Alert archive / Colorado / Red Flag Warnings in 2016
Red Flag Warning 1, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued this red flag warning at Feb 18, 2016, 5:24 AM MST for 9 counties in Colorado. It took effect at Feb 18, 2016, 11:00 AM MST. It was in force for 7 hr. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.
The facts
- Issued
- Feb 18, 2016, 5:24 AM MST (12:24 UTC)
- In effect from
- Feb 18, 2016, 11:00 AM MST
- Expired
- Feb 18, 2016, 6:00 PM MST
- In force
- 7 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
Counties Adams County, CO, Arapahoe County, CO, Clear Creek County, CO, Douglas County, CO, Elbert County, CO, Gilpin County, CO, Jefferson County, CO, Lincoln County, CO, Park County, CO
The radar
The Denver radar (KFTG), 41 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 12:25 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.
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 18, 4:56 PM MST | NON-TSTM WND GST 76 | 1 E Berthoud Pass, CO |
Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.
The nearest sounding before it
Denver, CO (KDEN), launched 12:00Z, 0.4 hours before the alert went out and 143 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 3806 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 53 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 120 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 139 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted.
657 WWUS85 KBOU 181224 RFWBOU URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO 524 AM MST THU FEB 18 2016 ...STRONG WINDS...NEAR RECORD WARMTH...AND LOW HUMIDITIES THIS AFTERNOON... SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE TODAY AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT. THE WORST FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL BE FROM THE FOOTHILLS SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 70 ACROSS AREAS SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST OF DENVER. THERE IS QUITE A BIT OF VARIATION IN FUEL CONDITIONS WITH SNOW IN SOME AREAS AND VERY DRY FUELS IN OTHERS. PLACES WITH DRY GRASSES WILL BE RIPE FOR FIRE IGNITION AND RAPID SPREAD IN THE WARM WINDS. COZ216-241-245>247-182200- /O.UPG.KBOU.FW.A.0001.160218T1800Z-160219T0100Z/ /O.NEW.KBOU.FW.W.0001.160218T1800Z-160219T0100Z/ JEFFERSON AND WEST DOUGLAS COUNTIES ABOVE 6000 FEET/GILPIN/CLEAR CREEK/NORTHEAST PARK COUNTIES BELOW 9000 FEET- ELBERT/CENTRAL AND EAST DOUGLAS COUNTIES ABOVE 6000 FEET- CENTRAL AND EAST ADAMS AND ARAPAHOE COUNTIES- NORTH AND NORTHEAST ELBERT COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/NORTH LINCOLN COUNTY- SOUTHEAST ELBERT COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/SOUTH LINCOLN COUNTY- 524 AM MST THU FEB 18 2016 ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR AREAS SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST OF DENVER...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 216...241...245...246... AND 247... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DENVER HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG WARNING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM MST THIS EVENING. THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. * AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 216...241...245...246 AND 247. * TIMING...WINDS WILL INCREASE THIS MORNING WITH HUMIDITIES DROPPING. WINDS WILL REMAIN VERY STRONG THIS EVENING BUT HUMIDITIES WILL INCREASE. * WIND...WEST TO SOUTHWEST 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH. * HUMIDITY...8 TO 13 PERCENT. * HIGHEST THREAT AREA...NON SNOW COVERED AREAS OF DOUGLAS COUNTY...ELBERT COUNTY...CENTRAL AND EASTERN SECTIONS OF ADAMS AND ARAPAHOE COUNTIES...AND LINCOLN COUNTY. * IMPACTS...ANY FIRES THAT DEVELOP WILL LIKELY SPREAD RAPIDLY. DO NOT BURN ON THURSDAY. EVEN SMALL TRASH FIRES CAN QUICKLY BECOME OUT OF CONTROL. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW OR WILL OCCUR SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES...AND DRY FUELS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR. IF A FIRE IS STARTED OR ONGOING THE POTENTIAL FOR IT TO RAPIDLY SPREAD IS HIGH. && $$ GIMMESTAD
1 follow-up statement
508 WWUS85 KBOU 181855 RFWBOU URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO 1155 AM MST THU FEB 18 2016 ...STRONG WINDS...NEAR RECORD WARMTH...AND LOW HUMIDITIES THIS AFTERNOON... SOUTHWEST WINDS AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT WILL COMBINE WITH WARM TEMPERATURES AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES TO PRODUCE DANGEROUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON. THE WORST FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL BE FROM THE FOOTHILLS SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 70 ACROSS THE PLAINS SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST OF DENVER. THERE IS A LARGE VARIATION IN FUEL CONDITIONS WITH SNOW ON THE GROUND IN SOME AREAS AND VERY DRY FUELS IN OTHERS. PLACES WITH DRY GRASSES WILL BE RIPE FOR FIRE IGNITION AND RAPID FIRE SPREAD IN THE WARM WINDS. COZ216-241-245>247-190100- /O.CON.KBOU.FW.W.0001.000000T0000Z-160219T0100Z/ JEFFERSON AND WEST DOUGLAS COUNTIES ABOVE 6000 FEET/GILPIN/CLEAR CREEK/NORTHEAST PARK COUNTIES BELOW 9000 FEET- ELBERT/CENTRAL AND EAST DOUGLAS COUNTIES ABOVE 6000 FEET- CENTRAL AND EAST ADAMS AND ARAPAHOE COUNTIES- NORTH AND NORTHEAST ELBERT COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/NORTH LINCOLN COUNTY- SOUTHEAST ELBERT COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/SOUTH LINCOLN COUNTY- 1155 AM MST THU FEB 18 2016 ...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR AREAS SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST OF DENVER...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 216...241...245...246...AND 247... * AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 216...241...245...246 AND 247. * TIMING...GUSTY WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH WITH HUMIDITIES DROPPING. WINDS WILL REMAIN VERY STRONG THIS EVENING BUT HUMIDITIES WILL INCREASE. * WIND...WEST TO SOUTHWEST 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH. * HUMIDITY...8 TO 13 PERCENT. * HIGHEST THREAT AREA...NON SNOW COVERED AREAS OF DOUGLAS COUNTY...ELBERT COUNTY...CENTRAL AND EASTERN SECTIONS OF ADAMS AND ARAPAHOE COUNTIES...AND LINCOLN COUNTY. * IMPACTS...ANY FIRES THAT DEVELOP WILL LIKELY SPREAD RAPIDLY. DO NOT BURN TODAY. EVEN SMALL TRASH FIRES CAN QUICKLY GET OUT OF CONTROL. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW OR WILL OCCUR SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES...AND DRY FUELS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR. IF A FIRE IS STARTED OR ONGOING THE POTENTIAL FOR IT TO RAPIDLY SPREAD IS HIGH. && $$
The office that day
Everything else NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 17, 8:38 PM MST | High Wind Watch | BOU | Boulder, Broomfield, Jefferson, Larimer, Logan, Phillips and 2 more | 20 hr |
| Feb 17, 8:38 PM MST | High Wind Warning | BOU | Boulder, Broomfield, Clear Creek, Douglas, Gilpin, Grand and 11 more | 32 hr |
Nearby
Red Flag Warnings in Colorado, 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.