Alert archive / Massachusetts / Red Flag Warnings in 2016

Red Flag Warning 1, NWS Boston/Norton, MA

April 16, 201610 counties in Massachusetts; 5 counties in Rhode Island

NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued this red flag warning at Apr 16, 2016, 4:01 AM EDT for 10 counties in Massachusetts; 5 counties in Rhode Island. It took effect at Apr 16, 2016, 10:00 AM EDT. It was in force for 8 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 16, 2016, 4:01 AM EDT (08:01 UTC)
In effect from
Apr 16, 2016, 10:00 AM EDT
Expired
Apr 16, 2016, 5:49 PM EDT
In force
8 hr
Issued by
NWS Boston/Norton, MA

Counties Barnstable County, MA, Bristol County, MA, Dukes County, MA, Essex County, MA, Middlesex County, MA, Nantucket County, MA, Norfolk County, MA, Plymouth County, MA, Suffolk County, MA, Worcester County, MA, Bristol County, RI, Kent County, RI, Newport County, RI, Providence County, RI, Washington County, RI

The radar

The Boston radar (KBOX), 9 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:00 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

Chatham, MA (KCHH), launched 00:00Z, 8.0 hours before the alert went out and 97 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, Chatham, MA at 00:00Z on 2016-04-16Temperature 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, Chatham, MA at 00:00Z on 2016-04-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 1 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
2615 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
30 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
1 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-2 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

290 
WWUS81 KBOX 160801
RFWBOX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
401 AM EDT SAT APR 16 2016

MAZ004>007-012>024-026-RIZ001>008-161615-
/O.UPG.KBOX.FW.A.0001.160416T1400Z-160416T2200Z/
/O.NEW.KBOX.FW.W.0001.160416T1400Z-160416T2200Z/
NORTHERN WORCESTER MA-CENTRAL MIDDLESEX MA-WESTERN ESSEX MA-
EASTERN ESSEX MA-SOUTHERN WORCESTER MA-WESTERN NORFOLK MA-
SOUTHEAST MIDDLESEX MA-SUFFOLK MA-EASTERN NORFOLK MA-
NORTHERN BRISTOL MA-WESTERN PLYMOUTH MA-EASTERN PLYMOUTH MA-
SOUTHERN BRISTOL MA-SOUTHERN PLYMOUTH MA-BARNSTABLE MA-DUKES MA-
NANTUCKET MA-NORTHERN MIDDLESEX MA-NORTHWEST PROVIDENCE RI-
SOUTHEAST PROVIDENCE RI-WESTERN KENT RI-EASTERN KENT RI-
BRISTOL RI-WASHINGTON RI-NEWPORT RI-BLOCK ISLAND RI-
401 AM EDT SAT APR 16 2016

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM EDT
THIS EVENING FOR DRY CONDITIONS AND GUSTY WINDS FOR EASTERN
MASSACHUSETTS AND ALL OF RHODE ISLAND...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING FOR VERY DRY CONDITIONS AND GUSTY WINDS...WHICH IS IN
EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM EDT THIS EVENING. THE FIRE
WEATHER WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* AFFECTED AREA...CENTRAL AND EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS AND ALL OF
  RHODE ISLAND.

* WINDS...NORTHEAST 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH.

* TIMING...MID MORNING INTO EARLY EVENING.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...MINIMUM AFTERNOON RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES
  COULD DROP INTO THE TEENS ACROSS THE WARNING AREA...WITH 25-40
  PERCENT POSSIBLE ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST..

* TEMPERATURES...MAINLY IN THE MID 50S TO LOW 60S BY THIS
  AFTERNOON.

* WIND...FREQUENT NORTHEAST WIND GUSTS OF 20 TO 30 MPH...BUT 
  BETWEEN 30 AND 40 MPH ACROSS THE CAPE AND ISLANDS.

* IMPACTS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES...GUSTY WINDS IN PRE- 
  GREEN UP WILL RESULT IN AN ELEVATED FIRE SPREAD POTENTIAL.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY.  ANY FIRES THAT START
MAY SPREAD RAPIDLY AND BECOME DIFFICULT TO EXTINGUISH.

