW.W.0020.000000T0000Z-121003T1600Z/
/O.UPG.KMFR.FW.A.0019.121004T0600Z-121004T1600Z/
/O.NEW.KMFR.FW.W.0021.121004T0600Z-121004T1600Z/
SISKIYOU MOUNTAINS-
821 AM PDT WED OCT 3 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO 9 AM PDT
   THURSDAY FOR COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE
   HUMIDITIES FOR FIRE ZONE 621...
...RED FLAG WARNING IS CANCELLED FOR COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS
   AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES FOR FIRE ZONE 621...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEDFORD HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO 9 AM PDT
THURSDAY. THE RED FLAG WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED. THE FIRE
WEATHER WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. 

* AFFECTED AREA: FIRE ZONE 621 

* WIND...NORTHEAST WINDS OF 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 20 MPH
  WILL DEVELOP ON THE RIDGES THIS EVENING AND CONTINUE INTO EARLY
  THURSDAY MORNING.

* HUMIDITY...HUMIDITY RECOVERIES OF 25 TO 30 PERCENT OVERNIGHT ON
  THE RIDGES.

* FOR A DETAILED VIEW OF THE HAZARD AREA...VISIT 
  HTTP://WWW.WRH.NOAA.GOV/WRH/WHV/?WFO=MFR

* IMPACTS...CONTINUED ACTIVE FIRE BEHAVIOR CAN BE EXPECTED IN 
  THE OVERNIGHT HOURS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY. THESE CONDITIONS WILL
CREATE THE POTENTIAL FOR EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH.

&&

$$

ORZ618>620-031630-
/O.CAN.KMFR.FW.W.0020.000000T0000Z-121003T1600Z/
SOUTHERN OREGON COAST-WESTERN ROGUE RIVER-
SISKIYOU NATIONAL FOREST-
WESTERN ROGUE BASIN INCLUDING THE ILLINOIS VALLEY-
821 AM PDT WED OCT 3 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING IS CANCELLED FOR COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS
   AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES FOR FIRE ZONES 618...619 AND 620...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEDFORD HAS CANCELLED THE RED
FLAG WARNING. 

$$

ORZ617-622-623-040330-
/O.UPG.KMFR.FW.A.0019.121004T0600Z-121004T1600Z/
/O.NEW.KMFR.FW.W.0021.121004T0600Z-121004T1600Z/
UMPQUA NATIONAL FOREST-EASTERN ROGUE VALLEY-
SOUTHERN OREGON CASCADES-
821 AM PDT WED OCT 3 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO 9 AM PDT
   THURSDAY FOR COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE
   HUMIDITIES FOR FIRE ZONES 617...622 AND 623...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEDFORD HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO 9 AM PDT
THURSDAY. THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. 

* AFFECTED AREA: FIRE ZONES 622...623 AND 617 

* WIND...EAST WINDS 10 TO 20 MPH WILL DEVELOP THIS EVENING AND
  CONTINUE INTO EARLY THURSDAY MORNING.

* HUMIDITY...HUMIDITY RECOVERIES OF 20 TO 30 PERCENT OVERNIGHT ON
  THE RIDGES.

* FOR A DETAILED VIEW OF THE HAZARD AREA...VISIT 
  HTTP://WWW.WRH.NOAA.GOV/WRH/WHV/?WFO=MFR

* IMPACTS...CONTINUED ACTIVE FIRE BEHAVIOR CAN BE EXPECTED IN 
  THE OVERNIGHT HOURS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY. THESE CONDITIONS WILL
CREATE THE POTENTIAL FOR EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH.

&&

$$

VISIT US AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MEDFORD

STOCKTON
3 follow-up statements
037 
WWUS86 KMFR 032130
RFWMFR

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
230 PM PDT WED OCT 3 2012

ORZ617-621>623-041315-
/O.CON.KMFR.FW.W.0021.121004T0600Z-121004T1600Z/
UMPQUA NATIONAL FOREST-SISKIYOU MOUNTAINS-EASTERN ROGUE VALLEY-
SOUTHERN OREGON CASCADES-
230 PM PDT WED OCT 3 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO
   9 AM PDT THURSDAY FOR COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS AND LOW
   RELATIVE HUMIDITIES FOR FIRE ZONES 617...621..622 AND 623...

