Alert archive / Minnesota / Red Flag Warnings in 2015

Red Flag Warning 2, NWS Twin Cities, MN

March 15, 201512 counties in Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this red flag warning at Mar 15, 2015, 3:27 AM CDT for 12 counties in Minnesota. It took effect at Mar 15, 2015, 12:00 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
Mar 15, 2015, 3:27 AM CDT (08:27 UTC)
In effect from
Mar 15, 2015, 12:00 PM CDT
Expired
Mar 15, 2015, 7:00 PM CDT
In force
7 hr
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN

Counties Blue Earth County, MN, Brown County, MN, Faribault County, MN, Freeborn County, MN, Le Sueur County, MN, Martin County, MN, Nicollet County, MN, Redwood County, MN, Steele County, MN, Waseca County, MN, Watonwan County, MN, Yellow Medicine County, MN

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 100 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:26 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

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 00:00Z, 8.5 hours before the alert went out and 99 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, Minneapolis, MN at 00:00Z on 2015-03-15Temperature 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, Minneapolis, MN at 00:00Z on 2015-03-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 47 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
2194 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
21 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
47 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
86 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.

545 
WWUS83 KMPX 150827
RFWMPX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
327 AM CDT SUN MAR 15 2015

...RED FLAG WARNING THIS AFTERNOON IN PORTIONS OF SOUTHWESTERN AND
SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA FOR THE COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS AND
LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...

.SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL QUICKLY INCREASE IN STRENGTH THIS MORNING...
REACHING 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH THIS AFTERNOON. IN
ADDITION...TEMPERATURES WARMING TO THE LOWER 70S WILL ALLOW
RELATIVE HUMIDITY TO FALL TO AROUND 25 PERCENT. THESE STRONG
WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY WILL COMBINE TO CREATE CRITICAL FIRE
WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR AREAS ALONG AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM
GRANITE FALLS TO NEW ULM TO SAINT PETER TO OWATONNA.

MNZ074-075-082>085-091>093-151630-
/O.UPG.KMPX.FW.A.0002.150315T1700Z-150315T2300Z/
/O.NEW.KMPX.FW.W.0002.150315T1700Z-150316T0000Z/
BROWN-NICOLLET-WATONWAN-BLUE EARTH-WASECA-STEELE-MARTIN-FARIBAULT-
FREEBORN-
327 AM CDT SUN MAR 15 2015

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 7 PM CDT THIS
EVENING FOR STRONG WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE
WEATHER ZONES 074...075... 082...083...084...085...091...092 AND
093...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN HAS ISSUED
A RED FLAG WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 7 PM
CDT THIS EVENING. THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. 

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 074...075...082...083...
  084...085...091...092 AND 093.

* WIND...SOUTHWEST SUSTAINED 20-30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH.

* HUMIDITY...MINIMUM AFTERNOON HUMIDITY AROUND 25 PERCENT.

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

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 CAN
CONTRIBUTE TO EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR.

&&

$$

MNZ064-073-076-151630-
/O.NEW.KMPX.FW.W.0002.150315T1700Z-150316T0000Z/
YELLOW MEDICINE-REDWOOD-LE SUEUR-
327 AM CDT SUN MAR 15 2015

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 7 PM CDT THIS
EVENING FOR STRONG WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE
WEATHER ZONES 064...073 AND 076...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN HAS ISSUED
A RED FLAG WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 7 PM
CDT THIS EVENING. 

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 064...073 AND 076. 

* WIND...SOUTHWEST SUSTAINED 20-30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH.

* HUMIDITY...MINIMUM AFTERNOON HUMIDITY AROUND 25 PERCENT.

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

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 CAN
CONTRIBUTE TO EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR.

&&

$$
2 follow-up statements
850 
WWUS83 KMPX 151544
RFWMPX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1044 AM CDT SUN MAR 15 2015

...RED FLAG WARNING THIS AFTERNOON IN PORTIONS OF SOUTHWESTERN
AND SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA FOR THE COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS
AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...

.SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE TODAY REACHING 25 TO 35 MPH THIS
AFTERNOON. IN ADDITION...TEMPERATURES WARMING INTO THE UPPER 60S
AND LOWER 70S WILL ALLOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY TO FALL TO AROUND 25
PERCENT. THESE STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY WILL COMBINE TO
CREATE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR AREAS ALONG AND SOUTH
OF A LINE FROM GRANITE FALLS TO NEW ULM TO SAINT PETER TO
OWATONNA.

MNZ064-073>076-082>085-091>093-160000-
/O.CON.KMPX.FW.W.0002.150315T1700Z-150316T0000Z/
YELLOW MEDICINE-REDWOOD-BROWN-NICOLLET-LE SUEUR-WATONWAN-
BLUE EARTH-WASECA-STEELE-MARTIN-FARIBAULT-FREEBORN-
1044 AM CDT SUN MAR 15 2015

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING
FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 064...073...074...
075...076...082...083...084...085...091...092 AND 093...

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 064...073...074...075... 
  076...082...083...084...085...091...092 AND 093. 

* WIND...SOUTHWEST SUSTAINED 20-30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH.

* HUMIDITY...MINIMUM AFTERNOON HUMIDITY AROUND 25 PERCENT.

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

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 CAN
CONTRIBUTE TO EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR.

&&

$$
728 
WWUS83 KMPX 152354
RFWMPX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
654 PM CDT SUN MAR 15 2015

...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 7 PM CDT...

.THE RED FLAG WARNING FOR SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA
WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE AT 7 PM CDT.

MNZ064-073>076-082>085-091>093-160100-
/O.EXP.KMPX.FW.W.0002.000000T0000Z-150316T0000Z/
YELLOW MEDICINE-REDWOOD-BROWN-NICOLLET-LE SUEUR-WATONWAN-
BLUE EARTH-WASECA-STEELE-MARTIN-FARIBAULT-FREEBORN-
654 PM CDT SUN MAR 15 2015

...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR
SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

WINDS WILL CONTINUE DIMINISHING THIS EVENING AND RELATIVE
HUMIDITY VALUES WILL CONTINUE RISING INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS.

$$

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Minnesota, 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.