Alert archive / California / Red Flag Warnings in 2016
Red Flag Warning 2, NWS San Francisco Bay Area, CA
NWS San Francisco Bay Area, CA issued this red flag warning at Sep 20, 2016, 12:40 PM PDT for Monterey County, California. It took effect at Sep 21, 2016, 3:00 PM PDT. It was in force for 30 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
- Sep 20, 2016, 12:40 PM PDT (19:40 UTC)
- In effect from
- Sep 21, 2016, 3:00 PM PDT
- Expired
- Sep 22, 2016, 9:00 PM PDT
- In force
- 30 hr
- Issued by
- NWS San Francisco Bay Area, CA
County Monterey County, CA
The radar
The San Francisco radar (KMUX), 115 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:40 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
Vandenberg AFB, CA (KVBG), launched 12:00Z, 7.7 hours before the alert went out and 183 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1346 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 5 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -59 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 29 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted.
985 WWUS86 KMTR 201940 RFWMTR URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN FRANCISCO CA 1240 PM PDT TUE SEP 20 2016 ...DRY COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE TO BRING STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS TO THE SOBERANES FIRE... .A DRY COLD FRONT WILL REACH MONTEREY COUNTY STARTING WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. TYPICAL AFTERNOON ONSHORE WINDS WILL START TO BE ENHANCED AS THE FRONT APPROACHES. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL OCCUR OVERNIGHT WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE OVER THE RIDGES ABOVE 3000 FEET NEAR CHEWS RIDGE AND TASSAJARA ROAD WHERE GUSTS FROM 35-40 MPH WILL BE COMMON BY THURSDAY MORNING. STRONG AND GUSTY NORTHERLY RIDGE TOP WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY THURSDAY BEFORE GRADUALLY DIMINISHING THURSDAY EVENING. EVEN THOUGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE COOL WITH SLIGHTLY HIGHER HUMIDITY ON THURSDAY...WINDS OF THIS MAGNITUDE WILL CREATE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. CAZ517-211200- /O.NEW.KMTR.FW.W.0002.160921T2200Z-160923T0400Z/ SANTA LUCIA MOUNTAINS AND LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST- 1240 PM PDT TUE SEP 20 2016 ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM WEDNESDAY TO 9 PM PDT THURSDAY FOR STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONE 517... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SAN FRANCISCO HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM WEDNESDAY TO 9 PM PDT THURSDAY. * AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 517 WHICH INCLUDES THE SOBERANES WILDFIRE AND THE MONTEREY RANGER DISTRICT OF THE LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST. * WIND...WEST TO NORTHWEST 10-20 MPH LATE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON BECOMING NORTHWEST AND INCREASING WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING WHEN RIDGE LEVEL WIND GUSTS FROM 35-40 MPH ARE FORECAST. * HUMIDITY...GOOD RECOVERY BELOW 2000 FEET BUT CONTINUED VERY DRY ABOVE 2500 FEET WITH HUMIDITY GENERALLY 20-30% * HIGHEST THREAT...IS FOR ACTIVE FIRE AREAS ON THE SOBERANES FIRE. NIGHT OPERATIONS WILL BE ADVERSELY IMPACTED WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS EXPECTED DURING THE PRE-DAWN HOURS OF THURSDAY. EXCESSIVE SMOKE AND STRONG WINDS WILL LIKELY IMPACT AIR OPERATIONS THURSDAY MORNING. * IMPACTS...ANY EXISTING AND NEW SPOT 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 DROUGHT STRESSED FUELS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR. && $$ RWALBRUN
5 follow-up statements
