Alert archive / Minnesota / Red Flag Warnings in 2016

Red Flag Warning 4, NWS Twin Cities, MN

May 6, 201621 counties in Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this red flag warning at May 6, 2016, 3:33 AM CDT for 21 counties in Minnesota. It took effect at May 6, 2016, 11:00 AM CDT. It was in force for 8 hr. 2 reports 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
May 6, 2016, 3:33 AM CDT (08:33 UTC)
In effect from
May 6, 2016, 11:00 AM CDT
Expired
May 6, 2016, 7:00 PM CDT
In force
8 hr
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN
All 21 counties

Anoka County, MN, Benton County, MN, Chippewa County, MN, Chisago County, MN, Douglas County, MN, Hennepin County, MN, Isanti County, MN, Kanabec County, MN, Kandiyohi County, MN, Meeker County, MN, Mille Lacs County, MN, Morrison County, MN, Pope County, MN, Ramsey County, MN, Sherburne County, MN, Stearns County, MN, Stevens County, MN, Swift County, MN, Todd County, MN, Washington County, MN, Wright County, MN

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 87 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:33 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 6, 6:35 PM CDTHAIL 0.75Mora, MNSMALL HAIL COVERING THE GROUND...SIZE OF THE TIP OF HER THUMB (PENNY)
May 6, 6:41 PM CDTHAIL 13 Ssw Mora, MN

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 00:00Z, 8.6 hours before the alert went out and 85 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, Minneapolis, MN at 00:00Z on 2016-05-06Temperature 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, Minneapolis, MN at 00:00Z on 2016-05-06The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 65 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
2933 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
32 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
65 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
252 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

636 
WWUS83 KMPX 060833
RFWMPX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
333 AM CDT FRI MAY 6 2016

...RED FLAG WARNING DUE TO A COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS AND LOW
HUMIDITY THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

.A RED FLAG WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR CENTRAL MINNESOTA LATE
THIS MORNING THROUGH THE AFTERNOON DUE TO LOW HUMIDITY LEVELS AND
STRONG WINDS. THE WARNING IS IN EFFECT ALONG AND NORTH OF A LINE
FROM MONTEVIDEO THROUGH MINNEAPOLIS. SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS AHEAD OF
AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT WILL INCREASE TO 15 TO 20 MPH WITH
GUSTS OF 25 MPH WILL DEVELOP BY THIS AFTERNOON. HUMIDITY LEVELS
ARE FORECAST TO DROP TO BETWEEN 20 AND 25 PERCENT AS TEMPERATURES
RISE INTO THE MID AND UPPER 80S. WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE NORTH THIS
EVENING AS THE FRONT PASSES. A FEW SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS ARE
POSSIBLE AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING FRONT LATE THIS AFTERNOON
THROUGH THE EVENING. COOLER TEMPERATURES AND HIGHER HUMIDITY
VALUES WILL FOLLOW THE PASSAGE OF THE FRONT.

MNZ041>045-047>053-055>063-061645-
/O.NEW.KMPX.FW.W.0004.160506T1600Z-160507T0000Z/
DOUGLAS-TODD-MORRISON-MILLE LACS-KANABEC-STEVENS-POPE-STEARNS-
BENTON-SHERBURNE-ISANTI-CHISAGO-SWIFT-CHIPPEWA-KANDIYOHI-MEEKER-
WRIGHT-HENNEPIN-ANOKA-RAMSEY-WASHINGTON-
333 AM CDT FRI MAY 6 2016

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 7 PM CDT
THIS EVENING FOR STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY FOR CENTRAL MN...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN HAS ISSUED
A RED FLAG WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO
7 PM CDT THIS EVENING.

* AFFECTED AREA...LOCATIONS ALONG AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM
  MONTEVIDEO TO MINNEAPOLIS.

* WIND...SOUTHWEST 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 25 MPH.

