Alert archive / North Dakota / Red Flag Warnings in 2016

Red Flag Warning 3, NWS Grand Forks, ND

May 3, 201617 counties in North Dakota; 17 counties in Minnesota

NWS Grand Forks, ND issued this red flag warning at May 3, 2016, 5:41 AM CDT for 17 counties in North Dakota; 17 counties in Minnesota. It took effect at May 3, 2016, 12:00 PM CDT. 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
May 3, 2016, 5:41 AM CDT (10:41 UTC)
In effect from
May 3, 2016, 12:00 PM CDT
Expired
May 3, 2016, 8:00 PM CDT
In force
8 hr
Issued by
NWS Grand Forks, ND
All 34 counties

Becker County, MN, Beltrami County, MN, Clay County, MN, Clearwater County, MN, Grant County, MN, Hubbard County, MN, Kittson County, MN, Mahnomen County, MN, Marshall County, MN, Norman County, MN, Otter Tail County, MN, Pennington County, MN, Polk County, MN, Red Lake County, MN, Roseau County, MN, Wadena County, MN, Wilkin County, MN, Barnes County, ND, Benson County, ND, Cass County, ND, Cavalier County, ND, Eddy County, ND, Grand Forks County, ND, Griggs County, ND, Nelson County, ND, Pembina County, ND, Ramsey County, ND, Ransom County, ND, Richland County, ND, Sargent County, ND, Steele County, ND, Towner County, ND, Traill County, ND, Walsh County, ND

The radar

The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 27 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 10:44 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

Bismarck Municip, ND (KBIS), launched 00:00Z, 10.7 hours before the alert went out and 295 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, Bismarck Municip, ND at 00:00Z on 2016-05-03Temperature 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, Bismarck Municip, ND at 00:00Z on 2016-05-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 37 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
2027 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
54 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
37 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
149 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

218 
WWUS83 KFGF 031041
RFWFGF

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
541 AM CDT TUE MAY 3 2016

MNZ001>003-013>016-022-023-027>031-040-040100-
/O.UPG.KFGF.FW.A.0001.160503T1700Z-160504T0100Z/
/O.NEW.KFGF.FW.W.0003.160503T1700Z-160504T0100Z/
WEST POLK-NORMAN-CLAY-PENNINGTON-RED LAKE-EAST POLK-
NORTH CLEARWATER-MAHNOMEN-SOUTH CLEARWATER-WEST BECKER-
EAST BECKER-WILKIN-WEST OTTER TAIL-EAST OTTER TAIL-GRANT-
541 AM CDT TUE MAY 3 2016

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM CDT THIS
EVENING FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES FOR PORTIONS OF
NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND FORKS HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT
FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING. THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH
IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* AFFECTED AREA...IN MINNESOTA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 001...002... 
  003...013...014...015...016...022...023...027...028...029...
  030... 031 AND 040.

* WINDS...NORTH 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH.

* TIMING...AFTERNOON INTO EARLY EVENING.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 24 PERCENT.

* TEMPERATURES...IN THE MID 60S.

* IMPACTS...ANY FIRES THAT DEVELOP WILL LIKELY SPREAD RAPIDLY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FIRE WEATHER WATCH MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE POSSIBLE. LISTEN FOR LATER FORECASTS AND POSSIBLE RED FLAG
WARNINGS.

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.

&&

$$

MNZ017-024-032-NDZ006>008-014>016-024-026>030-038-039-049-052>054-
040100-
/O.NEW.KFGF.FW.W.0003.160503T1700Z-160504T0100Z/
SOUTH BELTRAMI-HUBBARD-WADENA-TOWNER-CAVALIER-PEMBINA-BENSON-
RAMSEY-EASTERN WALSH COUNTY-EDDY-NELSON-GRAND FORKS-GRIGGS-STEELE-
TRAILL-BARNES-CASS-RANSOM-SARGENT-RICHLAND-WESTERN WALSH COUNTY-
541 AM CDT TUE MAY 3 2016

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM CDT THIS
EVENING FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN
NORTH DAKOTA AND PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND FORKS HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES...WHICH IS IN EFFECT
FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING.

* AFFECTED AREA...IN MINNESOTA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 017...024 
  AND 032. IN NORTH DAKOTA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 006...007...
  008...014... 015...016...024...026...027...028...029...030...
  038...039...049... 052...053 AND 054.

* WINDS...NORTH 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH.

