Alert archive / Colorado / Red Flag Warnings in 2012

Red Flag Warning 37, NWS Pueblo, CO

October 3, 201213 counties in Colorado

NWS Pueblo, CO issued this red flag warning at Oct 3, 2012, 4:11 AM MDT for 13 counties in Colorado. It took effect at Oct 3, 2012, 12:00 PM MDT. 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
Oct 3, 2012, 4:11 AM MDT (10:11 UTC)
In effect from
Oct 3, 2012, 12:00 PM MDT
Expired
Oct 3, 2012, 6:00 PM MDT
In force
6 hr
Issued by
NWS Pueblo, CO

Counties Alamosa County, CO, Conejos County, CO, Costilla County, CO, Custer County, CO, El Paso County, CO, Fremont County, CO, Huerfano County, CO, Las Animas County, CO, Mineral County, CO, Pueblo County, CO, Rio Grande County, CO, Saguache County, CO, Teller County, CO

The radar

The Pueblo radar (KPUX), 127 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 10:15 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 00:00Z, 10.2 hours before the alert went out and 291 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 00:00Z on 2012-10-03Temperature 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 00:00Z on 2012-10-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 15 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
4297 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
21 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
15 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
159 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.

394 
WWUS85 KPUB 031011
RFWPUB

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
411 AM MDT WED OCT 3 2012

...A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR LOW HUMIDITIES...GUSTY
WINDS...AND DRY FUELS...FOR THIS AFTERNOON FROM 1200 UNTIL 1800
LOCAL TIME...FOR FIRE WEATHER 221 THROUGH 230. THIS INCLUDES THE
SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS...THE SAN LUIS VALLEY...THE SOUTHERN
MOUNTAINS...TELLER...FREMONT...EL PASO...PUEBLO...HUERFANON AND
WESTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTIES...

COZ221>230-040000-
/O.NEW.KPUB.FW.W.0037.121003T1800Z-121004T0000Z/
TELLER COUNTY/RAMPART RANGE-FREMONT COUNTY-
EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS AND LA GARITA MOUNTAINS-
SAN LUIS VALLEY-SOUTHERN FRONT RANGE-NORTHERN EL PASO COUNTY-
SOUTHERN EL PASO COUNTY-PUEBLO COUNTY-HUERFANO COUNTY-
WESTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY-
411 AM MDT WED OCT 3 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM MDT THIS
EVENING FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE
WEATHER ZONES 221...222...223...224...225...226...227...228...
229 AND 230...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PUEBLO HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING FOR DRY FUELS...GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE
HUMIDITY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM MDT THIS
EVENING.

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 221...222...223...224... 
  225...226...227...228...229 AND 230.

* WINDS...WEST WINDS 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH IN THE
  MOUNTAINS...AND WEST WINDS 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 30 MPH AT
  LOWER ELEVATIONS.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...10 TO 15%

* IMPACTS...RAPID FIRE SPREAD WOULD BE POSSIBLE IF A FIRE WERE TO
  START. 

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
134 
WWUS85 KPUB 031632 CCA
RFWPUB

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
1031 AM MDT WED OCT 3 2012

...A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR LOW HUMIDITIES...GUSTY
WINDS...AND DRY FUELS...FOR THIS AFTERNOON FROM 1200 UNTIL 1800
LOCAL TIME...FOR FIRE WEATHER 221 THROUGH 230. THIS INCLUDES THE
SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS...THE SAN LUIS VALLEY...THE SOUTHERN
MOUNTAINS...TELLER...FREMONT...EL PASO...PUEBLO...HUERFANO AND
WESTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTIES...