454 WWUS86 KMTR 211028 RFWMTR URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN FRANCISCO CA 328 AM PDT WED SEP 21 2016 ...DRY COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE TO BRING STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS TO THE SOBERANES FIRE... .A DRY COLD FRONT WILL REACH MONTEREY COUNTY STARTING THIS AFTERNOON. NORTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE AS THE FRONT APPROACHES THIS AFTERNOON. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL OCCUR WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE OVER THE RIDGES ABOVE 3000 FEET NEAR CHEWS RIDGE AND TASSAJARA ROAD WHERE GUSTS FROM 35-40 MPH WILL BE COMMON BY THURSDAY MORNING. STRONG AND GUSTY NORTHERLY RIDGE TOP WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY THURSDAY BEFORE GRADUALLY DIMINISHING THURSDAY EVENING. EVEN THOUGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE COOL WITH SLIGHTLY HIGHER HUMIDITY ON THURSDAY...WINDS OF THIS MAGNITUDE WILL CREATE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. CAZ517-211800- /O.CON.KMTR.FW.W.0002.160921T2200Z-160923T0400Z/ SANTA LUCIA MOUNTAINS AND LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST- 328 AM PDT WED SEP 21 2016 ...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 9 PM PDT THURSDAY FOR STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONE 517... * AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 517 WHICH INCLUDES THE SOBERANES WILDFIRE AND THE MONTEREY RANGER DISTRICT OF THE LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST. * WIND...WEST TO NORTHWEST 10-20 MPH LATE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON BECOMING NORTHWEST AND INCREASING WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING WHEN RIDGE LEVEL WIND GUSTS FROM 35-40 MPH ARE FORECAST. * HUMIDITY...GOOD RECOVERY BELOW 2000 FEET BUT CONTINUED VERY DRY ABOVE 2500 FEET WITH HUMIDITY GENERALLY 20-30% * HIGHEST THREAT...IS FOR ACTIVE FIRE AREAS ON THE SOBERANES FIRE. NIGHT OPERATIONS WILL BE ADVERSELY IMPACTED WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS EXPECTED DURING THE PRE-DAWN HOURS OF THURSDAY. EXCESSIVE SMOKE AND STRONG WINDS WILL LIKELY IMPACT AIR OPERATIONS THURSDAY MORNING. * IMPACTS...ANY EXISTING AND NEW SPOT 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 DROUGHT STRESSED FUELS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR. && $$
341 WWUS86 KMTR 211804 RFWMTR URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN FRANCISCO CA 1104 AM PDT WED SEP 21 2016 ...DRY COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE TO BRING STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS TO THE SOBERANES FIRE... .A DRY COLD FRONT WILL REACH MONTEREY COUNTY THIS AFTERNOON WITH INCREASING NORTHWEST WINDS. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL OCCUR OVERNIGHT INTO THURSDAY. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE OVER THE RIDGES ABOVE 3000 FEET NEAR CHEWS RIDGE AND TASSAJARA ROAD WHERE GUSTS FROM 35-40 MPH WILL BE COMMON BY THURSDAY MORNING. STRONG AND GUSTY NORTHERLY RIDGE TOP WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY THURSDAY BEFORE GRADUALLY DIMINISHING THURSDAY EVENING. EVEN THOUGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE COOL WITH SLIGHTLY HIGHER HUMIDITY ON THURSDAY...WINDS OF THIS MAGNITUDE WILL CREATE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. CAZ517-221130- /O.CON.KMTR.FW.W.0002.160921T2200Z-160923T0400Z/ SANTA LUCIA MOUNTAINS AND LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST- 1104 AM PDT WED SEP 21 2016 ...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 9 PM PDT THURSDAY FOR STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONE 517... * AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 517 WHICH INCLUDES THE SOBERANES WILDFIRE AND THE MONTEREY RANGER DISTRICT OF THE LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST. * WIND...WEST TO NORTHWEST 10-20 MPH LATE THIS AFTERNOON BECOMING NORTHWEST AND INCREASING OVERNIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING WHEN RIDGE LEVEL WIND GUSTS FROM 35-40 MPH ARE FORECAST. * HUMIDITY...GOOD RECOVERY BELOW 2000 FEET BUT CONTINUED VERY DRY ABOVE 2500 FEET WITH HUMIDITY GENERALLY 20-30% * HIGHEST THREAT...IS FOR ACTIVE FIRE AREAS ON THE SOBERANES FIRE. NIGHT OPERATIONS WILL BE ADVERSELY IMPACTED WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS EXPECTED DURING THE PRE-DAWN HOURS OF THURSDAY. EXCESSIVE SMOKE AND STRONG WINDS WILL LIKELY IMPACT AIR OPERATIONS THURSDAY MORNING. * IMPACTS...ANY EXISTING AND NEW SPOT 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 DROUGHT STRESSED FUELS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR. && $$
