Alert archive / North Carolina / Red Flag Warnings in 2012

Red Flag Warning 1, NWS Blacksburg, VA

February 25, 20129 counties in North Carolina

NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this red flag warning at Feb 25, 2012, 6:06 AM EST for 9 counties in North Carolina. It was in force for 13 hr. 3 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
Feb 25, 2012, 6:06 AM EST (11:06 UTC)
Expired
Feb 25, 2012, 7:00 PM EST
In force
13 hr
Issued by
NWS Blacksburg, VA

Counties Alleghany County, NC, Ashe County, NC, Caswell County, NC, Rockingham County, NC, Stokes County, NC, Surry County, NC, Watauga County, NC, Wilkes County, NC, Yadkin County, NC

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 84 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 11:03 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
Feb 25, 7:30 AM ESTNON-TSTM WND DMG3 Ne Fleetwood, NCTREE DOWN ON WATERTANK ROAD NEAR FLEETWOOD.
Feb 25, 8:56 AM ESTNON-TSTM WND DMG1 Ese Ashland, NCTREE DOWN ON HIGHWAY 88 WEST NEAR CRESTON.
Feb 25, 12:18 PM ESTNON-TSTM WND DMG6 S Mouth Of Wilson, NCTREE REPORTED DOWN ON GARVEY BRIDGE ROAD NEAR CRUMPLER.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 00:00Z, 11.1 hours before the alert went out and 77 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, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 00:00Z on 2012-02-25Temperature 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, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 00:00Z on 2012-02-25The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -190 square meters per square second.1939587897117136156Sfc1 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
1820 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
104 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-190 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
155 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.

465 
WWUS81 KRNK 251106
RFWRNK

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
606 AM EST SAT FEB 25 2012

...DRIER WEATHER AND GUSTY WINDS TODAY...

.WINDS WILL BE GUSTY FROM THE WEST AND THE RELATIVE HUMIDITY WILL
DROP TO 15 OR 20 PERCENT THIS AFTERNOON.

NCZ001>006-018>020-251915-
/O.UPG.KRNK.FW.A.0001.120225T1400Z-120226T0200Z/
/O.NEW.KRNK.FW.W.0001.120225T1106Z-120226T0000Z/
ASHE-ALLEGHANY NC-SURRY-STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-WATAUGA-WILKES-
YADKIN-
606 AM EST SAT FEB 25 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR LOW
HUMIDITY AND GUSTY WINDS FOR NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL
NORTH CAROLINA...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING FOR LOW HUMIDITY AND GUSTY WINDS...WHICH IS IN EFFECT
UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING. THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS NO LONGER
IN EFFECT.

* AFFECTED AREA...IN NORTH CAROLINA...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 001 
  ASHE...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 002 ALLEGHANY NC...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 
  003 SURRY...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 004 STOKES...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 
  005 ROCKINGHAM...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 006 CASWELL...FIRE WEATHER 
  ZONE 018 WATAUGA...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 019 WILKES AND FIRE 
  WEATHER ZONE 020 YADKIN.

* WINDS...WEST 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH.

* TIMING...THIS MORNING THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 17 PERCENT.

* TEMPERATURES...IN THE 30S MOUNTAINS TO NEAR 50 PIEDMONT.

* IMPACTS...GUSTY WINDS MAY RESULT IN A RAPID SPREAD OF ANY 
  FIRES.

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.

&&

$$

FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA/NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...
HTTP://WWW.ERH.NOAA.GOV/ER/RNK/EMER/EMER_FIRE.PHP (ALL LOWER CASE)
2 follow-up statements
370 
WWUS81 KRNK 251741
RFWRNK

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
1241 PM EST SAT FEB 25 2012

...DRIER WEATHER AND GUSTY WINDS THIS AFTERNOON...

.WINDS WILL BE GUSTY FROM THE WEST AND THE RELATIVE HUMIDITY WILL
DROP TO 15 OR 20 PERCENT THIS AFTERNOON.

NCZ001>006-018>020-260000-
/O.CON.KRNK.FW.W.0001.000000T0000Z-120226T0000Z/
ASHE-ALLEGHANY NC-SURRY-STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-WATAUGA-WILKES-
YADKIN-
1241 PM EST SAT FEB 25 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING
FOR LOW HUMIDITY AND GUSTY WINDS FOR NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL
NORTH CAROLINA...

* AFFECTED AREA...IN NORTH CAROLINA...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 001 
  ASHE...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 002 ALLEGHANY NC...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 
  003 SURRY...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 004 STOKES...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 
  005 ROCKINGHAM...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 006 CASWELL...FIRE WEATHER 
  ZONE 018 WATAUGA...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 019 WILKES AND FIRE 
  WEATHER ZONE 020 YADKIN.

* WINDS...WEST 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH.

* TIMING...THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 17 PERCENT.

* TEMPERATURES...IN THE 30S IN THE MOUNTAINS TO NEAR 50 PIEDMONT.

* IMPACTS...GUSTY WINDS MAY RESULT IN A RAPID SPREAD OF ANY 
  FIRES. 

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.

&&

$$

FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA/NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...
HTTP://WWW.ERH.NOAA.GOV/ER/RNK/EMER/EMER_FIRE.PHP (ALL LOWER CASE)
141 
WWUS81 KRNK 252351
RFWRNK

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
651 PM EST SAT FEB 25 2012



NCZ001>006-018>020-260100-
/O.EXP.KRNK.FW.W.0001.000000T0000Z-120226T0000Z/
ASHE-ALLEGHANY NC-SURRY-STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-WATAUGA-WILKES-
YADKIN-
651 PM EST SAT FEB 25 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 7 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR NORTHWEST 
NORTH CAROLINA...

HUMIDITY HAS INCREASED ABOVE 30 PERCENT WITH WINDS SUBSIDING BELOW
RED FLAG CRITERIA. THEREFORE...THE WARNING WILL BE ALLOWED TO
EXPIRE AT 7 PM.

$$

FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA/NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...
HTTP://WWW.ERH.NOAA.GOV/ER/RNK/EMER/EMER_FIRE.PHP (ALL LOWER CASE)

The office that day

Everything else NWS Blacksburg, VA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 25, 12:00 AM ESTWind AdvisoryRNKAlleghany, Ashe, Stokes, Surry, Watauga, Wilkes and 1 more18 hr
Feb 25, 7:26 AM ESTHigh Wind WarningRNKAlleghany, Ashe, Watauga11 hr

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in North Carolina, 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.