Alert archive / Wisconsin / Red Flag Warnings in 2012

Red Flag Warning 1, NWS Milwaukee, WI

April 8, 201220 counties in Wisconsin

NWS Milwaukee, WI issued this red flag warning at Apr 8, 2012, 3:54 AM CDT for 20 counties in Wisconsin. It took effect at Apr 8, 2012, 1:00 PM CDT. It was in force for 7 hr. 5 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Apr 8, 2012, 3:54 AM CDT (08:54 UTC)
In effect from
Apr 8, 2012, 1:00 PM CDT
Expired
Apr 8, 2012, 8:00 PM CDT
In force
7 hr
Issued by
NWS Milwaukee, WI

Counties Columbia County, WI, Dane County, WI, Dodge County, WI, Fond du Lac County, WI, Green County, WI, Green Lake County, WI, Iowa County, WI, Jefferson County, WI, Kenosha County, WI, Lafayette County, WI, Marquette County, WI, Milwaukee County, WI, Ozaukee County, WI, Racine County, WI, Rock County, WI, Sauk County, WI, Sheboygan County, WI, Walworth County, WI, Washington County, WI, Waukesha County, WI

The radar

The Milwaukee radar (KMKX), 31 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:52 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.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Apr 8, 3:04 PM CDTNON-TSTM WND GST 44Westfield, WIMEASURED AT MARQUETTE COUNTY DOT.
Apr 8, 5:05 PM CDTNON-TSTM WND GST 45Westfield, WI10 INCH DIAMETER DEAD TREE BLOWN OVER. WIND SPEED ESTIMATED.
Apr 8, 5:15 PM CDTNON-TSTM WND GST 47West Bend Airport, WI
Apr 8, 5:28 PM CDTNON-TSTM WND GST 47Horicon, WIRAWS OBSERVATION
Apr 8, 5:30 PM CDTNON-TSTM WND GST 55Jackson, WIWIND GUST AT KETTLE MORAINE LUTHERAN HIGH SCHOOL. ALSO WIND GUSTS TO 43 MPH AT GRAFTON HIGH SCHOOL. RELAYED BY FOX6.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

Green Bay/Straub, WI (KGRB), launched 00:00Z, 8.9 hours before the alert went out and 157 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, Green Bay/Straub, WI at 00:00Z on 2012-04-08Temperature 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, Green Bay/Straub, WI at 00:00Z on 2012-04-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 142 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
1808 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
20 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
142 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
225 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.

103 
WWUS83 KMKX 080854
RFWMKX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
354 AM CDT SUN APR 8 2012

...VERY DRY AIR MASS WITH BREEZY CONDITIONS EXPECTED TODAY...

.VERY DRY AND BREEZY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TODAY. BREEZY WEST
WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS MORNING AS DEEP ATMOSPHERIC
MIXING ALLOWS GUSTY WINDS TO REACH DOWN TO THE SURFACE FROM THE
MORE ELEVATED LEVELS UP IN THE ATMOSPHERE.

THE COMBINATION OF THE DRY AIR MASS AND GUSTY WINDS WILL LEAD TO
CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS BEING MET. THOUGH TEMPERATURES
WILL BE BELOW TYPICAL CRITICAL THRESHOLDS...SOME FUELS WILL BE
PARTICULARLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO RAPID FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL. 

WIZ046-047-051-052-056>060-062>072-081700-
/O.UPG.KMKX.FW.A.0001.120408T1800Z-120409T0100Z/
/O.NEW.KMKX.FW.W.0001.120408T1800Z-120409T0100Z/
MARQUETTE-GREEN LAKE-FOND DU LAC-SHEBOYGAN-SAUK-COLUMBIA-DODGE-
WASHINGTON-OZAUKEE-IOWA-DANE-JEFFERSON-WAUKESHA-MILWAUKEE-
LAFAYETTE-GREEN-ROCK-WALWORTH-RACINE-KENOSHA-
354 AM CDT SUN APR 8 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 PM
CDT THIS EVENING FOR VERY LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND STRONG...GUSTY 
WEST WINDS FOR ALL OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN HAS ISSUED A
RED FLAG WARNING FOR VERY LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND
STRONG...GUSTY WEST WINDS...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS
AFTERNOON TO 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING. THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS NO
LONGER IN EFFECT.

* AFFECTED AREAS...MARQUETTE...GREEN LAKE...FOND DU
  LAC...SHEBOYGAN...SAUK...COLUMBIA...DODGE...WASHINGTON...
  OZAUKEE...IOWA...DANE...JEFFERSON...WAUKESHA...MILWAUKEE...
  LAFAYETTE...GREEN...ROCK...WALWORTH...RACINE AND KENOSHA.

* WINDS...WEST 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH.

* TIMING...LATE MORNING UNTIL EARLY EVENING.

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

* TEMPERATURES...IN THE UPPER 50S.

* IMPACTS...THE COMBINATION OF THE DRY AIR AND GUSTY WINDS WILL 
  RESULT IN CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. DRIER FUELS WILL BE 
  PARTICULARLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO RAPID FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL. 

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 AND VERY LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY WILL CREATE EXPLOSIVE
FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.

