Alert archive / Virginia / Red Flag Warnings in 2016

Red Flag Warning 2, NWS Blacksburg, VA

April 8, 201610 counties in Virginia; 4 counties in North Carolina

NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this red flag warning at Apr 8, 2016, 4:22 PM EDT for 10 counties in Virginia; 4 counties in North Carolina. It took effect at Apr 9, 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
Apr 8, 2016, 4:22 PM EDT (20:22 UTC)
In effect from
Apr 9, 2016, 10:00 AM EDT
Expired
Apr 9, 2016, 8:00 PM EDT
In force
10 hr
Issued by
NWS Blacksburg, VA

Counties Caswell County, NC, Rockingham County, NC, Stokes County, NC, Yadkin County, NC, Appomattox County, VA, Buckingham County, VA, Campbell County, VA, Charlotte County, VA, City of Danville, VA, City of Lynchburg, VA, City of Martinsville, VA, Halifax County, VA, Henry County, VA, Pittsylvania County, VA

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 80 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:22 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 12:00Z, 8.4 hours before the alert went out and 43 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 12:00Z on 2016-04-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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 12:00Z on 2016-04-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 81 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
889 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
49 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
81 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
69 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

646 
WWUS81 KRNK 082022
RFWRNK

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
422 PM EDT FRI APR 8 2016

...VERY WINDY AND DRY WEATHER TO PRODUCE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER
CONDITIONS SATURDAY...

.A STRONG FRONT MOVES THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING...AND MOISTURE WILL
BE LIMITED EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS. WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO
25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 TO 45 MPH WILL DRY OUT THE AIRMASS
QUICKLY. THIS WILL INCREASE THE RISK OF WILDFIRE SPREAD.

NCZ004>006-020-VAZ043>047-058-059-090430-
/O.NEW.KRNK.FW.W.0002.160409T1400Z-160410T0000Z/
STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-YADKIN-HENRY-PITTSYLVANIA-CAMPBELL-
APPOMATTOX-BUCKINGHAM-HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE-
422 PM EDT FRI APR 8 2016

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 8 PM EDT SATURDAY FOR
WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR THE PIEDMONT OF VIRGINIA AND
NORTH CAROLINA...

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 TO 8 PM EDT SATURDAY.

* AFFECTED AREA...IN NORTH CAROLINA...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 004 
  STOKES...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 005 ROCKINGHAM...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 
  006 CASWELL AND FIRE WEATHER ZONE 020 YADKIN. IN VIRGINIA...
  FIRE WEATHER ZONE 043 HENRY...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 044 
  PITTSYLVANIA... FIRE WEATHER ZONE 045 CAMPBELL...FIRE WEATHER 
  ZONE 046 APPOMATTOX...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 047 BUCKINGHAM...FIRE 
  WEATHER ZONE 058 HALIFAX AND FIRE WEATHER ZONE 059 CHARLOTTE.

* WINDS...NORTHWEST 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH.

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

* IMPACTS...ANY FIRES THAT START WILL SPREAD RAPIDLY. OUTDOOR
  BURNING SHOULD NOT BE DONE.

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.

&&

$$

FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA/NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...
HTTP://WWW.ERH.NOAA.GOV/ER/RNK/EMER/EMER_FIRE.PHP (ALL LOWER CASE)
3 follow-up statements
686 
WWUS81 KRNK 090344
RFWRNK

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
1144 PM EDT FRI APR 8 2016

...VERY WINDY AND DRY WEATHER TO PRODUCE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER
CONDITIONS SATURDAY...

.A STRONG FRONT MOVES THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING...AND MOISTURE
WILL BE LIMITED EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS. WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS OF
15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 TO 45 MPH WILL DRY OUT THE AIRMASS
QUICKLY. THIS WILL INCREASE THE RISK OF WILDFIRE SPREAD.

NCZ004>006-020-VAZ043>047-058-059-091200-
/O.CON.KRNK.FW.W.0002.160409T1400Z-160410T0000Z/
STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-YADKIN-HENRY-PITTSYLVANIA-CAMPBELL-
APPOMATTOX-BUCKINGHAM-HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE-
1144 PM EDT FRI APR 8 2016

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 8 PM EDT
SATURDAY FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR THE PIEDMONT OF
VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA...

