Alert archive / Colorado / Red Flag Warnings in 2016

Red Flag Warning 17, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO

July 15, 20168 counties in Colorado

NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued this red flag warning at Jul 15, 2016, 3:00 PM MDT for 8 counties in Colorado. It took effect at Jul 16, 2016, 12:00 PM MDT. It was in force for 9 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: Jul 15, 2016, 3:00 PM MDT (21:00 UTC)
In effect from: Jul 16, 2016, 12:00 PM MDT
Expired: Jul 16, 2016, 9:00 PM MDT
In force: 9 hr
Issued by: NWS Denver/Boulder, CO

Counties Boulder County, CO, Clear Creek County, CO, Gilpin County, CO, Grand County, CO, Jackson County, CO, Larimer County, CO, Park County, CO, Summit County, CO

The radar

The Denver radar (KFTG), 108 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:03 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

Denver, CO (KDEN), launched 12:00Z, 9.0 hours before the alert went out and 218 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 23 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -351 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 3003 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 127 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 136 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

256 
WWUS85 KBOU 152100
RFWBOU

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
300 PM MDT FRI JUL 15 2016

...EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR CONDITIONS POSSIBLE SATURDAY AFTERNOON
AND EVENING IN THE MOUNTAINS AND HIGH VALLEYS OF NORTH CENTRAL
COLORADO...

.VERY WARM TEMPERATURES...GUSTY SURFACE WINDS AND VERY LOW
RELATIVE HUMIDITIES MAY RESULT IN EXTREME WILDLAND FIRE BEHAVIOR.
RAPID FIRE GROWTH AND FIRE SPREAD MAY OCCUR DURING THE AFTERNOON
AND EVENING HOURS ON SATURDAY.

COZ211-213-217-160500-
/O.UPG.KBOU.FW.A.0007.160716T1800Z-160717T0300Z/
/O.NEW.KBOU.FW.W.0017.160716T1800Z-160717T0300Z/
JACKSON COUNTY BELOW 9000 FEET-
GRAND AND SUMMIT COUNTIES BELOW 9000 FEET-
WEST JACKSON AND WEST GRAND COUNTIES ABOVE 9000 FEET-
300 PM MDT FRI JUL 15 2016

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TO 9 PM MDT SATURDAY FOR
WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR MOUNTAINS AND HIGH VALLEYS OF
NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DENVER HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT
FROM NOON TO 9 PM MDT SATURDAY. THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS NO
LONGER IN EFFECT.

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 211...213 AND 217.

* TIMING...FROM 1200 MDT TO 2100 MDT ON SATURDAY.

* WINDS...WEST 5 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 12 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS...GUSTY SURFACE WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY COULD 
  CAUSE ANY EXISTING OR NEW WILDFIRES TO SPREAD RAPIDLY. VERY 
  WARM TEMPERATURES AND AN UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE MAY ALSO RESULT 
  IN RAPID FIRE GROWTH AND DANGEROUS FIRE BEHAVIOR.

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.

&&

$$

COZ212-214-218-160500-
/O.NEW.KBOU.FW.W.0017.160716T1800Z-160717T0300Z/
SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST GRAND/WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST BOULDER/
GILPIN/CLEAR CREEK/SUMMIT/NORTH AND WEST PARK COUNTIES ABOVE
9000 FEET-CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PARK COUNTY-
SOUTH AND EAST JACKSON/LARIMER/NORTH AND NORTHEAST GRAND/
NORTHWEST BOULDER COUNTIES ABOVE 9000 FEET-
300 PM MDT FRI JUL 15 2016

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TO 9 PM MDT SATURDAY FOR
WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR MOUNTAINS AND HIGH VALLEYS OF
NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DENVER HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT
FROM NOON TO 9 PM MDT SATURDAY.

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 212...214 AND 218.

* TIMING...FROM 1200 MDT TO 2100 MDT ON SATURDAY.

* WINDS...WEST 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 12 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS...GUSTY SURFACE WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY COULD 
  CAUSE ANY EXISTING OR NEW WILDFIRES TO SPREAD RAPIDLY. VERY 
  WARM TEMPERATURES AND AN UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE MAY ALSO RESULT 
  IN RAPID FIRE GROWTH AND DANGEROUS FIRE BEHAVIOR.

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.

&&

$$

4 follow-up statements

071 
WWUS85 KBOU 160327
RFWBOU

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
927 PM MDT FRI JUL 15 2016

...EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR CONDITIONS POSSIBLE SATURDAY AFTERNOON
AND EVENING IN THE MOUNTAINS AND HIGH VALLEYS OF NORTH CENTRAL
COLORADO...

