Alert archive / Minnesota / Red Flag Warnings in 2012

Red Flag Warning 1, NWS Twin Cities, MN

March 10, 20129 counties in Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this red flag warning at Mar 10, 2012, 4:34 AM CST for 9 counties in Minnesota. It took effect at Mar 10, 2012, 12:00 PM CST. It was in force for 6 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
Mar 10, 2012, 4:34 AM CST (10:34 UTC)
In effect from
Mar 10, 2012, 12:00 PM CST
Expired
Mar 10, 2012, 6:00 PM CST
In force
6 hr
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN

Counties Blue Earth County, MN, Brown County, MN, Faribault County, MN, Freeborn County, MN, Martin County, MN, Redwood County, MN, Steele County, MN, Waseca County, MN, Watonwan County, MN

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 108 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 10:37 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

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 00:00Z, 10.6 hours before the alert went out and 107 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, Minneapolis, MN at 00:00Z on 2012-03-10Temperature 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, Minneapolis, MN at 00:00Z on 2012-03-10The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 282 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
2306 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
66 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
282 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
667 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.

910 
WWUS83 KMPX 101034
RFWMPX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
434 AM CST SAT MAR 10 2012

...A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT THIS AFTERNOON FOR SOUTH 
CENTRAL MINNESOTA FOR STRONG WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY
VALUES...

.STRONG SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS WERE ALREADY IN PLACE OVER PARTS
OF SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA EARLY THIS MORNING. EXPECT WINDS TO
INCREASE INTO THE 20 TO 25 MPH RANGE WITH SOME GUSTS TO 35 MPH.
IN ADDITION...RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL DROP TO NEAR 20
PERCENT THIS AFTERNOON...AND POSSIBLY AS LOW AS 15 PERCENT. WITH
ALREADY DRY CONDITIONS IN PLACE...THE COMBINATION OF THE WINDS AND
LOW HUMIDITIES COULD CAUSE RAPID FIRE GROWTH IN DRY GRASSES AND
BRUSH.

THE RED FLAG WARNING COVERS AREAS SOUTH OF A LINE FROM ABOUT REDWOOD
FALLS TO WASECA. 


MNZ073-074-082>085-091>093-101845-
/O.NEW.KMPX.FW.W.0001.120310T1800Z-120311T0000Z/
REDWOOD-BROWN-WATONWAN-BLUE EARTH-WASECA-STEELE-MARTIN-FARIBAULT-
FREEBORN-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...REDWOOD FALLS...NEW ULM...ST. JAMES...
MANKATO...WASECA...OWATONNA...FAIRMONT...BLUE EARTH...ALBERT LEA
434 AM CST SAT MAR 10 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM CST THIS
EVENING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR SOPUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA. 

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN HAS ISSUED
A RED FLAG WARNING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...WHICH IS
IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM CST THIS EVENING. 

* AFFECTED AREA...SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA...SOUTH OF A LINE FROM ABOUT 
  REDWOOD FALLS TO WASECA. 

* WINDS...SOUTHWEST 20 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...16 TO 20 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS...FIRES COULD BECOME FAST MOVING IN A SHORT PERIOD OF
  TIME DUE TO THE GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY.

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.

&&

$$

FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA/NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/MPX (ALL LOWER CASE)
2 follow-up statements
531 
WWUS83 KMPX 101045
RFWMPX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
445 AM CST SAT MAR 10 2012

...A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT THIS AFTERNOON FOR SOUTH
CENTRAL MINNESOTA FOR STRONG WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY
VALUES...

.STRONG SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS WERE ALREADY IN PLACE OVER PARTS
OF SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA EARLY THIS MORNING. EXPECT WINDS TO
INCREASE INTO THE 20 TO 25 MPH RANGE WITH SOME GUSTS TO 35 MPH.
IN ADDITION...RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL DROP TO NEAR
20 PERCENT THIS AFTERNOON...AND POSSIBLY AS LOW AS 15 PERCENT.
WITH ALREADY DRY CONDITIONS IN PLACE...THE COMBINATION OF THE
WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES COULD CAUSE RAPID FIRE GROWTH IN DRY
GRASSES AND BRUSH.

THE RED FLAG WARNING COVERS AREAS SOUTH OF A LINE FROM ABOUT
REDWOOD FALLS TO WASECA.

MNZ073-074-082>085-091>093-101845-
/O.CON.KMPX.FW.W.0001.120310T1800Z-120311T0000Z/
REDWOOD-BROWN-WATONWAN-BLUE EARTH-WASECA-STEELE-MARTIN-FARIBAULT-
FREEBORN-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...REDWOOD FALLS...NEW ULM...ST. JAMES...
MANKATO...WASECA...OWATONNA...FAIRMONT...BLUE EARTH...ALBERT LEA
445 AM CST SAT MAR 10 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM CST
THIS EVENING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR SOUTH CENTRAL 
MINNESOTA.

A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM CST
THIS EVENING. 

* AFFECTED AREA...SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA...SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 
  ABOUT REDWOOD FALLS TO WASECA. 

* WINDS...SOUTHWEST 20 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 16 TO 20 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS...FIRES COULD BECOME FAST MOVING IN A SHORT PERIOD OF 
  TIME DUE TO THE GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY. 

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.

&&

$$

FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA/NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/MPX (ALL LOWER CASE)
595 
WWUS83 KMPX 101820
RFWMPX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1220 PM CST SAT MAR 10 2012

...A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT THIS AFTERNOON FOR SOUTH
CENTRAL MINNESOTA FOR STRONG WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...

.STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MUCH OF THE
AFTERNOON ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA WHERE THE GROUND IS FREE
OF SNOW. SUSTAINED WINDS WILL BE IN THE 20 MPH RANGE WITH GUSTS
OVER 30 MPH. DURING THE AFTERNOON RELATIVE HUMIDITY WILL DROP
INTO THE 18 TO 25 PERCENT RANGE AS TEMPERATURES RISE INTO THE MID
60S. THE COMBINATION OF THE STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY COULD
CAUSE RAPID FIRE GROWTH IN DRY GRASSES AND BRUSH.

THE RED FLAG WARNING COVERS AREAS SOUTH OF A LINE FROM ABOUT
REDWOOD FALLS TO WASECA.

MNZ073-074-082>085-091>093-110000-
/O.CON.KMPX.FW.W.0001.000000T0000Z-120311T0000Z/
REDWOOD-BROWN-WATONWAN-BLUE EARTH-WASECA-STEELE-MARTIN-FARIBAULT-
FREEBORN-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...REDWOOD FALLS...NEW ULM...ST. JAMES...
MANKATO...WASECA...OWATONNA...FAIRMONT...BLUE EARTH...ALBERT LEA
1220 PM CST SAT MAR 10 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING
FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA.

RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING.

* AFFECTED AREA...SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA...SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 
  ABOUT REDWOOD FALLS TO WASECA. 

* WINDS...SOUTHWEST 20 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 30 TO 35 MPH.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 18 TO 25 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS...FIRES COULD BECOME FAST MOVING IN A SHORT PERIOD OF 
  TIME DUE TO THE GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY. 

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 LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND DRY FUELS WILL CREATE
EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.

&&

$$

FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA/NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/MPX (ALL LOWER CASE)

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.