* AFFECTED AREA...IN NORTH CAROLINA...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 004 
  STOKES...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 005 ROCKINGHAM...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 
  006 CASWELL AND FIRE WEATHER ZONE 020 YADKIN. IN VIRGINIA...
  FIRE WEATHER ZONE 043 HENRY...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 044 
  PITTSYLVANIA... FIRE WEATHER ZONE 045 CAMPBELL...FIRE WEATHER 
  ZONE 046 APPOMATTOX...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 047 BUCKINGHAM...FIRE 
  WEATHER ZONE 058 HALIFAX AND FIRE WEATHER ZONE 059 CHARLOTTE.

* WINDS...NORTHWEST 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH.

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

* IMPACTS...ANY FIRES THAT START WILL SPREAD RAPIDLY. OUTDOOR 
  BURNING SHOULD NOT BE DONE.

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.

&&

$$

FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA/NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...
HTTP://WWW.ERH.NOAA.GOV/ER/RNK/EMER/EMER_FIRE.PHP (ALL LOWER CASE)
956 
WWUS81 KRNK 090907
RFWRNK

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
507 AM EDT SAT APR 9 2016

...WINDY AND DRY WEATHER TO PRODUCE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER
CONDITIONS TODAY...

.A STRONG FRONT MOVING ACROSS THE AREA THIS MORNING WILL BRING
GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS. SUSTAINED WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS
UP TO 45 MPH WILL DRY THE AIR MASS QUICKLY. COMBINED WITH THE LACK
OF RECENT RAINFALL AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...THIS SITUATION WILL
INCREASE THE RISK OF SIGNIFICANT WILDFIRE SPREAD.

NCZ004>006-020-VAZ043>047-058-059-100000-
/O.CON.KRNK.FW.W.0002.160409T1400Z-160410T0000Z/
STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-YADKIN-HENRY-PITTSYLVANIA-CAMPBELL-
APPOMATTOX-BUCKINGHAM-HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE-
507 AM EDT SAT APR 9 2016

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO
8 PM THIS EVENING FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES FOR
THE PIEDMONT REGION OF VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA...

* AFFECTED AREA...VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA PIEDMONT.

* WINDS...NORTHWEST AT 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH.

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

* IMPACTS...ANY FIRES THAT START WILL SPREAD RAPIDLY. OUTDOOR 
  BURNING SHOULD NOT BE DONE.

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.

&&

$$

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

PW
877 
WWUS81 KRNK 100006
RFWRNK

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
806 PM EDT SAT APR 9 2016

...WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO DIMINISH OVERNIGHT...

.A STRONG FRONT MOVED ACROSS THE AREA THIS MORNING BRING GUSTY
NORTHWEST WINDS. AS HIGH PRESSURE MOVES INTO THE AREA TONIGHT
WINDS SPEEDS WILL DIMINISH. 

NCZ004>006-020-VAZ043>047-058-059-100115-
/O.EXP.KRNK.FW.W.0002.000000T0000Z-160410T0000Z/
STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-YADKIN-HENRY-PITTSYLVANIA-CAMPBELL-
APPOMATTOX-BUCKINGHAM-HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE-
806 PM EDT SAT APR 9 2016

...RED FLAG WARNING HAS EXPIRED FOR THE VIRGINIA AND NORTH
CAROLINA PIEDMONT. 

HUMIDITY WILL INCREASE TONIGHT REACHING 60 TO 70 PERCENT. WIND
WILL BE OUT OF THE NORTHWEST WITH WINDS SPEEDS OF 5 TO 15 MPH THIS
EVENING. BY MORNING WINDS WILL BE LIGHT AND VARIABLE. 

$$

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

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 8, 5:12 AM EDTFreeze WarningRNKBotetourt, Roanoke, Rockbridge, Smyth, City of Buena Vista, City of Lexington and 2 more29 hr
Apr 8, 5:12 AM EDTHigh Wind WarningRNKGrayson35 hr
Apr 8, 5:12 AM EDTHard Freeze WatchRNKAmherst, Appomattox, Bedford, Botetourt, Buckingham, Campbell and 16 more24 hr
Apr 8, 7:42 AM EDTWind AdvisoryRNKAlleghany, Amherst, Appomattox, Bath, Bedford, Bland and 30 more32 hr
Apr 8, 4:04 PM EDTWinter Weather AdvisoryRNKTazewell20 hr

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Virginia, 2016Red Flag Warnings in North Carolina, 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.