Alert archive / Washington / Red Flag Warnings in 2012
Red Flag Warning 5, NWS Seattle, WA
NWS Seattle, WA issued this red flag warning at Sep 21, 2012, 2:18 PM PDT for 10 counties in Washington. It took effect at Sep 22, 2012, 2:00 AM PDT. It was in force for 18 hr. 1 report 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
- Sep 21, 2012, 2:18 PM PDT (21:18 UTC)
- In effect from
- Sep 22, 2012, 2:00 AM PDT
- Expired
- Sep 22, 2012, 8:00 PM PDT
- In force
- 18 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Seattle, WA
Counties Grays Harbor County, WA, King County, WA, Lewis County, WA, Mason County, WA, Pierce County, WA, Skagit County, WA, Skamania County, WA, Snohomish County, WA, Thurston County, WA, Whatcom County, WA
The radar
The Seattle radar (KATX), 90 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:23 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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 22, 10:32 AM PDT | HAIL 0.25 | 2 Se North Bend, WA | SPOTTER ESTIMATED THE HAIL TO BE SLIGHTLY BIGGER THAN A PEA. |
Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.
The nearest sounding before it
Quillayute State, WA (KUIL), launched 12:00Z, 9.3 hours before the alert went out and 172 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 472 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 28 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -5 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 115 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
376 WWUS86 KSEW 212118 RFWSEW URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA 218 PM PDT FRI SEP 21 2012 ...DRY THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING... .AN UPPER LOW OFFSHORE WILL APPROACH THE REGION THROUGH TONIGHT AND WILL MOVE INTO OREGON ON SATURDAY. THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL THEN MOVE SOUTHEAST TOWARD NEVADA ON SUNDAY. THIS SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO SPREAD INSTABILITY AND SOME UPPER LEVEL MOISTURE ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. WHILE THE MOISTURE IS RATHER LIMITED...THERE WILL BE ENOUGH FOR A RISK OF ISOLATED DRY THUNDERSTORMS OVER PORTIONS OF THE AREA. THE DRYNESS LEVELS OF THE DEAD FUELS...INCLUDING GRASSES...BRUSH AND DEAD MATERIAL IN THE FORESTS AS WELL AS BUG KILL ARE AT OR NEAR RECORD DRYNESS LEVELS...WHICH WOULD MAKE THEM VERY RECEPTIVE TO FIRE STARTS FROM LIGHTNING. WAZ655>659-662-220700- /O.UPG.KSEW.FW.A.0003.120922T1200Z-120923T0600Z/ /O.NEW.KSEW.FW.W.0005.120922T0900Z-120923T0600Z/ BLACK HILLS AND SOUTHWEST INTERIOR LOWLANDS- NORTHEAST PUGET SOUND LOWLANDS GENERALLY BELOW 1500 FEET- SOUTHEAST PUGET SOUND LOWLANDS GENERALLY BELOW 1500 FEET- WEST SLOPES OF THE NORTH CASCADES GENERALLY ABOVE 1500 FEET- WEST SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL CASCADES GENERALLY ABOVE 1500 FEET- EAST PORTION OF NORTH CASCADES NATIONAL PARK/LAKE CHELAN NATIONAL RECREATIONAL AREA- 218 PM PDT FRI SEP 21 2012 ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 2 AM TO 11 PM PDT SATURDAY FOR ISOLATED DRY LIGHTNING AND EXCESSIVELY DRY FUELS FOR THE CASCADES AND ADJACENT FOOTHILLS.... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SEATTLE HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG WARNING FOR ISOLATED DRY LIGHTNING AND EXCESSIVELY DRY FUELS...