Alert archive / California / Red Flag Warnings in 2012

Red Flag Warning 27, NWS Las Vegas, NV

November 7, 2012Inyo County, Tulare County, California

NWS Las Vegas, NV issued this red flag warning at Nov 7, 2012, 10:00 AM PST for Inyo County, Tulare County, California. It took effect at Nov 8, 2012, 10:00 AM PST. It was in force for 12 hr. 2 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: Nov 7, 2012, 10:00 AM PST (18:00 UTC)
In effect from: Nov 8, 2012, 10:00 AM PST
Expired: Nov 8, 2012, 10:00 PM PST
In force: 12 hr
Issued by: NWS Las Vegas, NV

Counties Inyo County, CA, Tulare County, CA

The radar

The San Joaquin Valley radar (KHNX), 137 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:06 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.

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Nov 8, 5:42 PM PST	NON-TSTM WND GST 59	Oak Creek Raws, CA
Nov 8, 9:42 PM PST	NON-TSTM WND GST 65	Oak Creek Raws, CA

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

The nearest sounding before it

Las Vegas, NV (KVEF), launched 12:00Z, 6.0 hours before the alert went out and 230 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 3535 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 13 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -3 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 46 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.

526 
WWUS85 KVEF 071800
RFWVEF

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
1000 AM PST WED NOV 7 2012

.STRONG DOWNSLOPE WINDS IN THE LEE OF THE SOUTHERN SIERRA ARE
EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THURSDAY AS A COLD PACIFIC STORM DIVES INTO
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. PERIODS OF WEST WINDS GUSTING OVER 50 MPH
AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY WILL OCCUR IN THE SIERRA FOOTHILLS AND
ADJACENT PORTIONS OF THE OWENS VALLEY FROM LATE THURSDAY MORNING
THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING.

CAZ226-081300-
/O.NEW.KVEF.FW.W.0027.121108T1800Z-121109T0600Z/
OWENS VALLEY/SOUTHERN INYO FOREST-
1000 AM PST WED NOV 7 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 10 PM PST THURSDAY
FOR STRONG WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONE
226...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAS VEGAS HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING FOR STRONG WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR THE
SOUTHERN SIERRA AND OWENS VALLEY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM
10 AM TO 10 PM PST THURSDAY.

* AFFECTED AREA...IN CALIFORNIA...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 226 OWENS 
  VALLEY/SOUTHERN INYO FOREST.

* TIMING...WIND GUSTS OVER 35 MPH WILL LIKELY DEVELOP IN PARTS OF
  THE OWENS VALLEY BY LATE MORNING THEN SPEEDS WILL INCREASE IN
  THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS.

* WIND...FROM THE WEST WITH EXTENSIVE AREAS OF THE WESTERN OWENS
  VALLEY EXPERIENCING GUSTS OF 35 TO 50 MPH AND LOCALIZED GUSTS
  OVER 60 MPH.

* HUMIDITY...MINIMUM VALUES OF 10 TO 15 PERCENT IN THE OWENS
  VALLEY AND 15 TO 20 PERCENT AROUND 7000 FEET.

* IMPACTS...A COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE
  HUMIDITY WILL CREATE AN ELEVATED THREAT OF EXTREME FIRE GROWTH
  POTENTIAL. IN ADDITION...SEVERE TO EXTREME TURBULENCE DUE TO STRONG
  WINDS AND ROTORS MAY NOT ALLOW FOR AIR ATTACK MUCH OF THE DAY
  SHOULD A NEW START OCCUR.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE FIRE WEATHER OFFICIALS IN THE FIELD
OF THIS RED FLAG WARNING.

&&

$$

JA

HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/LASVEGAS

3 follow-up statements

591 
WWUS85 KVEF 081237
RFWVEF

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
437 AM PST THU NOV 8 2012

.STRONG DOWNSLOPE WINDS IN THE LEE OF THE SOUTHERN SIERRA ARE
EXPECTED TO DEVELOP TODAY AS A COLD PACIFIC STORM DIVES INTO
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. PERIODS OF WEST WINDS GUSTING OVER 50 MPH AND
LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY WILL OCCUR IN THE SIERRA FOOTHILLS AND
ADJACENT PORTIONS OF THE OWENS VALLEY FROM LATE THIS MORNING
THROUGH THIS EVENING.

CAZ226-081900-
/O.CON.KVEF.FW.W.0027.121108T1800Z-121109T0600Z/
OWENS VALLEY/SOUTHERN INYO FOREST-
437 AM PST THU NOV 8 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO
10 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR STRONG WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY
FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONE 226...

