Alert archive / California / Red Flag Warnings in 2017

Red Flag Warning 2, NWS San Francisco Bay Area, CA

July 15, 20175 counties in California

NWS San Francisco Bay Area, CA issued this red flag warning at Jul 15, 2017, 2:00 PM PDT for 5 counties in California. It took effect at Jul 15, 2017, 5:00 PM PDT. It was in force for 28 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
Jul 15, 2017, 2:00 PM PDT (21:00 UTC)
In effect from
Jul 15, 2017, 5:00 PM PDT
Expired
Jul 16, 2017, 9:00 PM PDT
In force
28 hr
Issued by
NWS San Francisco Bay Area, CA

Counties Monterey County, CA, San Benito County, CA, San Mateo County, CA, Santa Clara County, CA, Santa Cruz County, CA

The radar

The San Francisco radar (KMUX), 33 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:05 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

Oakland, CA (KOAK), launched 12:00Z, 9.0 hours before the alert went out and 102 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, Oakland, CA at 12:00Z on 2017-07-15Temperature 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, Oakland, CA at 12:00Z on 2017-07-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 8 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
2041 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
35 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
8 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
41 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

291 
WWUS86 KMTR 152100
RFWMTR

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service San Francisco CA
200 PM PDT Sat Jul 15 2017

...HOT AND VERY DRY CONDITIONS THROUGH SUNDAY ALONG WITH LOCALLY
GUSTY WINDS IN THE HILLS...

.Strong high pressure over California will continue to produce hot
and very dry conditions across inland areas through the remainder
of the weekend. Daytime relative humidity values will drop as low
as the single digits and very poor humidity recoveries are 
expected in the hills above 1000 feet on Saturday night. In 
addition, northerly winds are expected to increase in the hills 
late on Saturday and be locally gusty Saturday night and though 
the day on Sunday. These weather factors will result in the 
potential for rapid fire spread across the warned area.

Gradual improvement is expected Sunday night into Monday as winds
ease, and a somewhat cooler and more moist airmass begins to
spread across the area.

CAZ507-511-512-517-518-161300-
/O.NEW.KMTR.FW.W.0002.170716T0000Z-170717T0400Z/
North Bay Mountains-East Bay Hills and the Diablo Range-
Santa Cruz Mountains-
Santa Lucia Mountains and Los Padres National Forest-
Mountains Of San Benito County And Interior Monterey County
Including Pinnacles National Park-
200 PM PDT Sat Jul 15 2017

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 5 PM SATURDAY AFTERNOON TO 9 
PM PDT SUNDAY FOR HOT AND DRY CONDITIONS ALONG WITH GUSTY 
NORTHERLY WINDS. THE RED FLAG WARNING IS FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 
507, 511, 512, 517, AND 518...

The National Weather Service San Francisco Bay Area has issued a 
Red Flag Warning, which is in effect from 5 PM this afternoon to 9
PM PDT Sunday. 

* AFFECTED AREA...Fire weather zones 507, 511, 512, 517, and 518.
  This includes elevations above 1000 feet in the North and East
  Bay Hills, the Santa Cruz Mountains, the Diablo Range, the Santa
  Lucia Range, and the interior mountains of Monterey and San
  Benito Counties.

* WIND...Northerly winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts as high as 25
  mph.

* HUMIDITY...Minimum relative humidity values as low as the 
  single digits during the day. Very poor humidity recoveries 
  overnight on Saturday night.

* HIGHEST THREAT...At elevations above 1000 feet where driest air
  and strongest winds are anticipated.

* 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 
WWUS86 KMTR 161205
RFWMTR

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service San Francisco CA
505 AM PDT Sun Jul 16 2017

...HOT AND DRY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TODAY ALONG WITH 
LOCALLY GUSTY WINDS IN THE HILLS...

.Strong high pressure over California will continue to produce
hot and dry conditions across inland areas through today. Very 
poor humidity recoveries occurred in the hills above 1000 feet 
overnight and daytime relative humidity values will drop as low as
the single digits today. In addition, locally gusty north to 
northwest winds will continue in the hills through today. These 
weather factors will result in the potential for rapid fire spread
in the warned area. Gradual improvement is expected from tonight 
through Tuesday as a cooler and more moist airmass spreads inland
and to higher elevations.

CAZ507-511-512-517-518-170400-
/O.CON.KMTR.FW.W.0002.000000T0000Z-170717T0400Z/
North Bay Mountains-East Bay Hills and the Diablo Range-
Santa Cruz Mountains-
Santa Lucia Mountains and Los Padres National Forest-
Mountains Of San Benito County And Interior Monterey County
Including Pinnacles National Park-
505 AM PDT Sun Jul 16 2017

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING
FOR HOT AND DRY CONDITIONS ALONG WITH GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS. THE
RED FLAG WARNING IS FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 507, 511, 512, 517,
AND 518...

* AFFECTED AREA...Fire weather zones 507, 511, 512, 517, and 
  518.This includes elevations above 1000 feet in the North and 
  East Bay Hills, the Santa Cruz Mountains, the Diablo Range, 
  the Santa Lucia Range, and the interior mountains of Monterey 
  and San Benito Counties. 

* WIND...North to northwest winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts as high
  as 25 mph.

* HUMIDITY...Minimum relative humidity values as low as the single
  digits today. 

* HIGHEST THREAT...At elevations above 1000 feet where driest 
  air and strongest winds are anticipated. 

* 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
gusty winds...low relative humidity...and warm temperatures can 
contribute to extreme fire behavior.

&&

$$
600 
WWUS86 KMTR 170407
RFWMTR

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service San Francisco CA
907 PM PDT Sun Jul 16 2017


CAZ507-511-512-517-518-170515-
/O.EXP.KMTR.FW.W.0002.000000T0000Z-170717T0400Z/
North Bay Mountains-East Bay Hills and the Diablo Range-
Santa Cruz Mountains-
Santa Lucia Mountains and Los Padres National Forest-
Mountains Of San Benito County And Interior Monterey County
Including Pinnacles National Park-
907 PM PDT Sun Jul 16 2017

...RED FLAG WARNING HAS EXPIRED FOR HOT DRY AND BREEZY CONDITIONS 
FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 507, 511, 512, 517, AND 518...

The peak heat of the day has passed and cooling will begin
tonight. Though fire conditions still remain high, the trend over
the next 24 hours will be for a gradual increase of relative
humidity. As such, the fire weather warning has been allowed to
expire.

$$

The office that day

Everything else NWS San Francisco Bay Area, CA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 15, 2:23 PM PDTSmall Craft AdvisoryMTR5 days

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in California, 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.