.VERY WARM TEMPERATURES...GUSTY SURFACE WINDS AND VERY LOW
RELATIVE HUMIDITIES MAY RESULT IN EXTREME WILDLAND FIRE BEHAVIOR.
RAPID FIRE GROWTH AND FIRE SPREAD MAY OCCUR DURING THE AFTERNOON
AND EVENING HOURS ON SATURDAY.

COZ211>214-217-218-161800-
/O.CON.KBOU.FW.W.0017.160716T1800Z-160717T0300Z/
JACKSON COUNTY BELOW 9000 FEET-
SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST GRAND/WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST BOULDER/
GILPIN/CLEAR CREEK/SUMMIT/NORTH AND WEST PARK COUNTIES ABOVE
9000 FEET-GRAND AND SUMMIT COUNTIES BELOW 9000 FEET-
CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PARK COUNTY-
WEST JACKSON AND WEST GRAND COUNTIES ABOVE 9000 FEET-
SOUTH AND EAST JACKSON/LARIMER/NORTH AND NORTHEAST GRAND/
NORTHWEST BOULDER COUNTIES ABOVE 9000 FEET-
927 PM MDT FRI JUL 15 2016

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TO 9 PM MDT
SATURDAY FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR MOUNTAINS AND
HIGH VALLEYS OF NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO...

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 211...212...213...214... 
  217 AND 218.

* TIMING...FROM 1200 MDT TO 2100 MDT ON SATURDAY.

* WINDS...WEST 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 12 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS...GUSTY SURFACE WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY COULD 
  CAUSE ANY EXISTING OR NEW WILDFIRES TO SPREAD RAPIDLY. VERY 
  WARM TEMPERATURES AND AN UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE MAY ALSO RESULT 
  IN RAPID FIRE GROWTH AND DANGEROUS FIRE BEHAVIOR.

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.

&&

$$

581 
WWUS85 KBOU 161035
RFWBOU

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
435 AM MDT SAT JUL 16 2016

...EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR CONDITIONS POSSIBLE SATURDAY AFTERNOON
AND EVENING IN THE MOUNTAINS AND HIGH VALLEYS OF NORTH CENTRAL
COLORADO...

.VERY WARM TEMPERATURES...GUSTY SURFACE WINDS AND VERY LOW
RELATIVE HUMIDITIES MAY RESULT IN EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR. RAPID
FIRE GROWTH AND FIRE SPREAD MAY OCCUR DURING THE AFTERNOON AND
EVENING HOURS ON SATURDAY. IN ADDITION...THERE IS A SLIGHT 
CHANCE OF A HIGH BASED DRY THUNDERSTORM NEAR THE WYOMING BORDER
THIS AFTERNOON WITH NEW FIRE STARTS POSSIBLE. 

COZ211>214-217-218-162300-
/O.CON.KBOU.FW.W.0017.160716T1800Z-160717T0300Z/
JACKSON COUNTY BELOW 9000 FEET-
SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST GRAND/WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST BOULDER/
GILPIN/CLEAR CREEK/SUMMIT/NORTH AND WEST PARK COUNTIES ABOVE
9000 FEET-GRAND AND SUMMIT COUNTIES BELOW 9000 FEET-
CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PARK COUNTY-
WEST JACKSON AND WEST GRAND COUNTIES ABOVE 9000 FEET-
SOUTH AND EAST JACKSON/LARIMER/NORTH AND NORTHEAST GRAND/
NORTHWEST BOULDER COUNTIES ABOVE 9000 FEET-
435 AM MDT SAT JUL 16 2016

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 9 PM MDT
THIS EVENING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR MOUNTAINS AND
HIGH VALLEYS OF NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO...

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 211...212...213...214... 
  217 AND 218.

* TIMING...FROM 1200 MDT TO 2100 MDT TODAY.

* WINDS...WEST WINDS INCREASING TO 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS AROUND
  30 MPH BY AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL SLOWLY DECREASE DURING THE
  EVENING.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...9 TO 16 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS...GUSTY SURFACE WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY COULD
  CAUSE ANY EXISTING OR NEW WILDFIRES TO SPREAD RAPIDLY. VERY WARM
  TEMPERATURES AND AN UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE MAY ALSO RESULT IN RAPID
  FIRE GROWTH AND DANGEROUS FIRE BEHAVIOR. AN ISOLATED HIGH BASED
  THUNDERSTORM WITH GUSTY WINDS AND DRY LIGHTNING IS POSSIBLE NEAR
  THE WYOMING BORDER THIS AFTERNOON.

