Alert archive / Montana / Red Flag Warnings in 2012

Red Flag Warning 12, NWS Missoula, MT

August 13, 201210 counties in Montana

NWS Missoula, MT issued this red flag warning at Aug 13, 2012, 2:16 PM MDT for 10 counties in Montana. It took effect at Aug 14, 2012, 12:00 PM MDT. It was in force for 9 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
Aug 13, 2012, 2:16 PM MDT (20:16 UTC)
In effect from
Aug 14, 2012, 12:00 PM MDT
Expired
Aug 14, 2012, 9:00 PM MDT
In force
9 hr
Issued by
NWS Missoula, MT

Counties Beaverhead County, MT, Deer Lodge County, MT, Granite County, MT, Jefferson County, MT, Lewis and Clark County, MT, Madison County, MT, Missoula County, MT, Powell County, MT, Ravalli County, MT, Silver Bow County, MT

The radar

The Missoula radar (KMSX), 122 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:19 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
Aug 14, 4:00 PM MDTNON-TSTM WND GST 536 N Lakeview, MT53 MPH WIND GUST.
Aug 14, 8:15 PM MDTTSTM WND GST 65Augusta, MTESTIMATED 65 MPH IN THE AUGUSTA AREA.
Aug 14, 8:21 PM MDTTSTM WND GST 5317 Sw Simms, MT53 MPH WIND GUST AT THE DOT SENSOR NEAR BOWMANS CORNER.
Aug 14, 9:00 PM MDTTSTM WND GST 5432 Wsw Bynum, MT54 MPH WIND GUST AT GATES PARK.
Aug 14, 9:04 PM MDTTSTM WND GST 528 Sw Wolf Creek, MT52 MPH WIND GUST AT THE DOT SENSOR NEAR SIEBEN FLATS ON INTERSTATE 15.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Great_falls, MT (KTFX), launched 12:00Z, 8.3 hours before the alert went out and 226 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, Great_falls, MT at 12:00Z on 2012-08-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 522 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, Great_falls, MT at 12:00Z on 2012-08-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -3 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
522 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-334 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1636 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
29 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-3 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
78 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.

895 
WWUS85 KMSO 132016
RFWMSO

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
216 PM MDT MON AUG 13 2012

MTZ108>111-141200-
/O.NEW.KMSO.FW.W.0012.120814T1800Z-120815T0300Z/
EAST LOLO-BITTERROOT-DEERLODGE/WEST BEAVERHEAD-EAST BEAVERHEAD-
216 PM MDT MON AUG 13 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TO 9 PM MDT TUESDAY FOR
GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES ACROSS THE EAST LOLO...
BITTERROOT...DEERLODGE/WEST BEAVERHEAD...EAST BEAVERHEAD...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MISSOULA HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES...WHICH IS IN EFFECT
FROM NOON TO 9 PM MDT TUESDAY. 


* WINDS:WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE IN THE AFTERNOON.
  SUSTAINED SPEEDS AROUND 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 25 MPH IN THE
  AFTERNOON THROUGH MID EVENING.

* MINIMUM HUMIDITIES: 8-13 PERCENT WILL BE COMMON BY LATE AFTERNOON.

* HAINES INDEX: EAST LOLO AND BITTERROOT DISTRICTS WILL HAVE
  HAINES OF 5. DEERLODGE...EAST AND WEST BEAVERHEAD WILL SEE
  HAINES OF 6. 

* TIMING:GUSTY WINDS, LOW HUMIDITIES AND HIGH HAINES WILL PEAK
  DURING PEAK HEATING IN THE AFTERNOON AND LAST INTO THE EVENING.
  THIS WILL SUPPORT LARGE FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL ESPECIALLY ON
  ACTIVE FIRES IN THE ABOVE MENTIONED FORESTS.


PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A RED FLAG WARNING IS INTENDED TO ALERT LAND MANAGERS TO EXPECTED
WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT ALONG WITH SUFFICIENTLY DRY FUELS...WILL
SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE FIRE DANGER.

