Alert archive / Colorado / Red Flag Warnings in 2016

Red Flag Warning 29, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO

October 22, 20167 counties in Colorado

NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued this red flag warning at Oct 22, 2016, 3:30 AM MDT for 7 counties in Colorado. It took effect at Oct 22, 2016, 11:00 AM MDT. 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
Oct 22, 2016, 3:30 AM MDT (09:30 UTC)
In effect from
Oct 22, 2016, 11:00 AM MDT
Expired
Oct 22, 2016, 6:00 PM MDT
In force
7 hr
Issued by
NWS Denver/Boulder, CO

Counties Boulder County, CO, Grand County, CO, Jackson County, CO, Larimer County, CO, Park County, CO, Summit County, CO, Weld County, CO

The radar

The Denver radar (KFTG), 101 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 09:31 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 00:00Z, 9.5 hours before the alert went out and 207 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, Denver, CO at 00:00Z on 2016-10-22Temperature 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 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Denver, CO at 00:00Z on 2016-10-22The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -3 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
4398 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
49 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-3 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
190 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

363 
WWUS85 KBOU 220930
RFWBOU

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
330 AM MDT SAT OCT 22 2016

COZ211-213>215-221800-
/O.NEW.KBOU.FW.W.0029.161022T1700Z-161023T0000Z/
JACKSON COUNTY BELOW 9000 FEET-
GRAND AND SUMMIT COUNTIES BELOW 9000 FEET-
CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PARK COUNTY-
LARIMER AND BOULDER COUNTIES BETWEEN 6000 AND 9000 FEET-
330 AM MDT SAT OCT 22 2016

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM MDT
THIS EVENING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR THE HIGH
MOUNTAIN VALLEYS AND NORTHERN FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS...FIRE
WEATHER ZONES 211...213...214...AND 215...

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 MDT THIS EVENING.

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 211...213...214 AND 215.

* TIMING...WINDS WILL INCREASE LATE THIS MORNING AND THEN CONTINUE
  THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. CONDITIONS WILL RAPIDLY IMPROVE BY
  SUNSET.

* WINDS...WEST 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS AROUND 30 MPH.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 11 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS...THE VERY DRY CONDITIONS AND GUSTY WINDS THIS AFTERNOON
  WOULD PROMOTE RAPID GROWTH OF ANY NEW OR EXISTING WILDFIRES. OPEN
  BURNING IS PROHIBITED ON RED FLAG DAYS.

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.

&&

$$
3 follow-up statements
238 
WWUS85 KBOU 221618
RFWBOU

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
1018 AM MDT SAT OCT 22 2016

...A STRONG LEE TROUGH IN ESTERN COLORADO IS KEEPING DRY
CONDITIONS AND AREAS OF GUSTY WINDS ACROSS THE STATE THIS
AFTERNOON...WITH WINDS DECREASING RAPIDLY THIS EVENING... 

COZ238-230000-
/O.EXA.KBOU.FW.W.0029.161022T1700Z-161023T0000Z/
LARIMER COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/NORTHWEST WELD COUNTY-
1018 AM MDT SAT OCT 22 2016

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR
WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR THE HIGH MOUNTAIN
VALLEYS...NORTHERN FOOTHILLS...AND NORTHERN URBAN COORIDOR...FIRE
ZONES 211...213...214...215...238...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DENVER HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT
UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING.

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 238.

* TIMING...WINDS WILL INCREASE LATE THIS MORNING AND THEN 
  CONTINUE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. CONDITIONS WILL RAPIDLY 
  IMPROVE BY SUNSET.

* WINDS...WEST 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS AROUND 30 MPH.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 11 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS...THE VERY DRY CONDITIONS AND GUSTY WINDS THIS 
  AFTERNOON WOULD PROMOTE RAPID GROWTH OF ANY NEW OR EXISTING 
  WILDFIRES. OPEN BURNING IS PROHIBITED ON RED FLAG DAYS.

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.