COZ221>230-040000-
/O.NEW.KPUB.FW.W.0037.121003T1800Z-121004T0000Z/
TELLER COUNTY/RAMPART RANGE-FREMONT COUNTY-
EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS AND LA GARITA MOUNTAINS-
SAN LUIS VALLEY-SOUTHERN FRONT RANGE-NORTHERN EL PASO COUNTY-
SOUTHERN EL PASO COUNTY-PUEBLO COUNTY-HUERFANO COUNTY-
WESTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY-
1031 AM MDT WED OCT 3 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM MDT THIS
EVENING FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE
WEATHER ZONES 221...222...223...224...225...226...227...228...
229 AND 230...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PUEBLO HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING FOR DRY FUELS...GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE
HUMIDITY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM MDT THIS
EVENING.

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 221...222...223...224... 
  225...226...227...228...229 AND 230.

* WINDS...WEST WINDS 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH IN THE
  MOUNTAINS...AND WEST WINDS 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 30 MPH AT
  LOWER ELEVATIONS.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...10 TO 15%

* IMPACTS...RAPID FIRE SPREAD WOULD BE POSSIBLE IF A FIRE WERE TO
  START. 

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.

&&

$$
871 
WWUS85 KPUB 032051
RFWPUB

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
251 PM MDT WED OCT 3 2012

...A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR LOW HUMIDITIES...GUSTY
WINDS...AND DRY FUELS...UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING...FOR FIRE 
WEATHER ZONES 221 THROUGH 230. THIS INCLUDES THE EASTERN SAN JUAN 
AND LA GARITA MOUNTAINS...THE SAN LUIS VALLEY...THE SANGRE DE CRISTO
MOUNTAINS...TELLER...FREMONT...EL PASO...PUEBLO...HUERFANO AND
WESTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTIES...

COZ221>230-040000-
/O.CON.KPUB.FW.W.0037.000000T0000Z-121004T0000Z/
TELLER COUNTY/RAMPART RANGE-FREMONT COUNTY-
EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS AND LA GARITA MOUNTAINS-
SAN LUIS VALLEY-SOUTHERN FRONT RANGE-NORTHERN EL PASO COUNTY-
SOUTHERN EL PASO COUNTY-PUEBLO COUNTY-HUERFANO COUNTY-
WESTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY-
251 PM MDT WED OCT 3 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR
LOW HUMIDITIES...GUSTY WINDS...AND DRY FUELS FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES
221...222...223...224...225...226...227...228...229 AND 230...

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 221...222...223...224... 
  225...226...227...228...229 AND 230.

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

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 10 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS...RAPID FIRE SPREAD WOULD BE POSSIBLE IF A FIRE WERE 
  TO START. 

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.

&&

$$
306 
WWUS85 KPUB 032354
RFWPUB

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
554 PM MDT WED OCT 3 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 6 PM...

COZ221>230-040100-
/O.EXP.KPUB.FW.W.0037.000000T0000Z-121004T0000Z/
TELLER COUNTY/RAMPART RANGE-FREMONT COUNTY-
EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS AND LA GARITA MOUNTAINS-
SAN LUIS VALLEY-SOUTHERN FRONT RANGE-NORTHERN EL PASO COUNTY-
SOUTHERN EL PASO COUNTY-PUEBLO COUNTY-HUERFANO COUNTY-
WESTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY-
554 PM MDT WED OCT 3 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR LOW
HUMIDITY...GUSTY WINDS...AND DRY FUELS FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES
221...222...223...224...225...226...227...228...229 AND 230...

A COLD FRONT MOVING TOWARDS THE PALMER DIVIDE AT THIS TIME WILL
CONTINUE TO PUSH SOUTH AND EAST ACROSS ALL OF THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS
OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS. ALTHOUGH GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS WILL BE
EXPERIENCED BEHIND THIS FRONT...TEMPERATURES WILL RAPIDLY DECREASE
ALONG WITH RELATIVE HUMIDITY RAPIDLY INCREASING...ALLOWING FOR
THE RED FLAG WARNING TO EXPIRE.

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Oct 3, 3:03 PM MDTFreeze WatchPUBCrowley, El Paso, Otero, Pueblo24 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.