Alert archive / Arizona / Red Flag Warnings in 2012

Red Flag Warning 1, NWS Phoenix, AZ

January 8, 2012La Paz County, Yuma County, Arizona; Imperial County, Riverside County, California

NWS Phoenix, AZ issued this red flag warning at Jan 8, 2012, 4:04 AM MST for La Paz County, Yuma County, Arizona; Imperial County, Riverside County, California. It took effect at Jan 8, 2012, 2:00 PM MST. It was in force for 3 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
Jan 8, 2012, 4:04 AM MST (11:04 UTC)
In effect from
Jan 8, 2012, 2:00 PM MST
Expired
Jan 8, 2012, 5:00 PM MST
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Phoenix, AZ

Counties La Paz County, AZ, Yuma County, AZ, Imperial County, CA, Riverside County, CA

The radar

The Yuma radar (KYUX), 93 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 11:10 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

San Diego, CA (KNKX), launched 00:00Z, 11.1 hours before the alert went out and 230 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, San Diego, CA at 00:00Z on 2012-01-08Temperature 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, San Diego, CA at 00:00Z on 2012-01-08The 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
1426 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
35 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-62 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
29 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.

947 
WWUS85 KPSR 081104
RFWPSR

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
404 AM MST SUN JAN 8 2012

AZZ131-CAZ231-081900-
/O.NEW.KPSR.FW.W.0001.120108T2100Z-120109T0000Z/
ARIZONA FIRE WEATHER ZONE 131                                    
YUMA/MARTINEZ LAKE AND VICINITY/LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY AZ-
CALIFORNIA FIRE WEATHER ZONE 231                                 
LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY CA-
404 AM MST SUN JAN 8 2012 /304 AM PST SUN JAN 8 2012/

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM MST /1 PM PST/ TO 5 PM
MST /4 PM PST/ THIS AFTERNOON FOR STRONG WINDS...LOW RELATIVE
HUMIDITY AND VERY HIGH TO EXTREME FIRE DANGER FOR THE LOWER COLORADO
RIVER VALLEY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PHOENIX HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING FOR STRONG WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND VERY HIGH TO
EXTREME FIRE DANGER...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM MST /1 PM PST/ TO
5 PM MST /4 PM PST/ THIS AFTERNOON.

* AFFECTED AREA...IN ARIZONA...YUMA/MARTINEZ LAKE AND 
  VICINITY/LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY AZ. IN CALIFORNIA...LOWER 
  COLORADO RIVER VALLEY CA.

* WINDS...FROM THE NORTH TO NORTHWEST 30 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH.

* TIMING...NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE SUNDAY MORNING AND
  PEAK DURING THE EARLY AFTERNOON WHEN HUMIDITY VALUES ARE LOW. WINDS
  SHOULD SLOWLY DIMINISH AFTER 7 PM PST /8 PM MST.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 12 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS...FUELS ARE DRY AND FIRE DANGER IS VERY
  HIGH TO EXTREME. THESE CONDITIONS... COMBINED WITH LOW RELATIVE
  HUMIDITY AND STRONG WINDS WILL LEAD TO WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS FIRE
  WEATHER CONDITIONS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE OFFICIALS AND FIRE CREWS IN THE
FIELD OF THIS RED FLAG WARNING.

&&

$$

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX IS ON THE INTERNET AT

WEATHER.GOV/PHOENIX
2 follow-up statements
967 
WWUS85 KPSR 081856
RFWPSR

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
1156 AM MST SUN JAN 8 2012

AZZ131-CAZ231-090000-
/O.CON.KPSR.FW.W.0001.120108T2100Z-120109T0000Z/
ARIZONA FIRE WEATHER ZONE 131                                    
YUMA/MARTINEZ LAKE AND VICINITY/LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY AZ-
CALIFORNIA FIRE WEATHER ZONE 231                                 
LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY CA-
1156 AM MST SUN JAN 8 2012 /1056 AM PST SUN JAN 8 2012/

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM MST /1 PM PST/ UNTIL
5 PM MST /4 PM PST/ THIS AFTERNOON FOR STRONG WINDS...LOW RELATIVE
HUMIDITY AND VERY HIGH TO EXTREME FIRE DANGER FOR THE LOWER COLORADO
RIVER VALLEY...

A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM MST /1 PM PST/ UNTIL
5 PM MST /4 PM PST/ THIS AFTERNOON.

* AFFECTED AREA...IN ARIZONA...YUMA/MARTINEZ LAKE AND 
  VICINITY/LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY AZ. IN CALIFORNIA...LOWER 
  COLORADO RIVER VALLEY CA. 

* WINDS...FROM THE NORTH TO NORTHWEST 30 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH.

* TIMING...NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE TODAY AND PEAK DURING
  THE EARLY AFTERNOON WHEN HUMIDITY VALUES ARE LOW. WINDS SHOULD
  SLOWLY DIMINISH AFTER 7 PM PST /8 PM MST.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 12 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS...FUELS ARE DRY AND FIRE DANGER IS VERY HIGH TO EXTREME.
  THESE CONDITIONS...COMBINED WITH LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND STRONG
  WINDS WILL LEAD TO WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE OFFICIALS AND FIRE CREWS IN THE
FIELD OF THIS RED FLAG WARNING.

&&

$$

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX IS ON THE INTERNET AT

WEATHER.GOV/PHOENIX
501 
WWUS85 KPSR 082137 AAA
RFWPSR

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
237 PM MST SUN JAN 8 2012

AZZ131-CAZ231-090000-
/O.CON.KPSR.FW.W.0001.000000T0000Z-120109T0000Z/
ARIZONA FIRE WEATHER ZONE 131                                    
YUMA/MARTINEZ LAKE AND VICINITY/LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY AZ-
CALIFORNIA FIRE WEATHER ZONE 231                                 
LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY CA-
237 PM MST SUN JAN 8 2012 /137 PM PST SUN JAN 8 2012/

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM MST /4 PM PST/
THIS AFTERNOON FOR STRONG WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND VERY HIGH
TO EXTREME FIRE DANGER FOR THE LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY...

A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM MST /4 PM PST/
THIS AFTERNOON. 

* AFFECTED AREA...IN ARIZONA...YUMA/MARTINEZ LAKE AND 
  VICINITY/LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY AZ. IN CALIFORNIA...LOWER 
  COLORADO RIVER VALLEY CA. 

* WINDS...NORTH 20 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH.

* TIMING...NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS DURING THE EARLY AFTERNOON WILL
  CONTINUE WHEN HUMIDITY VALUES ARE LOW. WINDS SHOULD SLOWLY
  DIMINISH AFTER 7 PM PST /8 PM MST.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 13 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS...FUELS ARE DRY AND FIRE DANGER IS VERY HIGH TO 
  EXTREME. THESE CONDITIONS...COMBINED WITH LOW RELATIVE 
  HUMIDITY AND STRONG WINDS WILL LEAD TO WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS 
  FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE OFFICIALS AND FIRE CREWS IN THE
FIELD OF THIS RED FLAG WARNING.

&&

$$

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX IS ON THE INTERNET AT

WEATHER.GOV/PHOENIX

The office that day

Everything else NWS Phoenix, AZ issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 8, 12:03 PM MSTBlowing Dust AdvisoryPSR4 hr

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Arizona, 2012Red Flag Warnings in California, 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.