Alert archive / Montana / Red Flag Warnings in 2012

Red Flag Warning 24, NWS Great Falls, MT

September 13, 201218 counties in Montana

NWS Great Falls, MT issued this red flag warning at Sep 13, 2012, 1:25 PM MDT for 18 counties in Montana. It took effect at Sep 14, 2012, 11:00 AM MDT. It was in force for 10 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
Sep 13, 2012, 1:25 PM MDT (19:25 UTC)
In effect from
Sep 14, 2012, 11:00 AM MDT
Expired
Sep 14, 2012, 9:00 PM MDT
In force
10 hr
Issued by
NWS Great Falls, MT

Counties Blaine County, MT, Broadwater County, MT, Cascade County, MT, Chouteau County, MT, Fergus County, MT, Gallatin County, MT, Glacier County, MT, Hill County, MT, Jefferson County, MT, Judith Basin County, MT, Lewis and Clark County, MT, Liberty County, MT, Meagher County, MT, Phillips County, MT, Pondera County, MT, Powell County, MT, Teton County, MT, Toole County, MT

The radar

The Great Falls radar (KTFX), 24 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:26 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

Great_falls, MT (KTFX), launched 12:00Z, 7.4 hours before the alert went out and 37 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, Great_falls, MT at 12:00Z on 2012-09-13Temperature 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, Great_falls, MT at 12:00Z on 2012-09-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 17 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
3024 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
54 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
17 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
37 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.

452 
WWUS85 KTFX 131925
RFWTFX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
125 PM MDT THU SEP 13 2012

MTZ112>118-141300-
/O.UPG.KTFX.FW.A.0016.120914T1700Z-120915T0300Z/
/O.NEW.KTFX.FW.W.0024.120914T1700Z-120915T0300Z/
EASTERN GLACIER/TOOLE/CENTRAL AND EASTERN PONDERA/LIBERTY
COUNTIES-HILL AND BLAINE COUNTIES-
LEWIS AND CLARK NATIONAL FOREST ROCKY MOUNTAIN DISTRICT/ROCKY
MOUNTAIN FRONT-CHOUTEAU AND FERGUS COUNTIES-
LINCOLN RANGER DISTRICT OF THE HELENA NATIONAL FOREST-
CENTRAL AND EASTERN LEWIS AND CLARK NATIONAL FOREST AREAS-
HELENA AND TOWNSEND RANGER DISTRICTS OF THE HELENA NATIONAL
FOREST-
125 PM MDT THU SEP 13 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM TO 9 PM MDT FRIDAY FOR
GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES
112...113...114...115...116...117 AND 118...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREAT FALLS HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...WHICH IS IN
EFFECT FROM 11 AM TO 9 PM MDT FRIDAY. THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH HAS
BEEN UPGRADED TO THIS WARNING.

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 112...113...114...115... 
  116...117 AND 118.

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

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 6 TO 12 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS...UNSEASONABLY WARM TEMPERATURES...COMBINED WITH GUSTY
  WEST WINDS...WILL ALLOW FOR RAPID FIRE GROWTH FOR ANY
  UNCONTROLLED EXISTING OR NEW WILD FIRES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE OFFICIALS OR FIRE CREWS IN THESE
AREAS OF THIS RED FLAG WARNING.

&&

$$

HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/GREATFALLS
3 follow-up statements
329 
WWUS85 KTFX 141050
RFWTFX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
450 AM MDT FRI SEP 14 2012

MTZ112>118-142100-
/O.CON.KTFX.FW.W.0024.120914T1700Z-120915T0300Z/
EASTERN GLACIER/TOOLE/CENTRAL AND EASTERN PONDERA/LIBERTY
COUNTIES-HILL AND BLAINE COUNTIES-
LEWIS AND CLARK NATIONAL FOREST ROCKY MOUNTAIN DISTRICT/ROCKY
MOUNTAIN FRONT-CHOUTEAU AND FERGUS COUNTIES-
LINCOLN RANGER DISTRICT OF THE HELENA NATIONAL FOREST-
CENTRAL AND EASTERN LEWIS AND CLARK NATIONAL FOREST AREAS-
HELENA AND TOWNSEND RANGER DISTRICTS OF THE HELENA NATIONAL
FOREST-
450 AM MDT FRI SEP 14 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO
9 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY
FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 112...113...114...115...116...117 AND
118...