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.

&&

$$

760 
WWUS85 KBOU 162029
RFWBOU

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
229 PM MDT SAT JUL 16 2016

...EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING IN
THE MOUNTAINS AND HIGH VALLEYS OF NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO...

.VERY WARM TEMPERATURES...GUSTY SURFACE WINDS AND VERY LOW
RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL RESULT IN EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR. RAPID
FIRE GROWTH AND FIRE SPREAD MAY OCCUR DURING THE AFTERNOON AND
EVENING HOURS. IN ADDITION...THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF A HIGH
BASED DRY THUNDERSTORM NEAR THE WYOMING BORDER THIS AFTERNOON WITH
NEW FIRE STARTS POSSIBLE.

COZ211>214-217-218-170300-
/O.CON.KBOU.FW.W.0017.000000T0000Z-160717T0300Z/
JACKSON COUNTY BELOW 9000 FEET-
SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST GRAND/WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST BOULDER/
GILPIN/CLEAR CREEK/SUMMIT/NORTH AND WEST PARK COUNTIES ABOVE
9000 FEET-GRAND AND SUMMIT COUNTIES BELOW 9000 FEET-
CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PARK COUNTY-
WEST JACKSON AND WEST GRAND COUNTIES ABOVE 9000 FEET-
SOUTH AND EAST JACKSON/LARIMER/NORTH AND NORTHEAST GRAND/
NORTHWEST BOULDER COUNTIES ABOVE 9000 FEET-
229 PM MDT SAT JUL 16 2016

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING
FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR MOUNTAINS AND HIGH VALLEYS
OF NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO...

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 211...212...213...214... 
  217 AND 218.

* TIMING...FROM 1200 MDT TO 2100 MDT TODAY.

* WINDS...WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO
  35 MPH.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 4 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS...GUSTY SURFACE WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY COULD 
  CAUSE ANY EXISTING OR NEW WILDFIRES TO SPREAD RAPIDLY. VERY 
  WARM TEMPERATURES AND AN UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE MAY ALSO RESULT 
  IN RAPID FIRE GROWTH AND DANGEROUS FIRE BEHAVIOR. AN ISOLATED 
  HIGH BASED THUNDERSTORM WITH GUSTY WINDS AND DRY LIGHTNING IS 
  POSSIBLE NEAR THE WYOMING BORDER THIS AFTERNOON.

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.

&&

$$

062 
WWUS85 KBOU 170253
RFWBOU

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
853 PM MDT SAT JUL 16 2016

COZ211>214-217-218-170400-
/O.EXP.KBOU.FW.W.0017.000000T0000Z-160717T0300Z/
JACKSON COUNTY BELOW 9000 FEET-
SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST GRAND/WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST BOULDER/
GILPIN/CLEAR CREEK/SUMMIT/NORTH AND WEST PARK COUNTIES ABOVE
9000 FEET-GRAND AND SUMMIT COUNTIES BELOW 9000 FEET-
CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PARK COUNTY-
WEST JACKSON AND WEST GRAND COUNTIES ABOVE 9000 FEET-
SOUTH AND EAST JACKSON/LARIMER/NORTH AND NORTHEAST GRAND/
NORTHWEST BOULDER COUNTIES ABOVE 9000 FEET-
853 PM MDT SAT JUL 16 2016

...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR WIND
AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR THE MOUNTAINS AND HIGH VALLEYS OF
NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO...

WINDS HAVE DECREASED AND RELATIVE HUMIDITIES HAVE CLIMBED ABOVE 15
PERCENT. THEREFORE THE RED FLAG WARNING WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE. 

$$

The office that day

Everything else NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 14, 6:33 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	BOU	Elbert	42 min
Jul 14, 6:39 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BOU	Elbert	30 min
Jul 14, 7:23 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BOU	Elbert	18 min
Jul 15, 2:50 AM MDT	Fire Weather Watch	BOU	Grand, Jackson, Summit	12 hr
Jul 15, 4:07 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	BOU	Douglas	23 min
Jul 15, 4:22 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	BOU	Broomfield	23 min
Jul 15, 5:04 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BOU	Arapahoe, Denver	26 min
Jul 15, 5:30 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BOU	Arapahoe, Denver	30 min
Jul 15, 5:50 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	BOU	Douglas	25 min

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Colorado, 2016 Every 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.