* TIMING...AFTERNOON INTO EARLY EVENING.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 20 PERCENT.

* TEMPERATURES...IN THE UPPER 60S.

* IMPACTS...ANY FIRES THAT DEVELOP WILL LIKELY SPREAD RAPIDLY.

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.

&&

$$
2 follow-up statements
541 
WWUS83 KFGF 031710
RFWFGF

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
1210 PM CDT TUE MAY 3 2016

MNZ004-005-007-008-040100-
/O.EXA.KFGF.FW.W.0003.000000T0000Z-160504T0100Z/
KITTSON-ROSEAU-WEST MARSHALL-EAST MARSHALL-
1210 PM CDT TUE MAY 3 2016

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR
GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES FOR NORTHWESTERN
MINNESOTA...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND FORKS HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES...WHICH IS IN EFFECT
UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING.

* AFFECTED AREA...IN MINNESOTA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 004...005... 
  007 AND 008.

* WINDS...NORTH 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH.

* TIMING...AFTERNOON INTO EARLY EVENING.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 24 PERCENT.

* TEMPERATURES...IN THE MID 60S.

* IMPACTS...ANY FIRES THAT DEVELOP WILL LIKELY SPREAD RAPIDLY.

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.

&&

$$

MNZ001>003-013>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-024-
026>030-038-039-049-052>054-040100-
/O.CON.KFGF.FW.W.0003.000000T0000Z-160504T0100Z/
WEST POLK-NORMAN-CLAY-PENNINGTON-RED LAKE-EAST POLK-
NORTH CLEARWATER-SOUTH BELTRAMI-MAHNOMEN-SOUTH CLEARWATER-HUBBARD-
WEST BECKER-EAST BECKER-WILKIN-WEST OTTER TAIL-EAST OTTER TAIL-
WADENA-GRANT-TOWNER-CAVALIER-PEMBINA-BENSON-RAMSEY-
EASTERN WALSH COUNTY-EDDY-NELSON-GRAND FORKS-GRIGGS-STEELE-TRAILL-
BARNES-CASS-RANSOM-SARGENT-RICHLAND-WESTERN WALSH COUNTY-
1210 PM CDT TUE MAY 3 2016

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING
FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST AND
WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

* AFFECTED AREA...IN MINNESOTA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 001...002... 
  003...013...014...015...016...017...022...023...024...027...
  028... 029...030...031...032 AND 040. IN NORTH DAKOTA...FIRE 
  WEATHER ZONES 006...007...008...014...015...016...024...026...
  027...028... 029...030...038...039...049...052...053 AND 054.

* WINDS...NORTH 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH.

* TIMING...AFTERNOON INTO EARLY EVENING.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 21 PERCENT.

* TEMPERATURES...IN THE MID 60S.

* IMPACTS...ANY FIRES THAT DEVELOP WILL LIKELY SPREAD RAPIDLY.

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.

&&

$$

JR
903 
WWUS83 KFGF 040053
RFWFGF

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
753 PM CDT TUE MAY 3 2016

MNZ001>005-007-008-013>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-
024-026>030-038-039-049-052>054-040200-
/O.EXP.KFGF.FW.W.0003.000000T0000Z-160504T0100Z/
WEST POLK-NORMAN-CLAY-KITTSON-ROSEAU-WEST MARSHALL-EAST MARSHALL-
PENNINGTON-RED LAKE-EAST POLK-NORTH CLEARWATER-SOUTH BELTRAMI-
MAHNOMEN-SOUTH CLEARWATER-HUBBARD-WEST BECKER-EAST BECKER-WILKIN-
WEST OTTER TAIL-EAST OTTER TAIL-WADENA-GRANT-TOWNER-CAVALIER-
PEMBINA-BENSON-RAMSEY-EASTERN WALSH COUNTY-EDDY-NELSON-
GRAND FORKS-GRIGGS-STEELE-TRAILL-BARNES-CASS-RANSOM-SARGENT-
RICHLAND-WESTERN WALSH COUNTY-
753 PM CDT TUE MAY 3 2016

...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR GUSTY
WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES FOR EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND
MOST OF NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

CONDITIONS HAVE EASED BELOW CRITICAL VALUES AND THE RED FLAG
WARNING IS ALLOWED TO EXPIRE AT 800 PM CDT. 

$$
WJB

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in North Dakota, 2016Red Flag Warnings in Minnesota, 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.