386 WWUS86 KMTR 221055 RFWMTR URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN FRANCISCO CA 355 AM PDT THU SEP 22 2016 ...STRONG AND GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS FORECAST ACROSS THE CENTRAL COAST AND SOBERANES FIRE... .STRONG AND GUSTY NORTHERLY RIDGE TOP WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TODAY BEFORE GRADUALLY DIMINISHING LATER THIS EVENING. EVEN THOUGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE COOL WITH SLIGHTLY HIGHER HUMIDITY VALUES TODAY...WINDS OF THIS MAGNITUDE WILL CREATE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. CAZ517-222200- /O.CON.KMTR.FW.W.0002.000000T0000Z-160923T0400Z/ SANTA LUCIA MOUNTAINS AND LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST- 355 AM PDT THU SEP 22 2016 ...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONE 517... * AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 517 WHICH INCLUDES THE SOBERANES WILDFIRE AND THE MONTEREY RANGER DISTRICT OF THE LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST. * WIND...WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS 15-25 MPH WITH RIDGE LEVEL WIND GUSTS FROM 35-40 MPH THROUGH THIS EVENING. * HUMIDITY...GOOD RECOVERY BELOW 2000 FEET BUT CONTINUED VERY DRY ABOVE 2500 FEET WITH HUMIDITY GENERALLY 20-30% * HIGHEST THREAT...IS FOR ACTIVE FIRE AREAS ON THE SOBERANES FIRE. NIGHT OPERATIONS WILL BE ADVERSELY IMPACTED WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS EXPECTED DURING THE PRE-DAWN HOURS. EXCESSIVE SMOKE AND STRONG WINDS WILL LIKELY IMPACT AIR OPERATIONS THIS MORNING. * IMPACTS...ANY EXISTING AND NEW SPOT FIRES THAT DEVELOP WILL LIKELY SPREAD RAPIDLY. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND DROUGHT STRESSED FUELS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR. && $$
571 WWUS86 KMTR 221930 RFWMTR URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN FRANCISCO CA 1230 PM PDT THU SEP 22 2016 ...STRONG AND GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS OVER THE SOBERANES FIRE... .STRONG AND GUSTY NORTHERLY RIDGE TOP WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THIS EVENING. EVEN THOUGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE COOL WITH HIGHER HUMIDITY VALUES TODAY...WINDS OF THIS MAGNITUDE WILL CREATE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. CAZ517-230400- /O.CON.KMTR.FW.W.0002.000000T0000Z-160923T0400Z/ SANTA LUCIA MOUNTAINS AND LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST- 1230 PM PDT THU SEP 22 2016 ...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONE 517... * AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 517 WHICH INCLUDES THE SOBERANES WILDFIRE AND THE MONTEREY RANGER DISTRICT OF THE LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST. * WIND...NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS 15-25 MPH WITH RIDGE LEVEL WIND GUSTS FROM 35-40 MPH THROUGH THIS EVENING. * HUMIDITY...HUMIDITY VALUES 25-40% THROUGH SUNSET. * IMPACTS...ANY EXISTING AND NEW SPOT 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 DROUGHT STRESSED FUELS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR. && $$
519 WWUS86 KMTR 230349 RFWMTR URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN FRANCISCO CA 849 PM PDT THU SEP 22 2016 CAZ517-230500- /O.EXP.KMTR.FW.W.0002.000000T0000Z-160923T0400Z/ SANTA LUCIA MOUNTAINS AND LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST- 849 PM PDT THU SEP 22 2016 ...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONE 517... GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS ACROSS THE RIDGE TOPS OF THE SANTA LUCIA RANGE AND LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST FIRE WILL PERSIST THROUGH TONIGHT...HOWEVER THEY ARE FORECAST TO GRADUALLY EASE OVERNIGHT. WITH RELATIVELY MOIST RH VALUES AND DECREASING WINDS CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO CONTINUE AND THE RED FLAG WARNING WILL BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE. $$ CW
The office that day
Everything else NWS San Francisco Bay Area, CA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 20, 2:35 PM PDT | Small Craft Advisory | MTR | 42 hr |
Nearby
Red Flag Warnings in California, 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.