Alert archive / Minnesota / Red Flag Warnings in 2012

Red Flag Warning 6, NWS Twin Cities, MN

August 29, 201213 counties in Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this red flag warning at Aug 29, 2012, 3:40 PM CDT for 13 counties in Minnesota. It took effect at Aug 30, 2012, 12:00 PM CDT. It was in force for 8 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
Aug 29, 2012, 3:40 PM CDT (20:40 UTC)
In effect from
Aug 30, 2012, 12:00 PM CDT
Expired
Aug 30, 2012, 8:00 PM CDT
In force
8 hr
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN

Counties Blue Earth County, MN, Brown County, MN, Faribault County, MN, Freeborn County, MN, Goodhue County, MN, Le Sueur County, MN, Martin County, MN, Nicollet County, MN, Redwood County, MN, Rice County, MN, Steele County, MN, Waseca County, MN, Watonwan County, MN

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 89 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:42 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 12:00Z, 8.7 hours before the alert went out and 89 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 12:00Z on 2012-08-29Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 85 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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 12:00Z on 2012-08-29The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -44 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
85 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-435 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1598 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
26 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-44 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-26 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-0.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

794 
WWUS83 KMPX 292040
RFWMPX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
340 PM CDT WED AUG 29 2012

...DANGEROUS WILDFIRE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THURSDAY 
AFTERNOON IN SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...

.A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR LOCATIONS NEAR AND SOUTH OF
A LINE FROM ROUGHLY NEW ULM...TO NORTHFIELD...TO RED WING IN
MINNESOTA THURSDAY AFTERNOON. HOT TEMPERATURES ON THURSDAY
COMBINED WITH BREEZY SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 20 MPH...WITH GUSTS
TO 25 OR 30 MPH...ALONG WITH MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY BETWEEN 20
AND 25 PERCENT SHOULD LEAD TO DANGEROUS WILDFIRE CONDITIONS
ACROSS THE WARNING AREA.

MNZ060-062-063-065>070-073>075-WIZ023>028-292145-
/O.CAN.KMPX.FW.A.0005.120830T1700Z-120831T0200Z/
HENNEPIN-RAMSEY-WASHINGTON-RENVILLE-MCLEOD-SIBLEY-CARVER-SCOTT-
DAKOTA-REDWOOD-BROWN-NICOLLET-ST. CROIX-PIERCE-DUNN-PEPIN-
CHIPPEWA-EAU CLAIRE-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MINNEAPOLIS...ST. PAUL...STILLWATER...
OLIVIA...HUTCHINSON...GAYLORD...CHASKA...SHAKOPEE...BURNSVILLE...
REDWOOD FALLS...NEW ULM...ST. PETER...HUDSON...NEW RICHMOND...
RIVER FALLS...PRESCOTT...MENOMONIE...BOYCEVILLE...DURAND...
PEPIN...CHIPPEWA FALLS...BLOOMER...EAU CLAIRE...ALTOONA
340 PM CDT WED AUG 29 2012

...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS CANCELLED FOR WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN 
AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN MINNESOTA...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN HAS
CANCELLED THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH.

DANGEROUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE STILL POSSIBLE ACROSS THE
AREA. HOWEVER...THE GREATEST FIRE THREAT HAS SHIFTED SOUTH AND IS
NOW CONFINED TO FAR SOUTHERN MINNESOTA. THE SOUTHWESTWARD SHIFT IS
DUE TO A WEAK COLD FRONT DROPPING SOUTH...WHICH WILL DECREASE THE
WINDS IN THESE AREAS. ALSO...THE FUEL MOISTURE IS EXPECTED TO BE
SLIGHTLY HIGHER IN THESE AREAS BY TOMORROW AFTERNOON.

