Alert archive / Minnesota / Red Flag Warnings in 2012

Red Flag Warning 12, NWS Twin Cities, MN

October 8, 201222 counties in Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this red flag warning at Oct 8, 2012, 3:34 AM CDT for 22 counties in Minnesota. It took effect at Oct 8, 2012, 12:00 PM CDT. It was in force for 7 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 8, 2012, 3:34 AM CDT (08:34 UTC)
In effect from
Oct 8, 2012, 12:00 PM CDT
Expired
Oct 8, 2012, 7:00 PM CDT
In force
7 hr
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN
All 22 counties

Blue Earth County, MN, Brown County, MN, Carver County, MN, Dakota County, MN, Faribault County, MN, Freeborn County, MN, Goodhue County, MN, Hennepin County, MN, Le Sueur County, MN, Martin County, MN, McLeod County, MN, Nicollet County, MN, Ramsey County, MN, Redwood County, MN, Renville County, MN, Rice County, MN, Scott County, MN, Sibley County, MN, Steele County, MN, Waseca County, MN, Washington County, MN, Watonwan County, MN

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 56 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:31 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, 8.6 hours before the alert went out and 55 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 2012-10-08Temperature 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, Minneapolis, MN at 00:00Z on 2012-10-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 62 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
2864 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
34 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
62 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
149 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.

240 
WWUS83 KMPX 080834
RFWMPX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
334 AM CDT MON OCT 8 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING FOR PARTS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA
FOR LOW HUMIDITY AND STRONG WINDS THIS AFTERNOON...

.DANGEROUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON
ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA...AS STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS
COMBINE WITH LOW HUMIDITY VALUES AND DRY CONDITIONS. A RED FLAG
WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED GENERALLY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM OLIVIA...TO
HUTCHINSON...TO THE TWIN CITIES.

SOUTHWEST WINDS OF AT LEAST 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 35 MPH ARE
EXPECTED TO DEVELOP BY NOON TODAY. THESE WINDS WILL BE AHEAD OF A
COLD FRONT WHICH WILL PUSH ACROSS MINNESOTA THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY
EVENING. AS THE FRONT PASSES WINDS WILL TURN WESTERLY WITH GUSTS
OF 20 TO 25 MPH. RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES SHOULD ALSO DROP INTO
THE 20 TO 25 PERCENT RANGE THIS AFTERNOON.

MNZ069-070-074>078-082>085-091>093-081645-
/O.UPG.KMPX.FW.A.0011.121008T1700Z-121009T0000Z/
/O.NEW.KMPX.FW.W.0012.121008T1700Z-121009T0000Z/
SCOTT-DAKOTA-BROWN-NICOLLET-LE SUEUR-RICE-GOODHUE-WATONWAN-
BLUE EARTH-WASECA-STEELE-MARTIN-FARIBAULT-FREEBORN-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...SHAKOPEE...BURNSVILLE...NEW ULM...
ST. PETER...LE SUEUR...FARIBAULT...RED WING...ST. JAMES...
MANKATO...WASECA...OWATONNA...FAIRMONT...BLUE EARTH...ALBERT LEA
334 AM CDT MON OCT 8 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 7 PM CDT THIS
EVENING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR PARTS OF SOUTHERN
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 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING. THE FIRE
WEATHER WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 069 SCOTT...FIRE WEATHER 
  ZONE 070 DAKOTA...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 074 BROWN...FIRE WEATHER 
  ZONE 075 NICOLLET...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 076 LE SUEUR...FIRE 
  WEATHER ZONE 077 RICE...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 078 GOODHUE...FIRE 
  WEATHER ZONE 082 WATONWAN...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 083 BLUE EARTH...
  FIRE WEATHER ZONE 084 WASECA...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 085 STEELE...
  FIRE WEATHER ZONE 091 MARTIN...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 092 FARIBAULT 
  AND FIRE WEATHER ZONE 093 FREEBORN.

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

* TIMING...NOON TO 7 PM MONDAY.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...20 TO 25 PERCENT.

* TEMPERATURES...60 TO 70.

* IMPACTS...FIRES COULD BECOME FAST MOVING IN A SHORT PERIOD OF
  TIME DUE TO THE STRONG 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.

&&

$$

MNZ060-062-063-065>068-073-081645-
/O.NEW.KMPX.FW.W.0012.121008T1700Z-121009T0000Z/
HENNEPIN-RAMSEY-WASHINGTON-RENVILLE-MCLEOD-SIBLEY-CARVER-REDWOOD-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MINNEAPOLIS...ST. PAUL...STILLWATER...
OLIVIA...HUTCHINSON...GAYLORD...CHASKA...REDWOOD FALLS
334 AM CDT MON OCT 8 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 7 PM CDT THIS
EVENING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR PARTS OF 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 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING.

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 060 HENNEPIN...FIRE WEATHER 
  ZONE 062 RAMSEY...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 063 WASHINGTON...FIRE 
  WEATHER ZONE 065 RENVILLE...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 066 MCLEOD...
  FIRE WEATHER ZONE 067 SIBLEY...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 068 CARVER 
  AND FIRE WEATHER ZONE 073 REDWOOD.

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

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AROUND 25 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS...FIRES COULD BECOME FAST MOVING IN A SHORT PERIOD OF
  TIME DUE TO THE STRONG 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
121 
WWUS83 KMPX 081635
RFWMPX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1135 AM CDT MON OCT 8 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING FOR SOUTHERN AND PARTS OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA
FOR LOW HUMIDITY AND STRONG WINDS THIS AFTERNOON...

.DANGEROUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON
ACROSS SOUTHERN AND PARTS OF MINNESOTA...AS STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS
COMBINE WITH LOW HUMIDITY VALUES AND DRY CONDITIONS. A RED FLAG
WARNING IS IN EFFECT GENERALLY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM OLIVIA... TO
HUTCHINSON...TO THE TWIN CITIES.

CLOUD COVER WILL HOLD DOWN TEMPERATURES AND ELEVATE RELATIVE
HUMIDITY SOMEWHAT. HOWEVER...SOUTHWEST WINDS OF AT LEAST 20 MPH
WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 35 MPH ARE STILL EXPECTED...ESPECIALLY SOUTH
FROM REDWOOD FALLS TO FARIBAULT. RELATIVE HUMIDITY SHOULD
GENERALLY BE IN THE 25 TO 30 PERCENT RANGE. 

A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH INTO WESTERN MINNESOTA EARLY THIS
AFTERNOON REACHING EASTERN MINNESOTA EARLY THIS EVENING. WINDS
WILL BECOME WEST TO NORTHWEST WITH GUSTS AROUND 25 MPH IN THE WAKE
OF THE FRONT.

MNZ060-062-063-065>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-090000-
/O.CON.KMPX.FW.W.0012.121008T1700Z-121009T0000Z/
HENNEPIN-RAMSEY-WASHINGTON-RENVILLE-MCLEOD-SIBLEY-CARVER-SCOTT-
DAKOTA-REDWOOD-BROWN-NICOLLET-LE SUEUR-RICE-GOODHUE-WATONWAN-
BLUE EARTH-WASECA-STEELE-MARTIN-FARIBAULT-FREEBORN-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MINNEAPOLIS...ST. PAUL...STILLWATER...
OLIVIA...HUTCHINSON...GAYLORD...CHASKA...SHAKOPEE...BURNSVILLE...
REDWOOD FALLS...NEW ULM...ST. PETER...LE SUEUR...FARIBAULT...
RED WING...ST. JAMES...MANKATO...WASECA...OWATONNA...FAIRMONT...
BLUE EARTH...ALBERT LEA
1135 AM CDT MON OCT 8 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING
FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR PARTS OF SOUTHERN
MINNESOTA...

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 060 HENNEPIN...FIRE WEATHER 
  ZONE 062 RAMSEY...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 063 WASHINGTON...FIRE 
  WEATHER ZONE 065 RENVILLE...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 066 MCLEOD...
  FIRE WEATHER ZONE 067 SIBLEY...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 068 CARVER...
  FIRE WEATHER ZONE 069 SCOTT...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 070 DAKOTA...
  FIRE WEATHER ZONE 073 REDWOOD...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 074 BROWN...
  FIRE WEATHER ZONE 075 NICOLLET...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 076 LE 
  SUEUR...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 077 RICE...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 078 
  GOODHUE...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 082 WATONWAN...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 
  083 BLUE EARTH...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 084 WASECA...FIRE WEATHER 
  ZONE 085 STEELE...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 091 MARTIN...FIRE WEATHER 
  ZONE 092 FARIBAULT AND FIRE WEATHER ZONE 093 FREEBORN.

* WINDS...SOUTHWEST 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH.

* TIMING...NOON TO 7 PM MONDAY.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 24 PERCENT.

* TEMPERATURES...FROM 60 TO 65.

* IMPACTS...FIRES COULD BECOME FAST MOVING IN A SHORT PERIOD OF 
  TIME DUE TO THE STRONG 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.

&&

$$
188 
WWUS83 KMPX 090001
RFWMPX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
701 PM CDT MON OCT 8 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING TO EXPIRE AT 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR WINDS
AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR PARTS OF SOUTHERN MINNESOTA...

.HUMIDITY LEVELS HAVE INCREASED TO ABOVE RED FLAG WARNING
THRESHOLDS WHILE WIND SPEEDS HAVE ALSO DIMINISHED. CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED TO IMPROVE THROUGH THE REST OF THE EVENING HOURS.
THEREFORE...THE RED FLAG WARNING THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF
SOUTHERN MINNESOTA HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.

MNZ060-062-063-065>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-090115-
/O.EXP.KMPX.FW.W.0012.000000T0000Z-121009T0000Z/
HENNEPIN-RAMSEY-WASHINGTON-RENVILLE-MCLEOD-SIBLEY-CARVER-SCOTT-
DAKOTA-REDWOOD-BROWN-NICOLLET-LE SUEUR-RICE-GOODHUE-WATONWAN-
BLUE EARTH-WASECA-STEELE-MARTIN-FARIBAULT-FREEBORN-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MINNEAPOLIS...ST. PAUL...STILLWATER...
OLIVIA...HUTCHINSON...GAYLORD...CHASKA...SHAKOPEE...BURNSVILLE...
REDWOOD FALLS...NEW ULM...ST. PETER...LE SUEUR...FARIBAULT...
RED WING...ST. JAMES...MANKATO...WASECA...OWATONNA...FAIRMONT...
BLUE EARTH...ALBERT LEA
701 PM CDT MON OCT 8 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR WIND
AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR PARTS OF SOUTHERN MINNESOTA...

HUMIDITY LEVELS HAVE INCREASED TO ABOVE RED FLAG WARNING
THRESHOLDS WHILE WIND SPEEDS HAVE ALSO DIMINISHED. CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED TO IMPROVE THROUGH THE REST OF THE EVENING HOURS.
THEREFORE...THE RED FLAG WARNING THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF
SOUTHERN MINNESOTA HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.

$$

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.