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 2 AM TO 11 PM PDT SATURDAY. THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. * AFFECTED AREA...THE WASHINGTON CASCADES AND THE ADJACENT FOOTHILLS REGION...INCLUDING FIRE WEATHER ZONES 655...656...657...658...659 AND 662. THE AREA IN THE WESTERN HALF OF ZONE 655 IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE WARNING AREA. * TIMING...LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING. * THUNDERSTORMS...ISOLATED DRY THUNDERSTORMS FORMING SOUTH OF OR OVER THE AREA...ESPECIALLY OVER THE CASCADES...AND MOVING TO THE NORTH OR NORTHWEST AT 10 TO 15 MPH. * THUNDERSTORMS WINDS...DUE TO THE HIGH BASED NATURE OF THE STORMS THE WINDS SHOULD BE LIMITED...HOWEVER GUSTY WINDS ARE ALWAYS A THREAT WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE IN THE VICINITY. * IMPACTS...WITH THE CURRENT FUEL CONDITIONS AS THEY ARE...ANY LIGHTNING WOULD BE EFFICIENT AT STARTING 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. && $$ CERNIGLIA
2 follow-up statements
305 WWUS86 KSEW 220648 RFWSEW URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA 1148 PM PDT FRI SEP 21 2012 ...DRY THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING... .AN UPPER LOW OFFSHORE WILL APPROACH THE REGION THROUGH TONIGHT AND WILL MOVE INTO OREGON ON SATURDAY. THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL THEN MOVE SOUTHEAST TOWARD NEVADA ON SUNDAY. THIS SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO SPREAD INSTABILITY AND SOME UPPER LEVEL MOISTURE ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. WHILE THE MOISTURE IS RATHER LIMITED...THERE WILL BE ENOUGH FOR A RISK OF ISOLATED DRY THUNDERSTORMS OVER PORTIONS OF THE AREA. THE DRYNESS LEVELS OF THE DEAD FUELS...INCLUDING GRASSES...BRUSH AND DEAD MATERIAL IN THE FORESTS AS WELL AS BUG KILL ARE AT OR NEAR RECORD DRYNESS LEVELS...WHICH WOULD MAKE THEM VERY RECEPTIVE TO FIRE STARTS FROM LIGHTNING. WAZ655>659-662-221900- /O.CON.KSEW.FW.W.0005.120922T0900Z-120923T0600Z/ BLACK HILLS AND SOUTHWEST INTERIOR LOWLANDS- NORTHEAST PUGET SOUND LOWLANDS GENERALLY BELOW 1500 FEET- SOUTHEAST PUGET SOUND LOWLANDS GENERALLY BELOW 1500 FEET- WEST SLOPES OF THE NORTH CASCADES GENERALLY ABOVE 1500 FEET- WEST SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL CASCADES GENERALLY ABOVE 1500 FEET- EAST PORTION OF NORTH CASCADES NATIONAL PARK/LAKE CHELAN NATIONAL RECREATIONAL AREA- 1148 PM PDT FRI SEP 21 2012 ...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM PDT SATURDAY FOR ISOLATED DRY LIGHTNING AND EXCESSIVELY DRY FUELS FOR THE CASCADES AND ADJACENT FOOTHILLS.... * AFFECTED AREA...THE WASHINGTON CASCADES AND THE ADJACENT FOOTHILLS REGION...INCLUDING FIRE WEATHER ZONES 655...656... 657...658...659 AND 662. THE AREA IN THE WESTERN HALF OF ZONE 655 IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE WARNING AREA. * TIMING...LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING. * THUNDERSTORMS...ISOLATED DRY THUNDERSTORMS FORMING SOUTH OF OR OVER THE AREA...ESPECIALLY OVER THE CASCADES...AND MOVING TO THE NORTH OR NORTHWEST AT 10 TO 15 MPH. * THUNDERSTORMS WINDS...DUE TO THE HIGH BASED NATURE OF THE STORMS THE WINDS SHOULD BE LIMITED...HOWEVER GUSTY WINDS ARE ALWAYS A THREAT WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE IN THE VICINITY. * IMPACTS...WITH THE CURRENT FUEL CONDITIONS AS THEY ARE...ANY LIGHTNING WOULD BE EFFICIENT AT STARTING 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. && $$
