Alert archive / Alaska / Red Flag Warnings in 2015

Red Flag Warning 7, NWS Fairbanks, AK

May 19, 2015

NWS Fairbanks, AK issued this red flag warning at May 19, 2015, 12:31 PM AKDT. It took effect at May 20, 2015, 1:00 PM AKDT. It was in force for . No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 19, 2015, 12:31 PM AKDT (20:31 UTC)
In effect from
May 20, 2015, 1:00 PM AKDT
Expired
May 20, 2015, 5:52 AM AKDT
In force
Issued by
NWS Fairbanks, AK

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

461 
WWAK62 PAFG 192031
RFWWCZ

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
1231 PM AKDT TUE MAY 19 2015

AKZ227-201700-
/O.NEW.PAFG.FW.W.0007.150520T2100Z-150521T0600Z/
UPPER KUSKOKWIM VALLEY-
1231 PM AKDT TUE MAY 19 2015

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM TO 10 PM AKDT WEDNESDAY
FOR STRONG WINDS FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONE 227...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FAIRBANKS HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM TO 10 PM AKDT WEDNESDAY. 

* AFFECTED AREA...AREAS NEAR THE ALASKA RANGE

* WIND...SOUTHEAST WINDS GUSTING TO 35 MPH.

* HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 22 PERCENT.

* TIMING...GUSTY SOUTHEAST WINDS WILL DEVELOP LATE TONIGHT WITH 
  RED FLAG CONDITIONS DEVELOPING AFTER 1 PM AKDT WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.
  CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE AFTER 10 PM AKDT WEDNESDAY EVENING. 

* IMPACTS...ANY FIRES THAT DEVELOP WILL LIKELY SPREAD RAPIDLY. 
  OUTDOOR BURNING IS NOT RECOMMENDED.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE OCCURRING OR WILL
OCCUR WHICH COULD LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF LARGE AND DANGEROUS
FIRES. IT IS DIRECTED TOWARD FIRE AGENCIES...AND THROUGH THEM...
TO THE PUBLIC.

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

&&

$$
1 follow-up statement
318 
WWAK62 PAFG 201352
RFWWCZ

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
552 AM AKDT WED MAY 20 2015



AKZ227-201500-
/O.CAN.PAFG.FW.W.0007.150520T2100Z-150521T0600Z/
UPPER KUSKOKWIM VALLEY-
552 AM AKDT WED MAY 20 2015

...RED FLAG WARNING IS CANCELLED FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONE 227...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FAIRBANKS HAS CANCELLED THE RED
FLAG WARNING. 

ALTHOUGH GUSTY WINDS WILL OCCUR NEAR THE ALASKA RANGE 
HUMIDITIES ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN ABOVE 30% TODAY.


$$

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this red flag warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Fairbanks, AK wrote its last area forecast discussion before this red flag warning went out at May 19, 1:59 AM AKDT, 10 hours 32 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 19, 1:59 AM AKDT, 10 hours 32 minutes before
NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
159 AM AKDT TUE MAY 19 2015

.DISCUSSION...
MODELS CONTINUE TO BE SIMILAR EVEN THROUGH THE FIRST PART OF THE MID
RANGE. THE BEST WAY TO DESCRIBE NORTHERN ALASKA IS HOT AND DRY IN
THE EAST AND COOLER AND WETTER IN THE WEST.

UPPER LEVEL RIDGE HAS BEEN LOCKED INTO WESTERN CANADA AND EASTERN
ALASKA FOR THE PAST FEW DAYS AND THERE DOES NOT SEEM TO BE A
DEPARTURE IN THAT CONSENSUS THROUGH AT LEAST THIS WEEK. LONG WAVE
TROUGH THROUGH THE CENTRAL BERING SEA WILL REMAIN BUT SQUEEZE
TIGHTER EAST AS THE UPPER LEVEL GRADIENT INCREASES OVER THE
WESTERN PORTION OF THE STATE.

Q VECTOR ANALYSIS SHOWS HUGE DIVERGENCE ALOFT OVER THE CENTRAL
PORTION OF THE STATE BUT CONVERGENCE OVER THE WEST COAST
ASSOCIATED WITH THE SHORT WAVES APPROACHING THE WEST COAST.

THE LAST SHORT WAVE IS NOW EXITING THE STATE OFF OF THE NORTHWEST
COAST. THE NEXT SHORT WAVE WILL MOVE UP THE WEST COAST ON
WEDNESDAY. THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL FOR SPREADING A FAIRLY DECENT
QPF FIELD AHEAD OF ITS APPROACH.

THERMAL TROUGH OVER THE CENTRAL INTERIOR WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE
WEEK UNDER THE HIGH ALOFT. CONVECTIVE INDICES ARE NEARLY NON-
EXISTENT FOR NORTHERN ALASKA EXCEPT FOR A SMALL AREA NORTH OF
EAGLE AND EAST OF FORT YUKON THROUGH AT LEAST MID WEEK. THE
REMAINDER OF THE WEEK APPEARS TO BE A VERY STABLE AIR MASS.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...RH VALUES HAVE BEEN CONSISTENTLY BELOW 20 PERCENT
FOR MOST AREAS IN MOST INTERIOR ZONES. THIS IS NOT EXPECTED TO
CHANGE THROUGH THURSDAY. SOME SLIGHT MODERATION MAY OCCUR FOR THE
AREA WEST OF FAIRBANKS BEGINNING THU BUT THE FAR EASTERN PORTION
OF THE STATE WILL REMAIN VERY HOT AND DRY.

&&

.HYDROLOGY...DUE TO RAPID SNOW MELT BECAUSE OF THE VERY WARM
TEMPERATURES ALL OVER NORTHERN ALASKA...MANY OF THE RIVERS ARE
FILLING UP RAPIDLY. THUS A FLOOD WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR FORT
YUKON BECAUSE OF THE PORCUPINE RIVER CONTINUING TO RISE AND EXPECT
THAT THE WATER WILL COME OVER BANK FULL AND POSSIBLY THREATEN
SOME HOMES IN FORT YUKON IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
RED FLAG WARNING FOR AKZ220-AKZ222-AKZ223-AKZ224-AKZ225-AKZ226.

BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ220.
&&

CF MAY 15

The office that day

Everything else NWS Fairbanks, AK issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 18, 11:16 PM AKDTAreal Flood WarningAFG7 days
May 19, 6:08 AM AKDTFlood WatchAFG6 days
May 19, 2:23 PM AKDTBrisk Wind AdvisoryAFG14 hr
May 19, 2:24 PM AKDTSmall Craft AdvisoryAFG14 hr

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Alaska, 2015Every red flag warning in 2015

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text.