&&

$$
2 follow-up statements
502 
WWUS81 KBOX 161503
RFWBOX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
1103 AM EDT SAT APR 16 2016

MAZ004>007-012>024-026-RIZ001>008-162200-
/O.CON.KBOX.FW.W.0001.000000T0000Z-160416T2200Z/
NORTHERN WORCESTER MA-CENTRAL MIDDLESEX MA-WESTERN ESSEX MA-
EASTERN ESSEX MA-SOUTHERN WORCESTER MA-WESTERN NORFOLK MA-
SOUTHEAST MIDDLESEX MA-SUFFOLK MA-EASTERN NORFOLK MA-
NORTHERN BRISTOL MA-WESTERN PLYMOUTH MA-EASTERN PLYMOUTH MA-
SOUTHERN BRISTOL MA-SOUTHERN PLYMOUTH MA-BARNSTABLE MA-DUKES MA-
NANTUCKET MA-NORTHERN MIDDLESEX MA-NORTHWEST PROVIDENCE RI-
SOUTHEAST PROVIDENCE RI-WESTERN KENT RI-EASTERN KENT RI-
BRISTOL RI-WASHINGTON RI-NEWPORT RI-BLOCK ISLAND RI-
1103 AM EDT SAT APR 16 2016

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM EDT THIS EVENING
FOR DRY CONDITIONS AND GUSTY WINDS FOR EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS AND
ALL OF RHODE ISLAND...

* AFFECTED AREA...CENTRAL AND EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS AND ALL OF 
  RHODE ISLAND. 

* WINDS...NORTHEAST 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH...EXCEPT
  25 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH ON CAPE COD...NANTUCKET
  AND MARTHAS VINEYARD.

* TIMING...THROUGH THIS EVENING.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITIES...MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL
  LIKELY DROP TO 15 TO 20 PERCENT ACROSS THE WARNING AREA...
  EXCEPT 25 TO 45 PERCENT ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST.

* TEMPERATURES...RANGING FROM 45 TO 50 ALONG THE EAST COAST OF
  MASSACHUSETTS TO THE LOWER 60S BY THIS AFTERNOON.

* IMPACTS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES...GUSTY WINDS IN PRE- 
  GREEN UP WILL RESULT IN AN ELEVATED FIRE SPREAD POTENTIAL.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY.  ANY FIRES THAT START
MAY SPREAD RAPIDLY AND BECOME DIFFICULT TO EXTINGUISH.

&&

$$
737 
WWUS81 KBOX 162149
RFWBOX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
549 PM EDT SAT APR 16 2016

MAZ004>007-012>024-026-RIZ001>008-162300-
/O.CAN.KBOX.FW.W.0001.000000T0000Z-160416T2200Z/
NORTHERN WORCESTER MA-CENTRAL MIDDLESEX MA-WESTERN ESSEX MA-
EASTERN ESSEX MA-SOUTHERN WORCESTER MA-WESTERN NORFOLK MA-
SOUTHEAST MIDDLESEX MA-SUFFOLK MA-EASTERN NORFOLK MA-
NORTHERN BRISTOL MA-WESTERN PLYMOUTH MA-EASTERN PLYMOUTH MA-
SOUTHERN BRISTOL MA-SOUTHERN PLYMOUTH MA-BARNSTABLE MA-DUKES MA-
NANTUCKET MA-NORTHERN MIDDLESEX MA-NORTHWEST PROVIDENCE RI-
SOUTHEAST PROVIDENCE RI-WESTERN KENT RI-EASTERN KENT RI-
BRISTOL RI-WASHINGTON RI-NEWPORT RI-BLOCK ISLAND RI-
549 PM EDT SAT APR 16 2016

...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 6 PM FOR CENTRAL AND EASTERN
MASSACHUSETTS AS WELL AS ALL OF RHODE ISLAND...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON WILL ALLOW THE RED FLAG
WARNING TO EXPIRE ON TIME AT 6 PM. WINDS WERE GRADUALLY
DIMINISHING AND TEMPERATURES WILL BEGIN TO QUICKLY DROP WITH
SUNSET...ALLOWING RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES TO RISE.  

$$

FRANK

The office that day

Everything else NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 16, 4:02 AM EDTWind AdvisoryBOXNantucket15 hr

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Massachusetts, 2016Red Flag Warnings in Rhode Island, 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.