$$

MNZ076>078-082>085-091>093-300445-
/O.UPG.KMPX.FW.A.0005.120830T1700Z-120831T0200Z/
/O.NEW.KMPX.FW.W.0006.120830T1700Z-120831T0100Z/
LE SUEUR-RICE-GOODHUE-WATONWAN-BLUE EARTH-WASECA-STEELE-MARTIN-
FARIBAULT-FREEBORN-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...LE SUEUR...FARIBAULT...RED WING...
ST. JAMES...MANKATO...WASECA...OWATONNA...FAIRMONT...BLUE EARTH...
ALBERT LEA
340 PM CDT WED AUG 29 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TO 8 PM CDT THURSDAY FOR
SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA FOR DRY CONDITIONS...HOT
TEMPERATURES AND BREEZY SOUTHWEST WINDS...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN HAS ISSUED
A RED FLAG WARNING FOR DRY AND WINDY CONDITIONS...WHICH IS IN
EFFECT FROM NOON TO 8 PM CDT THURSDAY. THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS
NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* AFFECTED AREA...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 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH.

* TIMING...CONDITIONS EXPECTED THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EARLY
  EVENING.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...BETWEEN 20 AND 25 PERCENT.

* TEMPERATURE...HIGHS THURSDAY 92 TO 99 DEGREES.

* 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.

&&

$$
FRANKS
3 follow-up statements
991 
WWUS83 KMPX 300934
RFWMPX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
434 AM CDT THU AUG 30 2012

...DANGEROUS WILDFIRE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON
IN SOUTHERN MINNESOTA...

.A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR LOCATIONS ALONG AND SOUTH OF
A LINE FROM ROUGHLY REDWOOD FALLS...THROUGH GAYLORD AND NEW
PRAGUE...TO RED WING MINNESOTA THIS AFTERNOON. HOT
TEMPERATURES...BREEZY SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 20 MPH...WITH GUSTS
NEAR 30 MPH...AND MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY BETWEEN 20 AND 25
PERCENT SHOULD LEAD TO DANGEROUS WILDFIRE CONDITIONS ACROSS THE
WARNING AREA.
 
MNZ073>075-301745-
/O.EXA.KMPX.FW.W.0006.120830T1700Z-120831T0100Z/
REDWOOD-BROWN-NICOLLET-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...REDWOOD FALLS...NEW ULM...ST. PETER
434 AM CDT THU AUG 30 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM CDT THIS
EVENING FOR HOT...DRY..AND WINDY CONDITIONS FOR SOUTHERN MINNESOTA... 

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN HAS ISSUED
A RED FLAG WARNING FOR DRY AND WINDY CONDITIONS...WHICH IS IN
EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING.

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 073 REDWOOD...FIRE WEATHER 
  ZONE 074 BROWN AND FIRE WEATHER ZONE 075 NICOLLET.

* WINDS...SOUTHWEST 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH EARLY
  THIS AFTERNOON. THEN WINDS BECOMING NORTHWEST THIS EVENING.

* TIMING...CONDITIONS EXPECTED AT NOON THROUGH EARLY EVENING.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...RANGING FROM 20 TO 25 PERCENT.

* TEMPERATURE...HIGHS RANGING FROM THE LOW TO MID 90S.

* 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.

&&

$$

MNZ076>078-082>085-091>093-301745-
/O.CON.KMPX.FW.W.0006.120830T1700Z-120831T0100Z/
LE SUEUR-RICE-GOODHUE-WATONWAN-BLUE EARTH-WASECA-STEELE-MARTIN-
FARIBAULT-FREEBORN-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...LE SUEUR...FARIBAULT...RED WING...
ST. JAMES...MANKATO...WASECA...OWATONNA...FAIRMONT...BLUE EARTH...
ALBERT LEA
434 AM CDT THU AUG 30 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM CDT
THIS EVENING FOR SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA FOR DRY
CONDITIONS...HOT TEMPERATURES...AND BREEZY SOUTHWEST WINDS...

* AFFECTED AREA...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 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS NEAR 30 MPH.

* TIMING...CONDITIONS EXPECTED FROM NOON THROUGH EARLY THIS
  EVENING. 

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...RANGING FROM 18 TO 25 PERCENT.