&&

$$
2 follow-up statements
852 
WWUS83 KMKX 081438
RFWMKX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
938 AM CDT SUN APR 8 2012

...VERY DRY AIR MASS WITH BREEZY CONDITIONS EXPECTED TODAY...

.VERY DRY AND BREEZY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TODAY. BREEZY WEST
WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP BY LATE MORNING AS DEEP ATMOSPHERIC
MIXING ALLOWS GUSTY WINDS TO REACH DOWN TO THE SURFACE FROM THE
MORE ELEVATED LEVELS UP IN THE ATMOSPHERE.

THE COMBINATION OF THE DRY AIR MASS AND GUSTY WINDS WILL LEAD TO
CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS BEING MET. THOUGH TEMPERATURES
WILL BE BELOW TYPICAL CRITICAL THRESHOLDS...SOME FUELS WILL BE
PARTICULARLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO RAPID FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.

WIZ046-047-051-052-056>060-062>072-082245-
/O.CON.KMKX.FW.W.0001.120408T1800Z-120409T0100Z/
MARQUETTE-GREEN LAKE-FOND DU LAC-SHEBOYGAN-SAUK-COLUMBIA-DODGE-
WASHINGTON-OZAUKEE-IOWA-DANE-JEFFERSON-WAUKESHA-MILWAUKEE-
LAFAYETTE-GREEN-ROCK-WALWORTH-RACINE-KENOSHA-
938 AM CDT SUN APR 8 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO
8 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR VERY LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND STRONG...
GUSTY WEST WINDS FOR ALL OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST
WISCONSIN...

* AFFECTED AREAS...MARQUETTE...GREEN LAKE...FOND DU LAC... 
  SHEBOYGAN...SAUK...COLUMBIA...DODGE...WASHINGTON... OZAUKEE... 
  IOWA...DANE...JEFFERSON...WAUKESHA...MILWAUKEE... LAFAYETTE... 
  GREEN...ROCK...WALWORTH...RACINE AND KENOSHA. 

* WINDS...WEST 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 25 TO 35 MPH.

* TIMING...EARLY AFTERNOON UNTIL EARLY EVENING.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...MINIMUM VALUES GENERALLY FROM 20 TO 25
  PERCENT.

* TEMPERATURES...AFTERNOON HIGHS IN THE UPPER 50S AND LOW 60S.

* IMPACTS...THE COMBINATION OF THE DRY AIR AND GUSTY WINDS WILL 
  RESULT IN CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. DRIER FUELS WILL 
  BE PARTICULARLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO RAPID FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL. 

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 AND VERY LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY WILL CREATE EXPLOSIVE
FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.

&&

$$
DDV
336 
WWUS83 KMKX 082009
RFWMKX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
309 PM CDT SUN APR 8 2012

...VERY DRY AIR MASS WITH BREEZY CONDITIONS EXPECTED INTO EARLY
EVENING...

.BREEZY WEST WINDS AND VERY DRY AIR WILL LEAD TO CONTINUED
CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS INTO EARLY EVENING. 

IT WILL BE VERY DRY AND BREEZY AGAIN MONDAY...BUT TEMPERATURES WILL 
BE COOLER AND RH VALUES JUST A TOUCH HIGHER...SO A FIRE WEATHER 
WATCH IS NOT BEING ISSUED. WITH FUELS AND WINDS SIMILAR TO 
TODAY...NEAR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS MAY STILL BE POSSIBLE 
IF RH VALUES END UP LOWER THAN CURRENTLY EXPECTED.

WIZ046-047-051-052-056>060-062>072-090100-
/O.CON.KMKX.FW.W.0001.000000T0000Z-120409T0100Z/
MARQUETTE-GREEN LAKE-FOND DU LAC-SHEBOYGAN-SAUK-COLUMBIA-DODGE-
WASHINGTON-OZAUKEE-IOWA-DANE-JEFFERSON-WAUKESHA-MILWAUKEE-
LAFAYETTE-GREEN-ROCK-WALWORTH-RACINE-KENOSHA-
309 PM CDT SUN APR 8 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING
FOR VERY LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND STRONG...GUSTY WEST WINDS FOR
ALL OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN...

* AFFECTED AREAS...MARQUETTE...GREEN LAKE...FOND DU LAC... 
  SHEBOYGAN...SAUK...COLUMBIA...DODGE...WASHINGTON... OZAUKEE... 
  IOWA...DANE...JEFFERSON...WAUKESHA...MILWAUKEE... LAFAYETTE... 
  GREEN...ROCK...WALWORTH...RACINE AND KENOSHA. 

* WINDS...WEST 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 25 TO 35 MPH.

* TIMING...INTO EARLY EVENING.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...MINIMUM VALUES GENERALLY FROM 20 TO 25
  PERCENT.

* TEMPERATURES...IN THE UPPER 50S AND LOW 60S.

* IMPACTS...THE COMBINATION OF THE DRY AIR AND GUSTY WINDS WILL
  RESULT IN CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. THOUGH TEMPERATURES
  ARE BELOW TYPICAL CRITICAL THRESHOLDS...SOME FUELS WILL BE
  PARTICULARLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO RAPID FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.

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 AND VERY LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY WILL CREATE EXPLOSIVE
FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.

&&

$$
DDV

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Wisconsin, 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.