Alert archive / Minnesota / Red Flag Warnings in 2012

Red Flag Warning 11, NWS Twin Cities, MN

October 3, 201210 counties in Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this red flag warning at Oct 3, 2012, 4:26 AM CDT for 10 counties in Minnesota. It took effect at Oct 3, 2012, 1:00 PM CDT. 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
Oct 3, 2012, 4:26 AM CDT (09:26 UTC)
In effect from
Oct 3, 2012, 1:00 PM CDT
Expired
Oct 3, 2012, 7:00 PM CDT
In force
6 hr
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN

Counties Brown County, MN, Chippewa County, MN, Kandiyohi County, MN, Lac qui Parle County, MN, Martin County, MN, Redwood County, MN, Renville County, MN, Swift County, MN, Watonwan County, MN, Yellow Medicine County, MN

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 135 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 09:32 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, 9.4 hours before the alert went out and 132 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 2012-10-03Temperature 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, Minneapolis, MN at 00:00Z on 2012-10-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 46 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
2907 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
20 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
46 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
67 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.

527 
WWUS83 KMPX 030926
RFWMPX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
426 AM CDT WED OCT 3 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT THIS AFTERNOON FOR WEST CENTRAL
INTO SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA FOR VERY LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES AND
STRONG WINDS...

.A RED FLAG WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THIS AFTERNOON FOR AREAS
SOUTH AND WEST OF A BENSON...TO WILLMAR...TO FAIRMONT LINE. BY THE
AFTERNOON...HUMIDITIES ACROSS THE WARNED AREA WILL FALL INTO THE
TEENS...WITH SUSTAINED SOUTHEAST WINDS EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO
BETWEEN 20 AND 25 MPH. THESE WEATHER CONDITIONS COMBINED WITH
DRY FUELS WILL LEAD TO CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS.

MNZ054>057-064-065-073-074-082-091-031730-
/O.NEW.KMPX.FW.W.0011.121003T1800Z-121004T0000Z/
LAC QUI PARLE-SWIFT-CHIPPEWA-KANDIYOHI-YELLOW MEDICINE-RENVILLE-
REDWOOD-BROWN-WATONWAN-MARTIN-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MADISON...BENSON...MONTEVIDEO...
WILLMAR...GRANITE FALLS...OLIVIA...REDWOOD FALLS...NEW ULM...
ST. JAMES...FAIRMONT
426 AM CDT WED OCT 3 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 7 PM
CDT THIS EVENING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR WEST 
CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST 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 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING.

* AFFECTED AREA...LOCATIONS SOUTH AND WEST OF A BENSON...TO
  WILLMAR...TO FAIRMONT LINE.

* WINDS...SOUTHEAST 20 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 15 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.

&&

$$
2 follow-up statements
269 
WWUS83 KMPX 031722
RFWMPX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1222 PM CDT WED OCT 3 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT THIS AFTERNOON FOR WEST CENTRAL
INTO SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA FOR VERY LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES AND
STRONG WINDS...

.A RED FLAG WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THIS AFTERNOON FOR AREAS
SOUTH AND WEST OF A BENSON...TO WILLMAR...TO FAIRMONT LINE. BY
THE AFTERNOON...HUMIDITIES ACROSS THE WARNED AREA WILL FALL INTO
THE TEENS...WITH SUSTAINED SOUTHEAST WINDS EXPECTED TO INCREASE
TO AROUND 20 MPH WITH GUSTS NEAR 30 MPH. THESE WEATHER CONDITIONS
COMBINED WITH DRY FUELS WILL LEAD TO CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER
CONDITIONS.

MNZ054>057-064-065-073-074-082-091-040000-
/O.CON.KMPX.FW.W.0011.121003T1800Z-121004T0000Z/
LAC QUI PARLE-SWIFT-CHIPPEWA-KANDIYOHI-YELLOW MEDICINE-RENVILLE-
REDWOOD-BROWN-WATONWAN-MARTIN-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MADISON...BENSON...MONTEVIDEO...
WILLMAR...GRANITE FALLS...OLIVIA...REDWOOD FALLS...NEW ULM...
ST. JAMES...FAIRMONT
1222 PM CDT WED OCT 3 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING
FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST
MINNESOTA...

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 054 LAC QUI PARLE...FIRE 
  WEATHER ZONE 055 SWIFT...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 056 CHIPPEWA...FIRE 
  WEATHER ZONE 057 KANDIYOHI...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 064 YELLOW 
  MEDICINE...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 065 RENVILLE...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 
  073 REDWOOD...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 074 BROWN...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 
  082 WATONWAN AND FIRE WEATHER ZONE 091 MARTIN.

* WINDS...SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 15 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.

&&

$$
516 
WWUS83 KMPX 032355
RFWMPX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
655 PM CDT WED OCT 3 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING FOR WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA WILL
EXPIRE AT 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING...

.RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL GRADUALLY INCREASE TONIGHT WITH
NIGHTFALL. THEREFORE...THE FIRE DANGER WILL CONTINUE TO DECREASE
INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...SO THE RED FLAG WARNING WILL BE ALLOWED
TO EXPIRE AT 7 PM CDT.

MNZ054>057-064-065-073-074-082-091-040100-
/O.EXP.KMPX.FW.W.0011.000000T0000Z-121004T0000Z/
LAC QUI PARLE-SWIFT-CHIPPEWA-KANDIYOHI-YELLOW MEDICINE-RENVILLE-
REDWOOD-BROWN-WATONWAN-MARTIN-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MADISON...BENSON...MONTEVIDEO...
WILLMAR...GRANITE FALLS...OLIVIA...REDWOOD FALLS...NEW ULM...
ST. JAMES...FAIRMONT
655 PM CDT WED OCT 3 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR WIND
AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST
MINNESOTA...

RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL GRADUALLY INCREASE TONIGHT WITH
NIGHTFALL. THEREFORE...THE FIRE DANGER WILL CONTINUE TO DECREASE
INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...SO THE RED FLAG WARNING WILL BE ALLOWED
TO EXPIRE AT 7 PM CDT.

$$

The office that day

Everything else NWS Twin Cities, MN issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Oct 3, 2:31 PM CDTWind AdvisoryMPXAnoka, Benton, Blue Earth, Brown, Carver, Chippewa and 30 more28 hr

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.