Alert archive / Colorado / Red Flag Warnings in 2017

Red Flag Warning 2, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO

February 8, 20174 counties in Colorado

NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued this red flag warning at Feb 8, 2017, 9:43 AM MST for 4 counties in Colorado. It was in force for 7 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
Feb 8, 2017, 9:43 AM MST (16:43 UTC)
Expired
Feb 8, 2017, 5:00 PM MST
In force
7 hr
Issued by
NWS Denver/Boulder, CO

Counties Arapahoe County, CO, Douglas County, CO, Elbert County, CO, Lincoln County, CO

The radar

The Denver radar (KFTG), 59 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 16:45 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

Denver, CO (KDEN), launched 12:00Z, 4.7 hours before the alert went out and 106 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, Denver, CO at 12:00Z on 2017-02-08Temperature 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 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Denver, CO at 12:00Z on 2017-02-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 91 square meters per square second.1939587897117136156175Sfc1 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
2167 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
104 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
91 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
268 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

600 
WWUS85 KBOU 081643
RFWBOU

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO
943 AM MST Wed Feb 8 2017

...Strong gusty winds and low humidities with higher fire danger 
through this afternoon...

.Strong winds and low humidities in the wake of the latest storm
system will bring elevated fire danger to portions of east central
and northeast Colorado today. Critical conditions will occur from
the Palmer Divide area and Douglas county into southern Lincoln 
county where humidities will be lowest. Fire danger will be 
elevated farther north from the Denver metro area northward 
through Weld and Larimer counties, but humidities will not reach
critical levels there.

COZ241-247-090000-
/O.NEW.KBOU.FW.W.0002.170208T1643Z-170209T0000Z/
Elbert/Central and East Douglas Counties Above 6000 Feet-
Southeast Elbert County Below 6000 Feet/South Lincoln County-
943 AM MST Wed Feb 8 2017

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON FOR
WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR DOUGLAS...SOUTHERN ELBERT AND
SOUTHERN LINCOLN COUNTIES...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 241 AND 247...

The National Weather Service in Denver has issued a Red Flag 
Warning FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...which is in effect 
until 5 PM MST this afternoon.

* Affected Area...Fire Weather Zones 241 and 247.

* Timing...Now through late afternoon.

* Winds...Northwest 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph.

* Relative Humidity...as low as 15 percent.

* Impacts...If a fire starts, it will be capable of spreading
  rapidly through grasses and brush due to the strong winds.

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.

&&

$$

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Colorado, 2017Every red flag warning in 2017

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.