A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO
9 PM MDT THIS EVENING. 

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 112...113...114...115... 
  116...117 AND 118. 

* WINDS...WEST 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 7 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS...UNSEASONABLY WARM TEMPERATURES...COMBINED WITH GUSTY 
  WEST WINDS...WILL ALLOW FOR RAPID FIRE GROWTH FOR ANY 
  UNCONTROLLED EXISTING OR NEW WILD FIRES. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE OFFICIALS OR FIRE CREWS IN THESE
AREAS OF THIS RED FLAG WARNING.

&&

$$

HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/GREATFALLS
188 
WWUS85 KTFX 142025
RFWTFX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
225 PM MDT FRI SEP 14 2012

MTZ112>118-150300-
/O.CON.KTFX.FW.W.0024.000000T0000Z-120915T0300Z/
EASTERN GLACIER/TOOLE/CENTRAL AND EASTERN PONDERA/LIBERTY
COUNTIES-HILL AND BLAINE COUNTIES-
LEWIS AND CLARK NATIONAL FOREST ROCKY MOUNTAIN DISTRICT/ROCKY
MOUNTAIN FRONT-CHOUTEAU AND FERGUS COUNTIES-
LINCOLN RANGER DISTRICT OF THE HELENA NATIONAL FOREST-
CENTRAL AND EASTERN LEWIS AND CLARK NATIONAL FOREST AREAS-
HELENA AND TOWNSEND RANGER DISTRICTS OF THE HELENA NATIONAL
FOREST-
225 PM MDT FRI SEP 14 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING
FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES
112...113...114...115...116...117 AND 118...

A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING.

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 112...113...114...115... 
  116...117 AND 118. 

* WINDS...WEST 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH. SOUTHERN
  PORTIONS OF FIRE ZONE 118...FROM NEAR TOWNSEND TO THREE FORKS
  AND BOZEMAN...WILL SEE LOWER WIND SPEEDS WITH GUSTS AROUND 20
  MPH OR LESS.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 9 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS...UNSEASONABLY WARM TEMPERATURES...COMBINED WITH GUSTY 
  WEST WINDS...WILL ALLOW FOR RAPID FIRE GROWTH FOR ANY 
  UNCONTROLLED EXISTING OR NEW WILD FIRES. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE OFFICIALS OR FIRE CREWS IN THESE
AREAS OF THIS RED FLAG WARNING.

&&

$$

HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/GREATFALLS
352 
WWUS85 KTFX 150240
RFWTFX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
840 PM MDT FRI SEP 14 2012


MTZ112>118-150345-
/O.EXP.KTFX.FW.W.0024.000000T0000Z-120915T0300Z/
EASTERN GLACIER/TOOLE/CENTRAL AND EASTERN PONDERA/LIBERTY
COUNTIES-HILL AND BLAINE COUNTIES-
LEWIS AND CLARK NATIONAL FOREST ROCKY MOUNTAIN DISTRICT/ROCKY
MOUNTAIN FRONT-CHOUTEAU AND FERGUS COUNTIES-
LINCOLN RANGER DISTRICT OF THE HELENA NATIONAL FOREST-
CENTRAL AND EASTERN LEWIS AND CLARK NATIONAL FOREST AREAS-
HELENA AND TOWNSEND RANGER DISTRICTS OF THE HELENA NATIONAL
FOREST-
840 PM MDT FRI SEP 14 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR
GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES
112...113...114... 115...116...117 AND 118...

THE RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING.

VERY DRY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE REGION.
HOWEVER...WINDS HAVE DECREASED AND ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN LIGHT
THROUGH SATURDAY. THEREFORE...THE RED FLAG WARNING WILL BE
ALLOWED TO EXPIRE A 9 PM.

$$

HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/GREATFALLS

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Montana, 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.