Alert archive / Minnesota / Red Flag Warnings in 2015

Red Flag Warning 6, NWS Twin Cities, MN

April 2, 201532 counties in Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this red flag warning at Apr 2, 2015, 10:39 AM CDT for 32 counties in Minnesota. It took effect at Apr 2, 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
Apr 2, 2015, 10:39 AM CDT (15:39 UTC)
In effect from
Apr 2, 2015, 12:00 PM CDT
Expired
Apr 2, 2015, 7:00 PM CDT
In force
7 hr
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN
All 32 counties

Anoka County, MN, Benton County, MN, Blue Earth County, MN, Brown County, MN, Carver County, MN, Chippewa County, MN, Chisago County, MN, Douglas County, MN, Faribault County, MN, Isanti County, MN, Kanabec County, MN, Kandiyohi County, MN, Lac qui Parle County, MN, Le Sueur County, MN, Martin County, MN, McLeod County, MN, Meeker County, MN, Mille Lacs County, MN, Morrison County, MN, Nicollet County, MN, Pope County, MN, Redwood County, MN, Renville County, MN, Sherburne County, MN, Sibley County, MN, Stearns County, MN, Stevens County, MN, Swift County, MN, Todd County, MN, Watonwan County, MN, Wright County, MN, Yellow Medicine County, MN

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 77 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 15:42 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 12:00Z, 3.7 hours before the alert went out and 74 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 12:00Z on 2015-04-02Temperature 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 12:00Z on 2015-04-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -286 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
2015 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
59 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-286 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-171 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.

741 
WWUS83 KMPX 021539
RFWMPX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1039 AM CDT THU APR 2 2015

...RED FLAG WARNING FOR WEST CENTRAL...CENTRAL...AND PARTS OF SOUTH
CENTRAL MINNESOTA THROUGH 7 PM CDT...

.STRONG WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS FROM 20 TO 30 MPH ARE EXPECTED BY
THE AFTERNOON ALONG WITH HUMIDITY LEVELS AS LOW AS 15 TO 20
PERCENT. THE STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES WILL COMBINE TO
CREATE THE THREAT FOR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. THE RED
FLAG WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR AREAS NORTH AND WEST OF A LINE
FROM CHISAGO TO MONTICELLO TO MANKATO AND WELLS.

MNZ041>045-047>052-054>059-064>068-073>076-082-083-091-092-022345-
/O.CAN.KMPX.FW.W.0005.000000T0000Z-150403T0000Z/
/O.NEW.KMPX.FW.W.0006.150402T1700Z-150403T0000Z/
DOUGLAS-TODD-MORRISON-MILLE LACS-KANABEC-STEVENS-POPE-STEARNS-
BENTON-SHERBURNE-ISANTI-LAC QUI PARLE-SWIFT-CHIPPEWA-KANDIYOHI-
MEEKER-WRIGHT-YELLOW MEDICINE-RENVILLE-MCLEOD-SIBLEY-CARVER-
REDWOOD-BROWN-NICOLLET-LE SUEUR-WATONWAN-BLUE EARTH-MARTIN-
FARIBAULT-
1039 AM CDT THU APR 2 2015

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR LOW
HUMIDITIES AND STRONG WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS...

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

* WIND...SUSTAINED WEST 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH.

* HUMIDITY...FALLING TO BETWEEN 15 AND 20 PERCENT THIS AFTERNOON.

* 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
WILL OCCUR TODAY. A COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS...LOW RELATIVE
HUMIDITY...AND WARM TEMPERATURES CAN CONTRIBUTE TO EXTREME FIRE
BEHAVIOR.

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.

&&

$$

MNZ060-062-063-069-070-077-084-085-093-021645-
/O.CAN.KMPX.FW.A.0005.000000T0000Z-150403T0000Z/
HENNEPIN-RAMSEY-WASHINGTON-SCOTT-DAKOTA-RICE-WASECA-STEELE-
FREEBORN-
1039 AM CDT THU APR 2 2015

...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS CANCELLED...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN HAS
CANCELLED THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH. 

THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELLED FROM THE TWIN CITIES
SOUTH...AS RAINFALL LAST NIGHT LEADING TO MORE MOIST FUELS ALONG
WITH SUSTAINED WINDS THAT ARE NOT EXPECTED TO FREQUENTLY MEET OR
EXCEED 20 MPH WILL KEEP RED FLAG CONDITIONS FROM OCCURRING.
HOWEVER...WIND GUSTS TO 30 MPH ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON WITH
HUMIDITIES DOWN AROUND 20 PERCENT. SO ALTHOUGH NOT SEVERE...FIRE
WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL BE ELEVATED THIS AFTERNOON FOR WHERE THE
WATCH HAD BEEN IN PLACE.

$$

MNZ053-061-022345-
/O.UPG.KMPX.FW.A.0005.000000T0000Z-150403T0000Z/
/O.NEW.KMPX.FW.W.0006.150402T1700Z-150403T0000Z/
CHISAGO-ANOKA-
1039 AM CDT THU APR 2 2015

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR LOW
HUMIDITIES AND STRONG WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS...

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

* WIND...SUSTAINED WEST 20 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 35 MPH.

* HUMIDITY...FALLING TO 15 TO 20 PERCENT THURSDAY AFTERNOON.

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

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FIRE WEATHER WATCH MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE POSSIBLE. LISTEN FOR LATER FORECASTS AND POSSIBLE RED FLAG
WARNINGS.

&&

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.

&&

$$
1 follow-up statement
571 
WWUS83 KMPX 022356
RFWMPX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
656 PM CDT THU APR 2 2015

...RED FLAG WARNING ALLOWED TO EXPIRE AT 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING...

.DIMINISHING WINDS THIS EVENING ALONG WITH RISING RELATIVE
HUMIDITY WILL LESSEN THE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ACROSS
WEST CENTRAL...CENTRAL...AND PARTS OF SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA.
HENCE...THE RED FLAG WARNING WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE AT 7 PM
THIS EVENING.

MNZ041>045-047>059-061-064>068-073>076-082-083-091-092-030100-
/O.EXP.KMPX.FW.W.0006.000000T0000Z-150403T0000Z/
DOUGLAS-TODD-MORRISON-MILLE LACS-KANABEC-STEVENS-POPE-STEARNS-
BENTON-SHERBURNE-ISANTI-CHISAGO-LAC QUI PARLE-SWIFT-CHIPPEWA-
KANDIYOHI-MEEKER-WRIGHT-ANOKA-YELLOW MEDICINE-RENVILLE-MCLEOD-
SIBLEY-CARVER-REDWOOD-BROWN-NICOLLET-LE SUEUR-WATONWAN-BLUE EARTH-
MARTIN-FARIBAULT-
656 PM CDT THU APR 2 2015

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

$$

The office that day

Everything else NWS Twin Cities, MN issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 1, 7:33 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXLe Sueur, Scott42 min
Apr 1, 7:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXLe Sueur, Scott, Sibley43 min
Apr 1, 8:09 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXDakota, Scott36 min
Apr 2, 10:21 AM CDTWind AdvisoryMPXAnoka, Benton, Chippewa, Chisago, Douglas, Isanti and 17 more8 hr

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.