&&

$$
3 follow-up statements
345 
WWUS85 KMSO 141103
RFWMSO

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
503 AM MDT TUE AUG 14 2012

MTZ108>111-142100-
/O.CON.KMSO.FW.W.0012.120814T1800Z-120815T0300Z/
EAST LOLO-BITTERROOT-DEERLODGE/WEST BEAVERHEAD-EAST BEAVERHEAD-
503 AM MDT TUE AUG 14 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 9 PM MDT
THIS EVENING FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES ACROSS THE EAST
LOLO...BITTERROOT...DEERLODGE/WEST BEAVERHEAD...EAST BEAVERHEAD...

A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 9 PM MDT
THIS EVENING. 

* WINDS:WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE THIS AFTERNOON.
  SUSTAINED SPEEDS AROUND 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 30 MPH IN THE
  AFTERNOON THROUGH MID EVENING.

* MINIMUM HUMIDITIES: 8-13 PERCENT WILL BE COMMON BY LATE 
  AFTERNOON.

* HAINES INDEX: EAST LOLO AND BITTERROOT DISTRICTS WILL HAVE 
  HAINES OF 5. DEERLODGE...EAST AND WEST BEAVERHEAD WILL SEE 
  HAINES OF 6. 

* TIMING:GUSTY WINDS... LOW HUMIDITIES AND HIGH HAINES WILL PEAK 
  DURING PEAK HEATING IN THE AFTERNOON AND LAST INTO THE 
  EVENING. THIS WILL SUPPORT LARGE FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL 
  ESPECIALLY ON ACTIVE FIRES IN THE ABOVE MENTIONED FORESTS. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A RED FLAG WARNING IS INTENDED TO ALERT LAND MANAGERS TO EXPECTED
WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT ALONG WITH SUFFICIENTLY DRY FUELS...WILL
SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE FIRE DANGER.

&&

$$
739 
WWUS85 KMSO 142024
RFWMSO

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
224 PM MDT TUE AUG 14 2012

MTZ108>111-150300-
/O.CON.KMSO.FW.W.0012.000000T0000Z-120815T0300Z/
EAST LOLO-BITTERROOT-DEERLODGE/WEST BEAVERHEAD-EAST BEAVERHEAD-
224 PM MDT TUE AUG 14 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING
FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES ACROSS THE EAST LOLO...
BITTERROOT...DEERLODGE/WEST BEAVERHEAD...EAST BEAVERHEAD...

A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING.

* WINDS:WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE THIS AFTERNOON. 
  SUSTAINED SPEEDS AROUND 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 30 MPH IN THE 
  AFTERNOON THROUGH MID EVENING. 

* MINIMUM HUMIDITIES: 8-13 PERCENT WILL CONTINUE UNTIL THIS
  EVENING.  

* HAINES INDEX: EAST LOLO AND BITTERROOT DISTRICTS WILL CONTINUE
  TO HAVE HAINES OF 5. DEERLODGE...EAST AND WEST BEAVERHEAD WILL
  SEE HAINES OF 6.

* TIMING:GUSTY WINDS... LOW HUMIDITIES AND HIGH HAINES WILL PEAK 
  DURING PEAK HEATING THIS AFTERNOON AND LAST INTO THE 
  EVENING. THIS WILL SUPPORT LARGE FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL 
  ESPECIALLY ON ACTIVE FIRES IN THE ABOVE MENTIONED FORESTS. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A RED FLAG WARNING IS INTENDED TO ALERT LAND MANAGERS TO EXPECTED
WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT ALONG WITH SUFFICIENTLY DRY FUELS...WILL
SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE FIRE DANGER.

&&

$$
159 
WWUS85 KMSO 150300
RFWMSO

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
900 PM MDT TUE AUG 14 2012

MTZ108>111-150400-
/O.EXP.KMSO.FW.W.0012.000000T0000Z-120815T0300Z/
EAST LOLO-BITTERROOT-DEERLODGE/WEST BEAVERHEAD-EAST BEAVERHEAD-
900 PM MDT TUE AUG 14 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING HAS EXPIRED FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW
HUMIDITIES ACROSS THE EAST LOLO...BITTERROOT...DEERLODGE/WEST
BEAVERHEAD...EAST BEAVERHEAD...

THE RED FLAG WARNING IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. 

WESTERLY WINDS HAVE BEGUN TO DECREASE AND RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL
BEGIN TO RECOVER THIS EVENING. THEREFORE...THE RED FLAG WARNING
HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.


$$

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Montana, 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.