* HUMIDITY...BETWEEN 20 TO 25 PERCENT THIS AFTERNOON.

* TEMPERATURES...IN THE MIDDLE TO UPPER 80S.

* IMPACTS...ANY FIRES THAT DEVELOP WILL LIKELY SPREAD RAPIDLY. 
  OUTDOOR BURNING IS NOT RECOMMENDED.

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
311 
WWUS83 KMPX 061845
RFWMPX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
145 PM CDT FRI MAY 6 2016

...RED FLAG WARNING DUE TO A COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS AND LOW
HUMIDITY THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

.A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL MINNESOTA THIS
AFTERNOON DUE TO LOW HUMIDITY LEVELS AND STRONG WINDS. THE WARNING
IS IN EFFECT ALONG AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM MONTEVIDEO THROUGH
MINNEAPOLIS. SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD
FRONT BETWEEN 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 25 MPH ARE OCCURRING
THIS AFTERNOON. HUMIDITY LEVELS HAVE DROPPED BETWEEN 20 AND 30
PERCENT AS TEMPERATURES HAVE RISEN TO NEAR 90 DEGREES. WINDS WILL
SHIFT TO THE NORTH THIS EVENING AS THE FRONT PASSES. A FEW SHOWERS
OR THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING FRONT LATE
THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THE EVENING. COOLER TEMPERATURES AND HIGHER
HUMIDITY VALUES WILL FOLLOW THE PASSAGE OF THE FRONT.

MNZ041>045-047>053-055>063-070000-
/O.CON.KMPX.FW.W.0004.000000T0000Z-160507T0000Z/
DOUGLAS-TODD-MORRISON-MILLE LACS-KANABEC-STEVENS-POPE-STEARNS-
BENTON-SHERBURNE-ISANTI-CHISAGO-SWIFT-CHIPPEWA-KANDIYOHI-MEEKER-
WRIGHT-HENNEPIN-ANOKA-RAMSEY-WASHINGTON-
145 PM CDT FRI MAY 6 2016

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING
FOR STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY FOR CENTRAL MN...

* AFFECTED AREA...LOCATIONS ALONG AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM 
  MONTEVIDEO TO MINNEAPOLIS. 

* WIND...SOUTHWEST 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 25 MPH.

* HUMIDITY...BETWEEN 20 TO 30 PERCENT THIS AFTERNOON.

* TEMPERATURES...IN THE MIDDLE TO UPPER 80S.

* IMPACTS...ANY FIRES THAT DEVELOP WILL LIKELY SPREAD RAPIDLY. DO
  NOT BURN OUTDOORS TODAY.

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.

&&

$$
681 
WWUS83 KMPX 070001
RFWMPX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
701 PM CDT FRI MAY 6 2016

...RED FLAG WARNING HAS EXPIRED...

.THE RED FLAG WARNING HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE AT 700 PM CDT.

MNZ041>045-047>053-055>063-070115-
/O.EXP.KMPX.FW.W.0004.000000T0000Z-160507T0000Z/
DOUGLAS-TODD-MORRISON-MILLE LACS-KANABEC-STEVENS-POPE-STEARNS-
BENTON-SHERBURNE-ISANTI-CHISAGO-SWIFT-CHIPPEWA-KANDIYOHI-MEEKER-
WRIGHT-HENNEPIN-ANOKA-RAMSEY-WASHINGTON-
701 PM CDT FRI MAY 6 2016

...RED FLAG WARNING HAS EXPIRED FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES
041...042...043...044...045...047...048...049...
050...051...052...053...055...056...057...058...059...060...061...
062 AND 063...

TEMPERATURES HAVE COOLED OFF BEHIND THE FRONT AND HUMIDITY LEVELS
ARE INCREASING.

$$

JRB

The office that day

Everything else NWS Twin Cities, MN issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 6, 5:45 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXKanabec45 min
May 6, 6:36 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXIsanti24 min

Nearby

Red 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.