719 WWUS86 KSEW 222131 RFWSEW URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA 231 PM PDT SAT SEP 22 2012 ...ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS STILL POSSIBLE EARLY THIS EVENING NORTH CASCADES... .THE UPPER LOW HAS MOVED OVER THE EXTREME WESTERN PART OF WASHINGTON THIS AFTERNOON AND HAS FORCED THE CONVECTIVE BAND CONTAINING THE ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS NORTHWARD THROUGH THE DAY. CURRENTLY THE BAND IS OVER THE NORTHERN CASCADES AND WILL CONTINUE ITS NORTHWARD MOVEMENT THE REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON AND MOVE INTO CANADA THIS EVENING...ENDING THE THUNDERSTORM THREAT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA. THUS THE RED FLAG WARNING HAS BEEN DROPPED FOR THE SOUTHERN AREAS WHILE THE NORTHERN AREA WILL NOW EXPIRE AT 8 PM THIS EVENING. WAZ655-657-659-662-222245- /O.CAN.KSEW.FW.W.0005.000000T0000Z-120923T0600Z/ BLACK HILLS AND SOUTHWEST INTERIOR LOWLANDS- SOUTHEAST PUGET SOUND LOWLANDS GENERALLY BELOW 1500 FEET- WEST SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL CASCADES GENERALLY ABOVE 1500 FEET- EAST PORTION OF NORTH CASCADES NATIONAL PARK/LAKE CHELAN NATIONAL RECREATIONAL AREA- 231 PM PDT SAT SEP 22 2012 ...RED FLAG WARNING IS CANCELLED FOR ISOLATED DRY LIGHTNING AND EXCESSIVELY DRY FUELS FOR THE CASCADES AND ADJACENT FOOTHILLS.... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SEATTLE HAS CANCELLED THE RED FLAG WARNING. THE BAND OF CONVECTION THAT PRODUCED THE ISOLATED CONVECTION HAS MOVED NORTH OF THIS AREA AND IS NO LONGER A THREAT. $$ WAZ656-658-230300- /O.EXT.KSEW.FW.W.0005.000000T0000Z-120923T0300Z/ NORTHEAST PUGET SOUND LOWLANDS GENERALLY BELOW 1500 FEET- WEST SLOPES OF THE NORTH CASCADES GENERALLY ABOVE 1500 FEET- 231 PM PDT SAT SEP 22 2012 ...RED FLAG WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR ISOLATED DRY LIGHTNING AND EXCESSIVELY DRY FUELS FOR THE CASCADES AND ADJACENT FOOTHILLS.... THE RED FLAG WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM PDT THIS EVENING. * AFFECTED AREA...THE NORTHERN WASHINGTON CASCADES AND THE ADJACENT FOOTHILLS AREA...INCLUDING FIRE WEATHER ZONES 662...658 AND THE EASTERN HALF OF 656. * TIMING...THIS EVENING. * THUNDERSTORMS...ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS STILL POSSIBLE EARLY THIS EVENING OVER THE NORTHERN CASCADES. * THUNDERSTORMS WINDS...DUE TO THE HIGH BASED NATURE OF THE STORMS THE WINDS SHOULD BE LIMITED...HOWEVER GUSTY WINDS ARE ALWAYS A THREAT WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE IN THE VICINITY. * IMPACTS...WITH THE CURRENT FUEL CONDITIONS AS THEY ARE...ANY LIGHTNING WOULD BE EFFICIENT AT STARTING FIRES. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND WARM TEMPERATURES WILL CREATE EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL. && $$ CERNIGLIA
The office that day
Everything else NWS Seattle, WA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 21, 2:45 AM PDT | Small Craft Advisory | SEW | 18 hr |
Nearby
Red Flag Warnings in Washington, 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.