* TEMPERATURE...HIGHS RANGING FROM THE MID TO UPPER 90S.

* 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.

&&

$$

JRB
412 
WWUS83 KMPX 301637
RFWMPX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1137 AM CDT THU AUG 30 2012

...DANGEROUS WILDFIRE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON IN
SOUTHERN MINNESOTA...

.A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR LOCATIONS ALONG AND SOUTH OF
A LINE FROM ROUGHLY REDWOOD FALLS...THROUGH GAYLORD AND NEW
PRAGUE...TO RED WING MINNESOTA THIS AFTERNOON. HOT TEMPERATURES...
BREEZY SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 20 MPH...WITH GUSTS NEAR 30 MPH...
AND MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY BETWEEN 20 AND 25 PERCENT SHOULD
LEAD TO DANGEROUS WILDFIRE CONDITIONS ACROSS THE WARNING AREA.
MORNING CLOUD COVER HAS SLOWED THE WARMING TREND IN COUNTIES ON
THE NORTH SIDE OF THE WARNING...BUT THIS SHOULD ONLY CHANGE THE
TEMPERATURES BY A FEW DEGREES. MOST OF THE WARNING AREA IS
ALREADY VERY CLOSE TO SEEING RED FLAG CRITERIA LATE THIS MORNING.

MNZ073>078-082>085-091>093-310045-
/O.CON.KMPX.FW.W.0006.120830T1700Z-120831T0100Z/
REDWOOD-BROWN-NICOLLET-LE SUEUR-RICE-GOODHUE-WATONWAN-BLUE EARTH-
WASECA-STEELE-MARTIN-FARIBAULT-FREEBORN-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...REDWOOD FALLS...NEW ULM...ST. PETER...
LE SUEUR...FARIBAULT...RED WING...ST. JAMES...MANKATO...WASECA...
OWATONNA...FAIRMONT...BLUE EARTH...ALBERT LEA
1137 AM CDT THU AUG 30 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING
FOR HOT...DRY..AND WINDY CONDITIONS FOR SOUTHERN MINNESOTA...

* AFFECTED AREA...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...WEST 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 OR 35 MPH.

* TIMING...CONDITIONS EXPECTED NOON THROUGH EARLY EVENING.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...20 TO 25 PERCENT.

* TEMPERATURE...HIGHS IN THE 90S.

* 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.

&&

$$
FRANKS
017 
WWUS83 KMPX 310058
RFWMPX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
758 PM CDT THU AUG 30 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING FOR SOUTHERN MINNESOTA WILL EXPIRE AT 8 PM
CDT...

.WINDS HAVE DECREASED AND RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES HAVE INCREASED
ABOVE 30 PERCENT THIS EVENING...THUS THE FIRE DANGER HAS LESSENED ACROSS
SOUTHERN MINNESOTA. THEREFORE...THE RED FLAG WARNING WILL BE
ALLOWED TO EXPIRE AT 8 PM CDT.

MNZ073>078-082>085-091>093-310200-
/O.EXP.KMPX.FW.W.0006.000000T0000Z-120831T0100Z/
REDWOOD-BROWN-NICOLLET-LE SUEUR-RICE-GOODHUE-WATONWAN-BLUE EARTH-
WASECA-STEELE-MARTIN-FARIBAULT-FREEBORN-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...REDWOOD FALLS...NEW ULM...ST. PETER...
LE SUEUR...FARIBAULT...RED WING...ST. JAMES...MANKATO...WASECA...
OWATONNA...FAIRMONT...BLUE EARTH...ALBERT LEA
758 PM CDT THU AUG 30 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR WIND
AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR SOUTHERN MINNESOTA...

THE FIRE DANGER ACROSS SOUTHERN MINNESOTA HAS LESSENED WITH
DECREASING WINDS AND INCREASING RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES THIS
EVENING. THEREFORE...THE RED FLAG WARNING WILL BE ALLOWED TO
EXPIRE AT 8 PM CDT.

$$

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.