Alert archive / Minnesota / Red Flag Warnings in 2015

Red Flag Warning 3, NWS Grand Forks, ND

April 11, 201514 counties in Minnesota; 12 counties in North Dakota

NWS Grand Forks, ND issued this red flag warning at Apr 11, 2015, 3:27 AM CDT for 14 counties in Minnesota; 12 counties in North Dakota. It took effect at Apr 11, 2015, 1:00 PM CDT. It was in force for 7 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
Apr 11, 2015, 3:27 AM CDT (08:27 UTC)
In effect from
Apr 11, 2015, 1:00 PM CDT
Expired
Apr 11, 2015, 8:00 PM CDT
In force
7 hr
Issued by
NWS Grand Forks, ND
All 26 counties

Becker County, MN, Clay County, MN, Clearwater County, MN, Grant County, MN, Kittson County, MN, Mahnomen County, MN, Marshall County, MN, Norman County, MN, Otter Tail County, MN, Pennington County, MN, Polk County, MN, Red Lake County, MN, Roseau County, MN, Wilkin County, MN, Barnes County, ND, Cass County, ND, Grand Forks County, ND, Griggs County, ND, Nelson County, ND, Pembina County, ND, Ransom County, ND, Richland County, ND, Sargent County, ND, Steele County, ND, Traill County, ND, Walsh County, ND

The radar

The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 41 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:29 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

International Fa, MN (KINL), launched 00:00Z, 8.5 hours before the alert went out and 292 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, International Fa, MN at 00:00Z on 2015-04-11Temperature 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, International Fa, MN at 00:00Z on 2015-04-11The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 53 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
2033 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
36 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
53 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
149 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.

979 
WWUS83 KFGF 110827
RFWFGF

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
327 AM CDT SAT APR 11 2015

...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS EXPECTED TODAY FOR MUCH OF
EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

.THE COMBINATION OF EXTREMELY DRY FUELS AND STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS
WILL CAUSE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON INTO
THE EARLY EVENING OVER MOST OF EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA...EXCEPT THE
DEVILS LAKE BASIN...AND ALL BUT EXTREME EASTERN MINNESOTA SECTIONS
OF THE FIRE WEATHER PLANNING AREA.

MNZ001>005-007-008-013>015-022-023-027>031-040-NDZ008-016-026>030-
038-039-049-052>054-111630-
/O.NEW.KFGF.FW.W.0003.150411T1800Z-150412T0100Z/
WEST POLK-NORMAN-CLAY-KITTSON-ROSEAU-WEST MARSHALL-EAST MARSHALL-
PENNINGTON-RED LAKE-EAST POLK-MAHNOMEN-SOUTH CLEARWATER-
WEST BECKER-EAST BECKER-WILKIN-WEST OTTER TAIL-EAST OTTER TAIL-
GRANT-PEMBINA-EASTERN WALSH-NELSON-GRAND FORKS-GRIGGS-STEELE-
TRAILL-BARNES-CASS-RANSOM-SARGENT-RICHLAND-WESTERN WALSH-
327 AM CDT SAT APR 11 2015

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 PM
CDT THIS EVENING FOR EXTREMELY DRY FUELS AND SOUTHERLY WINDS SUSTAINED 
AT 20 TO 30 MPH FOR MUCH OF EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND MOST OF NORTHWEST
AND WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND FORKS HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING FOR EXTREMELY DRY FUELS AND STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS...WHICH
IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING.

* AFFECTED AREA...IN MINNESOTA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 001...002... 
  003...004...005...007...008...013...014...015...022...023...
  027... 028...029...030...031 AND 040. IN NORTH DAKOTA...FIRE 
  WEATHER ZONES 008...016...026...027...028...029...030...038...
  039...049... 052...053 AND 054.

* WINDS...SOUTH 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH.

* TIMING...FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 18 PERCENT.

* TEMPERATURES...MOSTLY 70 TO 75.

