Alert archive / Virginia / Red Flag Warnings in 2016

Red Flag Warning 1, NWS Blacksburg, VA

March 24, 201621 counties in Virginia

NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this red flag warning at Mar 24, 2016, 4:10 AM EDT for 21 counties in Virginia. It took effect at Mar 24, 2016, 10:00 AM EDT. It was in force for 10 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
Mar 24, 2016, 4:10 AM EDT (08:10 UTC)
In effect from
Mar 24, 2016, 10:00 AM EDT
Expired
Mar 24, 2016, 8:00 PM EDT
In force
10 hr
Issued by
NWS Blacksburg, VA
All 21 counties

Alleghany County, VA, Amherst County, VA, Appomattox County, VA, Bath County, VA, Bedford County, VA, Botetourt County, VA, Buckingham County, VA, Campbell County, VA, Charlotte County, VA, City of Danville, VA, City of Lynchburg, VA, City of Martinsville, VA, City of Roanoke, VA, City of Salem, VA, Craig County, VA, Franklin County, VA, Halifax County, VA, Henry County, VA, Pittsylvania County, VA, Roanoke County, VA, Rockbridge County, VA

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 73 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:07 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

Roanoke, VA (KRNK), launched 00:00Z, 8.2 hours before the alert went out and 7 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, Roanoke, VA at 00:00Z on 2016-03-24Temperature 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, Roanoke, VA at 00:00Z on 2016-03-24The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 120 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
2869 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
39 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
120 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
160 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

717 
WWUS81 KRNK 240810
RFWRNK

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
410 AM EDT THU MAR 24 2016

...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS EXPECTED NEAR THE VIRGINIA
BLUE RIDGE TODAY...

.VERY DRY FUELS WILL COMBINE WITH MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY
VALUES OF 25 TO 30 PERCENT AND SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 20 MPH
WITH HIGHER GUSTS WILL RESULT IN CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
FROM LATE THIS MORNING... AND THROUGH THE AFTERNOON INTO THE
EARLY EVENING HOURS. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION AFTER
SUNSET AND BRING INCREASED RELATIVE HUMIDITY ALONG WITH RAIN
SHOWERS.

VAZ018>020-022>024-033>035-043>047-058-059-241700-
/O.UPG.KRNK.FW.A.0001.160324T1400Z-160325T0000Z/
/O.NEW.KRNK.FW.W.0001.160324T1400Z-160325T0000Z/
CRAIG-ALLEGHANY VA-BATH-ROANOKE-BOTETOURT-ROCKBRIDGE-FRANKLIN-
BEDFORD-AMHERST-HENRY-PITTSYLVANIA-CAMPBELL-APPOMATTOX-BUCKINGHAM-
HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE-
410 AM EDT THU MAR 24 2016

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM EDT
THIS EVENING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR THE VIRGINIA
COUNTIES NEAR THE BLUE RIDGE.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT
FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING. THE FIRE
WEATHER WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* AFFECTED AREA...IN VIRGINIA...THE COUNTIES OF
  CRAIG...ALLEGHANY...BATH...ROANOKE...BOTETOURT...ROCKBRIDGE...
  FRANKLIN...BEDFORD...AMHERST...HENRY...PITTSYLVANIA...
  CAMPBELL...APPOMATTOX...BUCKINGHAM...HALIFAX...AND CHARLOTTE.

* WINDS...SOUTHWEST 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 25 TO 30 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS...RAPID SPREAD OF WILDLAND FIRE...ESPECIALLY DURING THE
  PEAK HEATING HOURS THIS AFTERNOON. THE STRONG WINDS WILL RESULT
  IN CONTROL PROBLEMS FOR EXISTING FIRES IN ADDITION TO INCREASED
  POTENTIAL FOR SPOTTING.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW....OR EXPECTED TO OCCUR. A COMBINATION
OF STRONG WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND WARM TEMPERATURES
CAN CONTRIBUTE TO EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR.

&&

$$

FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA/NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...
HTTP://WWW.ERH.NOAA.GOV/ER/RNK/EMER/EMER_FIRE.PHP (ALL LOWER CASE)
2 follow-up statements
859 
WWUS81 KRNK 241352
RFWRNK

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
952 AM EDT THU MAR 24 2016

...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS EXPECTED NEAR THE VIRGINIA
BLUE RIDGE TODAY...