* AFFECTED AREA...IN CALIFORNIA...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 226 OWENS 
  VALLEY/SOUTHERN INYO FOREST.

* TIMING...WIND GUSTS OVER 35 MPH WILL LIKELY DEVELOP IN PARTS 
  OF THE OWENS VALLEY BY LATE MORNING THEN SPEEDS WILL INCREASE 
  IN THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS. 

* WIND...FROM THE WEST WITH EXTENSIVE AREAS OF THE WESTERN OWENS 
  VALLEY EXPERIENCING GUSTS OF 35 TO 50 MPH AND LOCALIZED GUSTS 
  OVER 60 MPH. 

* HUMIDITY...MINIMUM VALUES OF 10 TO 15 PERCENT IN THE OWENS 
  VALLEY AND 15 TO 20 PERCENT AROUND 7000 FEET. 

* IMPACTS...A COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE 
  HUMIDITY WILL CREATE AN ELEVATED THREAT OF EXTREME FIRE GROWTH 
  POTENTIAL. IN ADDITION...SEVERE TO EXTREME TURBULENCE DUE TO 
  STRONG WINDS AND ROTORS MAY NOT ALLOW FOR AIR ATTACK MUCH OF 
  THE DAY SHOULD A NEW START OCCUR. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE FIRE WEATHER OFFICIALS IN THE FIELD
OF THIS RED FLAG WARNING.

&&

$$

MORGAN

HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/LASVEGAS

245 
WWUS85 KVEF 081855
RFWVEF

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
1055 AM PST THU NOV 8 2012

.STRONG DOWNSLOPE WINDS IN THE LEE OF THE SOUTHERN SIERRA ARE
EXPECTED TO DEVELOP TODAY AS A COLD PACIFIC STORM DIVES INTO
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. PERIODS OF WEST WINDS GUSTING OVER 50 MPH
AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY WILL OCCUR IN THE SIERRA FOOTHILLS AND
ADJACENT PORTIONS OF THE OWENS VALLEY FROM LATE THIS MORNING
THROUGH THIS EVENING.

CAZ226-090600-
/O.CON.KVEF.FW.W.0027.000000T0000Z-121109T0600Z/
OWENS VALLEY/SOUTHERN INYO FOREST-
1055 AM PST THU NOV 8 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS
EVENING FOR STRONG WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE
WEATHER ZONE 226...

* AFFECTED AREA...IN CALIFORNIA...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 226 OWENS 
  VALLEY/SOUTHERN INYO FOREST.

* TIMING...WIND GUSTS OVER 35 MPH WILL ARE LIKELY...WITH SPEEDS
  INCREASE FURTHER IN THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS.

* WIND...FROM THE WEST WITH EXTENSIVE AREAS OF THE WESTERN OWENS
  VALLEY EXPERIENCING GUSTS OF 35 TO 50 MPH AND LOCALIZED GUSTS
  OVER 70 MPH.

* HUMIDITY...MINIMUM VALUES OF 10 TO 15 PERCENT IN THE OWENS 
  VALLEY AND 15 TO 20 PERCENT AROUND 7000 FEET. 

* IMPACTS...A COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE 
  HUMIDITY WILL CREATE AN ELEVATED THREAT OF EXTREME FIRE GROWTH 
  POTENTIAL. IN ADDITION...SEVERE TO EXTREME TURBULENCE DUE TO 
  STRONG WINDS AND ROTORS MAY NOT ALLOW FOR AIR ATTACK MUCH OF 
  THE DAY SHOULD A NEW START OCCUR. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE FIRE WEATHER OFFICIALS IN THE FIELD
OF THIS RED FLAG WARNING.

&&

$$

HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/LASVEGAS

615 
WWUS85 KVEF 090534
RFWVEF

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
934 PM PST THU NOV 8 2012

CAZ226-090645-
/O.EXP.KVEF.FW.W.0027.000000T0000Z-121109T0600Z/
OWENS VALLEY/SOUTHERN INYO FOREST-
934 PM PST THU NOV 8 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 10 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR
STRONG WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONE
226...

WINDS WERE STILL STRONG ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE OWENS VALLEY AND
SOUTHERN INYO FOREST LATE THIS EVENING. HOWEVER...MOST LOCATIONS
WERE SEEING RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES RISING ABOVE 15 PERCENT.
WINDS WILL GRADUALLY DECREASE OVERNIGHT AND RELATIVE HUMIDITY WILL
CONTINUE TO INCREASE. 

$$

HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/LASVEGAS

The office that day

Everything else NWS Las Vegas, NV issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Nov 7, 3:11 PM PST	High Wind Warning	VEF	Inyo	40 hr

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in California, 2012 Every 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.