* IMPACTS...CONDITIONS ARE RIPE TO SUSTAIN EXISTING FIRES AND 
  PROMOTE RAPID GROWTH AND SPREAD OF 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
CONTRIBUTE TO EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR.

&&

$$
WJB
2 follow-up statements
430 
WWUS83 KFGF 112046
RFWFGF

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
346 PM CDT SAT APR 11 2015

...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS CONTINUE FOR MUCH OF EASTERN NORTH
DAKOTA AND NORTHWESTERN AND WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

.SOUTHERLY WINDS GUSTING AT TIMES OVER 30 TO 35 MPH AND HUMIDITY
VALUES NEAR OR BELOW 20 PERCENT WILL CONTINUE THROUGH LATE
AFTERNOON. WITH VERY DRY FUELS...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
WILL PERSIST FOR SEVERAL MORE HOURS THIS AFTERNOON.

MNZ001>005-007-008-013>015-022-023-027>031-040-NDZ008-016-026>030-
038-039-049-052>054-120100-
/O.CON.KFGF.FW.W.0003.000000T0000Z-150412T0100Z/
WEST POLK-NORMAN-CLAY-KITTSON-ROSEAU-WEST MARSHALL-EAST MARSHALL-
PENNINGTON-RED LAKE-EAST POLK-MAHNOMEN-SOUTH CLEARWATER-
WEST BECKER-EAST BECKER-WILKIN-WEST OTTER TAIL-EAST OTTER TAIL-
GRANT-PEMBINA-EASTERN WALSH-NELSON-GRAND FORKS-GRIGGS-STEELE-
TRAILL-BARNES-CASS-RANSOM-SARGENT-RICHLAND-WESTERN WALSH-
346 PM CDT SAT APR 11 2015

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING
FOR EXTREMELY DRY FUELS AND STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS FOR MUCH OF 
EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND MOST OF NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

* AFFECTED AREA...IN MINNESOTA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 001...002... 
  003...004...005...007...008...013...014...015...022...023...
  027... 028...029...030...031 AND 040. IN NORTH DAKOTA...FIRE 
  WEATHER ZONES 008...016...026...027...028...029...030...038...
  039...049... 052...053 AND 054.

* WINDS...SOUTH 15 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH.

* TIMING...THROUGH 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 15 PERCENT.

* TEMPERATURES...IN THE UPPER 60S AND 70S.

* IMPACTS...CONDITIONS ARE RIPE TO SUSTAIN EXISTING FIRES AND 
  PROMOTE RAPID GROWTH AND SPREAD OF 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
CONTRIBUTE TO EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR.

&&

$$
654 
WWUS83 KFGF 120053
RFWFGF

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
753 PM CDT SAT APR 11 2015

MNZ001>005-007-008-013>015-022-023-027>031-040-NDZ008-016-026>030-
038-039-049-052>054-120200-
/O.EXP.KFGF.FW.W.0003.000000T0000Z-150412T0100Z/
WEST POLK-NORMAN-CLAY-KITTSON-ROSEAU-WEST MARSHALL-EAST MARSHALL-
PENNINGTON-RED LAKE-EAST POLK-MAHNOMEN-SOUTH CLEARWATER-
WEST BECKER-EAST BECKER-WILKIN-WEST OTTER TAIL-EAST OTTER TAIL-
GRANT-PEMBINA-EASTERN WALSH-NELSON-GRAND FORKS-GRIGGS-STEELE-
TRAILL-BARNES-CASS-RANSOM-SARGENT-RICHLAND-WESTERN WALSH-
753 PM CDT SAT APR 11 2015

...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING...

HUMIDITY WILL SLOWLY INCREASE THROUGH THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT
HOURS. WINDS WILL REMAIN BREEZY AT TIMES...ALTHOUGH NOT AS STRONG
AS THIS PAST AFTERNOON. 

$$

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Minnesota, 2015Red Flag Warnings in North Dakota, 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.