Alert archive / Alaska / Red Flag Warnings in 2016

Red Flag Warning 1, NWS Fairbanks, AK

May 15, 2016

NWS Fairbanks, AK issued this red flag warning at May 15, 2016, 3:28 PM AKDT. It was in force for 5 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
May 15, 2016, 3:28 PM AKDT (23:28 UTC)
Expired
May 15, 2016, 8:09 PM AKDT
In force
5 hr
Issued by
NWS Fairbanks, AK

The text

As transmitted.

496 
WWAK63 PAFG 152328
RFWAFG

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
328 PM AKDT SUN MAY 15 2016

AKZ224-160600-
/O.NEW.PAFG.FW.W.0001.160515T2328Z-160516T0600Z/
UPPER TANANA VALLEY AND THE FORTYMILE COUNTRY-
328 PM AKDT SUN MAY 15 2016

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM AKDT THIS EVENING FOR
LIGHTNING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FAIRBANKS HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM AKDT THIS EVENING.

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 224.

* TIMING...NOW THROUGH 10 PM TONIGHT.

* LIGHTNING ACTIVITY LEVEL...4 DUE TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WITH FREQUENT LIGHTNING.

* WINDS...NORTH 5 TO 10 MPH. LOCAL GUSTS TO 25 MPH NEAR THUNDERSTORMS.

* HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 22 PERCENT.

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

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
908 
WWAK63 PAFG 160409
RFWAFG

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
809 PM AKDT SUN MAY 15 2016

AKZ224-160515-
/O.CAN.PAFG.FW.W.0001.000000T0000Z-160516T0600Z/
UPPER TANANA VALLEY AND THE FORTYMILE COUNTRY-
809 PM AKDT SUN MAY 15 2016

...RED FLAG WARNING IS CANCELLED FOR LIGHTNING...

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

FREQUENT LIGHTING HAS DIMINISHED OVER THE AREA AS THE ATMOSPHERE HAS STABILIZED.

$$

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 15, 11:33 AM AKDT, 3 hours 55 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 15, 11:33 AM AKDT, 3 hours 55 minutes before
Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion...CORRECTED
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
1133 AM AKDT SUN MAY 15 2016

.DISCUSSION...

Current GFS/NAM/ECMWF model runs are in general agreement through
Tuesday the placement of major surface and upper air features.
The NAM appears to be more aggressive than the GFS with
convective development over the southern and eastern interior this
afternoon and evening. Our preference is for the more conservative
GFS.

Upper air...
A ridge extending from Norton Sound to the Fairbanks area and
eastward into the Yukon Territory will continue to weaken through
Monday while being pushed southward by a cold trough digging
southwestward out of the Arctic. By late Monday night the axis of
the weakening ridge will be south of the Alaska Range. A weakly
defined trough currently extends from a low center over Banks
Island southwestward to the western interior Arctic slope. Through
late tonight the trough will move southward with a weak low center
splitting off from the trough and moving the the northern Seward
peninsula coast by late tonight. The trough will continue to
deepen and become colder late tonight through Monday night with
another upper low splitting off northwest of the middle Tanana
valley by Tuesday morning. 850 mb temperatures will become
substantially cooler over the next few days. 850 mb temperatures
over the southern interior yesterday were mainly in the 9C to 11C
range, and as warm as 14C near the Alcan border. By late Monday
night 850 mb temperatures will fall to near or below 0C over the
southern interior. Over the northeastern interior and the Arctic
Slope, 850 mb temperatures will fall to 5%C to -10C by late
Monday night.

Surface...
A 1033 mb high centered 200 miles northwest of Barrow will move
to 300 miles north of Deadhorse by late Monday night while
building to 1035 mb, then remain nearly stationary through late
Tuesday night. A cold front lying east-west across the northern
interior will move slowly southward across central and southern
interior through late Monday night. A thermal trough extending
from Minchumina to 50 miles north of Northway and eastward into
the Yukon Territory will move about 100 miles southward through
Tuesday evening with the trough axis lying south of the Alaska
Range by Tuesday evening.

Central and eastern interior...
Temperatures today will be as much as 20 degrees cooler than
yesterday as the cooler air infiltrates southward. Temperatures
may cool a few more days Monday. Scattered rain showers are
expected over most southern interior areas today through
Monday...with numerous rain showers in a few areas. Isolated
thunderstorms possible this afternoon and evening in the Upper
yukon and Fortymile country, Denali, and the eastern Alaska Range.

Western interior...
Isolated thunderstorms possible this afternoon and evening
over the Upper Kuskokwim valley...elsewhere little or no
precipitation is expected through Tuesday.

West coast...
Mostly clear skies expected through Tuesday. North winds 15 to 25
mph over St Lawrence Island and the Bering strait coast today
through Monday night.

North Slope...
Mostly cloudy skies continuing along with flurries, scattered snow
showers and patchy fog in some areas.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
Temperatures will be 10 to 20 degrees cooler today in
the southern and eastern interior, with a little more cooling
expected Monday. Minimum humidities will be higher, mainly in the
30s today through Tuesday. No red flag conditions are anticipated.

&&

.HYDROLOGY...
None.

&&

.AFG Watches/Warnings/Advisories...

Small Craft Advisory...PKZ225-PKZ230.

&&

RF MAY 16

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 15, 3:20 AM AKDTSmall Craft AdvisoryAFG24 hr
May 15, 3:05 PM AKDTBrisk Wind AdvisoryAFG4 days
May 15, 3:06 PM AKDTBrisk Wind AdvisoryAFG12 hr

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Alaska, 2016Every red flag warning in 2016

Sources

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