.VERY DRY FUELS WILL COMBINE WITH MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY
VALUES OF 25 TO 30 PERCENT AND SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 20 MPH
WITH HIGHER GUSTS WILL RESULT IN CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
THROUGH THE AFTERNOON INTO THE EARLY EVENING HOURS. A COLD FRONT
WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION AFTER SUNSET AND BRING INCREASED
RELATIVE HUMIDITY ALONG WITH RAIN SHOWERS.

VAZ018>020-022>024-033>035-043>047-058-059-250000-
/O.CON.KRNK.FW.W.0001.160324T1400Z-160325T0000Z/
CRAIG-ALLEGHANY VA-BATH-ROANOKE-BOTETOURT-ROCKBRIDGE-FRANKLIN-
BEDFORD-AMHERST-HENRY-PITTSYLVANIA-CAMPBELL-APPOMATTOX-BUCKINGHAM-
HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE-
952 AM EDT THU MAR 24 2016

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING
FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR THE VIRGINIA COUNTIES NEAR
THE BLUE RIDGE.... 

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT
UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING. THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS NO LONGER
IN EFFECT. 

* AFFECTED AREA...IN VIRGINIA...THE COUNTIES OF CRAIG...
  ALLEGHANY...BATH...ROANOKE...BOTETOURT...ROCKBRIDGE... 
  FRANKLIN...BEDFORD...AMHERST...HENRY...PITTSYLVANIA...
  CAMPBELL...APPOMATTOX...BUCKINGHAM...HALIFAX...AND CHARLOTTE.

* WINDS...SOUTHWEST 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 25 TO 30 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS...RAPID SPREAD OF WILDLAND FIRE...ESPECIALLY DURING THE
  PEAK HEATING HOURS THIS AFTERNOON. THE STRONG WINDS WILL RESULT
  IN CONTROL PROBLEMS FOR EXISTING FIRES IN ADDITION TO INCREASED
  POTENTIAL FOR SPOTTING. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW....OR EXPECTED TO OCCUR. A COMBINATION
OF STRONG WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND WARM TEMPERATURES
CAN CONTRIBUTE TO EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR.

&&

$$

FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA/NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...
HTTP://WWW.ERH.NOAA.GOV/ER/RNK/EMER/EMER_FIRE.PHP (ALL LOWER CASE)
080 
WWUS81 KRNK 250014
RFWRNK

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
814 PM EDT THU MAR 24 2016

VAZ018>020-022>024-033>035-043>047-058-059-250115-
/O.EXP.KRNK.FW.W.0001.000000T0000Z-160325T0000Z/
CRAIG-ALLEGHANY VA-BATH-ROANOKE-BOTETOURT-ROCKBRIDGE-FRANKLIN-
BEDFORD-AMHERST-HENRY-PITTSYLVANIA-CAMPBELL-APPOMATTOX-BUCKINGHAM-
HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE-
814 PM EDT THU MAR 24 2016

...RED FLAG WARNING HAS EXPIRED FOR THE VIRGINIA PIEDMONT AND
AREAS NEAR THE BLUE RIDGE.

WINDS ARE SLOWLY DIMINISHING AND RELATIVE HUMIDITY LEVELS ARE
INCREASING ABOVE CRITICAL LEVELS. IN ADDITION...CLOUDS AND
MOISTURE ARE ON THE INCREASE AS A FRONTAL SYSTEM MOVES INTO THE
REGION FROM THE WEST. RAIN SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED LATER TONIGHT.
THUS...THE RED FLAG WARNING HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.

$$

FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA/NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...
HTTP://WWW.ERH.NOAA.GOV/ER/RNK/EMER/EMER_FIRE.PHP (ALL LOWER CASE)

RAB

The office that day

Everything else NWS Blacksburg, VA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 23, 10:12 PM EDTFire Weather WatchRNKAlleghany, Amherst, Appomattox, Bath, Bedford, Botetourt and 15 more6 hr

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Virginia, 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.