* AFFECTED AREA: FIRE ZONES 617...621...622 AND 623

* WIND...EAST WINDS 10 TO 20 MPH WILL DEVELOP THIS EVENING OVER
  THE RIDGES AND CONTINUE INTO EARLY THURSDAY MORNING.

* HUMIDITY...HUMIDITY RECOVERIES OF 20 TO 35 PERCENT OVERNIGHT
  ON THE RIDGES.

* FOR A DETAILED VIEW OF THE HAZARD AREA...VISIT 
  HTTP://WWW.WRH.NOAA.GOV/WRH/WHV/?WFO=MFR

* IMPACTS...CONTINUED ACTIVE FIRE BEHAVIOR CAN BE EXPECTED IN 
  THE OVERNIGHT HOURS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY. THESE CONDITIONS WILL
CREATE THE POTENTIAL FOR EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH.

&&

$$

VISIT US AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MEDFORD

STOCKTON
642 
WWUS86 KMFR 041359
RFWMFR

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
659 AM PDT THU OCT 4 2012

ORZ617-621>623-041600-
/O.CON.KMFR.FW.W.0021.000000T0000Z-121004T1600Z/
UMPQUA NATIONAL FOREST-SISKIYOU MOUNTAINS-EASTERN ROGUE VALLEY-
SOUTHERN OREGON CASCADES-
659 AM PDT THU OCT 4 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM PDT THIS MORNING
FOR COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS AND LOW    RELATIVE HUMIDITIES
FOR FIRE ZONES 617...621..622 AND 623...

* AFFECTED AREA: FIRE ZONES 617...621...622 AND 623

* WIND...EAST WINDS 10 TO 20 MPH  OVER THE RIDGES WILL CONTINUE
  INTO EARLY THURSDAY MORNING.

* HUMIDITY...HUMIDITY RECOVERIES OF 20 TO 35 PERCENT OVERNIGHT 
  ON THE RIDGES.

* FOR A DETAILED VIEW OF THE HAZARD AREA...VISIT 
  HTTP://WWW.WRH.NOAA.GOV/WRH/WHV/?WFO=MFR

* IMPACTS...CONTINUED ACTIVE FIRE BEHAVIOR CAN BE EXPECTED IN 
  THE OVERNIGHT AND EARLY MORNING HOURS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY. THESE CONDITIONS WILL
CREATE THE POTENTIAL FOR EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH.

&&

$$


VISIT US AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MEDFORD
625 
WWUS86 KMFR 041616
RFWMFR

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
916 AM PDT THU OCT 4 2012


ORZ617-621>623-041730-
/O.EXP.KMFR.FW.W.0021.000000T0000Z-121004T1600Z/
UMPQUA NATIONAL FOREST-SISKIYOU MOUNTAINS-EASTERN ROGUE VALLEY-
SOUTHERN OREGON CASCADES-
916 AM PDT THU OCT 4 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING HAS EXPIRED FOR COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS
AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES FOR FIRE ZONES 617...621..622 AND
623...

THE RED FLAG WARNING IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. 

POOR RECOVERIES WITH GUSTY OFFSHORE WINDS WILL RETURN AGAIN
TONIGHT ON THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF FIRE ZONE 617 AND NORTHERN
FIRE ZONE 623 AGAIN TONIGHT...BUT CONDITION S ARE EXPECTED TO
REMAIN BELOW RED FLAG WARNING CRITERIA.

$$
SVEN

VISIT US AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MEDFORD

The office that day

Everything else NWS Medford, OR issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Oct 3, 2:35 AM PDTFreeze WatchMFRKlamath12 hr
Oct 3, 2:22 PM PDTFrost AdvisoryMFRCoos, Curry, Douglas, Jackson, Josephine18 hr
Oct 3, 2:22 PM PDTFreeze WarningMFRKlamath18 hr

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Oregon, 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.