Alert archive / Colorado / Red Flag Warnings in 2012

Red Flag Warning 3, NWS Pueblo, CO

February 29, 20124 counties in Colorado

NWS Pueblo, CO issued this red flag warning at Feb 29, 2012, 3:07 PM MST for 4 counties in Colorado. It took effect at Mar 1, 2012, 11:00 AM MST. 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
Feb 29, 2012, 3:07 PM MST (22:07 UTC)
In effect from
Mar 1, 2012, 11:00 AM MST
Expired
Mar 1, 2012, 5:00 PM MST
In force
6 hr
Issued by
NWS Pueblo, CO

Counties Baca County, CO, Bent County, CO, Las Animas County, CO, Otero County, CO

The radar

The Pueblo radar (KPUX), 118 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:06 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

Denver, CO (KDNR), launched 12:00Z, 10.1 hours before the alert went out and 250 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, Denver, CO at 12:00Z on 2012-02-29Temperature 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 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Denver, CO at 12:00Z on 2012-02-29The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 167 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
2479 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
70 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
167 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
421 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.

994 
WWUS85 KPUB 292207
RFWPUB

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
307 PM MST WED FEB 29 2012

...A RED FLAG WARNING FOR LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES AND GUSTY 
WINDS...HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR LATE THURSDAY MORNING AND
AFTERNOON...BETWEEN 1100 AND 1700 LOCAL TIME...FOR FIRE WEATHER
ZONES 230...233 AND 237...WHICH INCLUDES LAS ANIMAS COUNTY AND
BACA COUNTY...

COZ230-233-237-011415-
/O.NEW.KPUB.FW.W.0003.120301T1800Z-120302T0000Z/
WESTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY-EASTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY-BACA COUNTY-
307 PM MST WED FEB 29 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM TO 5 PM MST THURSDAY FOR
GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES
230...233 AND 237...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PUEBLO HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...WHICH IS IN
EFFECT FROM 11 AM TO 5 PM MST THURSDAY. 

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 230...233 AND 237.

* WINDS...WEST 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...BETWEEN 10 AND 15 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS...CONDITIONS WILL BE FAVORABLE FOR EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR
  WITH RAPID RATES OF FIRE GROWTH AND SPREAD POSSIBLE.

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.

&&

$$
3 follow-up statements
170 
WWUS85 KPUB 011112
RFWPUB

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
412 AM MST THU MAR 1 2012

...A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY
VALUES AND GUSTY WINDS...FROM 11 AM TO 5 PM TODAY...FOR FIRE WEATHER
ZONES 230...232...233...235 AND 237...WHICH INCLUDES LAS
ANIMAS...BACA...OTERO AND BENT COUNTIES...

COZ232-235-020000-
/O.EXA.KPUB.FW.W.0003.120301T1800Z-120302T0000Z/
OTERO COUNTY-BENT COUNTY-
412 AM MST THU MAR 1 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 5 PM MST
THIS AFTERNOON FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE
WEATHER ZONES 232 AND 235...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PUEBLO HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...WHICH IS IN
EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON. 

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 232 AND 235.

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

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

* IMPACTS...CONDITIONS WILL BE FAVORABLE FOR EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR
  WITH RAPID RATES OF FIRE GROWTH AND SPREAD.

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.

&&

$$

COZ230-233-237-020000-
/O.CON.KPUB.FW.W.0003.120301T1800Z-120302T0000Z/
WESTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY-EASTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY-BACA COUNTY-
412 AM MST THU MAR 1 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO
5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY
FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 230...233 AND 237...

A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO
5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON. 

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 230...233 AND 237.

* WINDS...WEST 20 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 35 TO 40 MPH.

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

* IMPACTS...CONDITIONS WILL BE FAVORABLE FOR EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR
  WITH RAPID RATES OF FIRE GROWTH AND SPREAD.

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.

&&

$$
987 
WWUS85 KPUB 012210
RFWPUB

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
310 PM MST THU MAR 1 2012

...A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY
VALUES AND GUSTY WINDS...UNTIL 5 PM TODAY...FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES
230...232...233...235 AND 237...WHICH INCLUDES LAS ANIMAS...BACA...OTERO
AND BENT COUNTIES...

COZ230-232-233-235-237-020000-
/O.CON.KPUB.FW.W.0003.000000T0000Z-120302T0000Z/
WESTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY-OTERO COUNTY-EASTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY-
BENT COUNTY-BACA COUNTY-
310 PM MST THU MAR 1 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM MST THIS
AFTERNOON FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE
WEATHER ZONES 230...233 AND 237...

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

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 230...233 AND 237.

* WINDS...WEST 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 11 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS...CONDITIONS WILL BE FAVORABLE FOR EXTREME FIRE 
  BEHAVIOR WITH RAPID RATES OF FIRE GROWTH AND SPREAD. 

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.

&&

$$
059 
WWUS85 KPUB 012349
RFWPUB

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
449 PM MST THU MAR 1 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING FOR LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES AND GUSTY
WINDS WILL EXPIRE AT 5 PM TODAY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 230...232
...233...235 AND 237...WHICH INCLUDES LAS ANIMAS...BACA...OTERO
AND BENT COUNTIES...

COZ230-232-233-235-237-020100-
/O.EXP.KPUB.FW.W.0003.000000T0000Z-120302T0000Z/
WESTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY-OTERO COUNTY-EASTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY-
BENT COUNTY-BACA COUNTY-
449 PM MST THU MAR 1 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON FOR
GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES
230...232...233...235 AND 237...

THE RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON. 

A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION BY 6PM...BRINGING COOLER
TEMPERATURES AND HIGHER HUMIDITIES TO THE AREA. THUS THE RED FLAG
WARNING WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE AT 5 PM.

$$

The office that day

Everything else NWS Pueblo, CO issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 29, 4:07 AM MSTWinter Storm WatchPUBConejos, Mineral, Rio Grande, Saguache11 hr
Feb 29, 4:07 AM MSTWinter Weather AdvisoryPUBChaffee, Lake, Saguache11 hr
Feb 29, 3:16 PM MSTWinter Storm WarningPUBAlamosa, Chaffee, Conejos, Costilla, Custer, El Paso and 9 more54 hr
Feb 29, 3:16 PM MSTWinter Weather AdvisoryPUBAlamosa, Chaffee, Conejos, Costilla, Custer, El Paso and 9 more54 hr

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Colorado, 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.