&&

$$

COZ211-213>215-230000-
/O.CON.KBOU.FW.W.0029.161022T1700Z-161023T0000Z/
JACKSON COUNTY BELOW 9000 FEET-
GRAND AND SUMMIT COUNTIES BELOW 9000 FEET-
CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PARK COUNTY-
LARIMER AND BOULDER COUNTIES BETWEEN 6000 AND 9000 FEET-
1018 AM MDT SAT OCT 22 2016

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING
FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR THE HIGH MOUNTAIN VALLEYS
AND NORTHERN FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 211...
213...214...AND 215...

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 211...213...214 AND 215.

* TIMING...WINDS WILL INCREASE LATE THIS MORNING AND THEN 
  CONTINUE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. CONDITIONS WILL RAPIDLY 
  IMPROVE BY SUNSET.

* WINDS...WEST 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS AROUND 30 MPH.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 11 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS...THE VERY DRY CONDITIONS AND GUSTY WINDS THIS 
  AFTERNOON WOULD PROMOTE RAPID GROWTH OF ANY NEW OR EXISTING 
  WILDFIRES. OPEN BURNING IS PROHIBITED ON RED FLAG DAYS.

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.

&&

$$
029 
WWUS85 KBOU 222143
RFWBOU

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
343 PM MDT SAT OCT 22 2016

...GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY WILL LINGER UNTIL 
THIS EVENING IN THE HIGH MOUNTAIN PARKS...THE NORTHERN FRONT
RANGE FOOTHILLS AND NEARBY PLAINS OF NORTHEAST COLORADO...

COZ211-213>215-238-230000-
/O.CON.KBOU.FW.W.0029.000000T0000Z-161023T0000Z/
JACKSON COUNTY BELOW 9000 FEET-
GRAND AND SUMMIT COUNTIES BELOW 9000 FEET-
CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PARK COUNTY-
LARIMER AND BOULDER COUNTIES BETWEEN 6000 AND 9000 FEET-
LARIMER COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/NORTHWEST WELD COUNTY-
343 PM MDT SAT OCT 22 2016

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM MDT TODAY FOR
GUSTY WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR THE HIGH MOUNTAIN
PARKS...THE NORTHERN FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS AND NEARBY PLAINS
...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 211...213...214...AND 215...

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 211...213...214...215 AND 
  238.

* TIMING...GUSTY WINDS WILL LINGER THROUGH LATE THIS AFTERNOON...
  WITH THE STRONGER WINDS EXPECTED ACROSS MIDDLE AND NORTH PARKS
  AND OVER THE FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS OF LARIMER AND BOULDER
  COUNTIES. LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY WILL ALSO LINGER UNTIL EARLY
  THIS EVENING. 

* WINDS...WEST-SOUTHWEST 15 TO 20 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS UP TO 30
  MPH IN FOOTHILL AREAS.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...ANYWHERE FROM 8 TO 16 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS...THE VERY DRY CONDITIONS AND GUSTY WINDS WILL PROMOTE
  THE RAPID GROWTH AND SPREAD OF ANY NEW OR EXISTING WILDFIRES.
  OPEN BURNING IS PROHIBITED UNDER RED FLAG CONDITIONS. 

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.

&&

$$
BAKER
142 
WWUS85 KBOU 222356
RFWBOU

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
556 PM MDT SAT OCT 22 2016

COZ211-213>215-238-230100-
/O.EXP.KBOU.FW.W.0029.000000T0000Z-161023T0000Z/
JACKSON COUNTY BELOW 9000 FEET-
GRAND AND SUMMIT COUNTIES BELOW 9000 FEET-
CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PARK COUNTY-
LARIMER AND BOULDER COUNTIES BETWEEN 6000 AND 9000 FEET-
LARIMER COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/NORTHWEST WELD COUNTY-
556 PM MDT SAT OCT 22 2016

...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR
GUSTY WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR THE HIGH MOUNTAIN
PARKS...THE NORTHERN FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS AND NEARBY PLAINS...
FIRE WEATHER ZONES 211...213...214...AND 215...

THE GUSTY WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO RAPIDLY DECREASE THROUGH THE
EVENING HOURS...WHILE HUMIDITY LEVELS INCREASE.

$$

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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.