Alert archive / Texas / Red Flag Warnings in 2018
Red Flag Warning 2, NWS Brownsville, TX
NWS Brownsville, TX issued this red flag warning at Mar 11, 2018, 3:51 PM CDT for Hidalgo County, Starr County, Texas. It was in force for 3 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 11, 2018, 3:51 PM CDT (20:51 UTC)
- Expired
- Mar 11, 2018, 7:00 PM CDT
- In force
- 3 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Brownsville, TX
Counties Hidalgo County, TX, Starr County, TX
The radar
The Brownsville radar (KBRO), 121 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:50 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
Brownsville Intl, TX (KBRO), launched 12:00Z, 8.9 hours before the alert went out and 124 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
- 387 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -394 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 885 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 36 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 17 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 59 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted.
705 WWUS84 KBRO 112051 RFWBRO URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Brownsville TX 351 PM CDT Sun Mar 11 2018 ...Very low humidity and gusty winds creating erratic wildfire behavior potential through late afternoon... .A dry front has passed the upper Rio Grande Valley with a sharp wind shift and heat spike that will bring a short period of strong northwest winds and humidity to 15 percent or lower late this afternoon. Rapid spread of wildfires is expected during this time. TXZ252-253-120000- /O.NEW.KBRO.FW.W.0002.180311T2051Z-180312T0000Z/ Starr-Hidalgo- 351 PM CDT Sun Mar 11 2018 ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR STRONG WINDS AND HUMIDITY AT OR BELOW 15 PERCENT FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 252 AND 253... The National Weather Service in Brownsville has issued a Red Flag Warning, which is in effect until 7 PM CDT this evening. * AFFECTED AREA...Fire weather zones 252 and 253. * WIND...FROM THE NORTH AT 20 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 30 OR 35 MPH THROUGH 6 PM WITH SOME DIMINISHING BETWEEN 6 AND 7 PM. * HUMIDITY...FALLING TO 12 TO 17 PERCENT BETWEEN 4 AND 6 PM WITH SOME INCREASE TO 25 PERCENT BY 7 PM. * THUNDERSTORMS...NONE. * HIGHEST THREAT...is located along and just north of the Rio Grande in Starr and Hidalgo County where temperatures will reach the mid to upper 90s and humidity fall to 15 percent or lower. * IMPACTS...any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is not recommended. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A Red Flag Warning means critical fire weather conditions are occurring now...or will shortly. In general...these conditions include sustained 20 foot winds of 25 MPH or greater...humidity ranging from below 25 percent in Zapata County to below 45 percent along the coast...each lasting for 2 hours or longer... and cured fuels. Humidity below 25 percent in most areas will trigger fire danger at lower wind speeds. Detailed decision tables are found at HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/RGV/?N=MAPCOLORS#FIRE. && $$ 52/BSG
1 follow-up statement
840 WWUS84 KBRO 120015 RFWBRO URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Brownsville TX 715 PM CDT Sun Mar 11 2018 ...Temperatures Falling and Humidity Increasing This Evening as Winds Slowly Diminish... .After a two to three hour period of hot temperatures, gusty north winds, and humidity near 15 percent, conditions are steadily improving this evening. While north winds will remain gusty through mid evening, temperatures falling through the 70s and humidity rising above 50 percent will gradually reduce the threat for rapid spread of any wildfires that develop. TXZ252-253-120115- /O.EXP.KBRO.FW.W.0002.000000T0000Z-180312T0000Z/ Starr-Hidalgo- 715 PM CDT Sun Mar 11 2018 ...RED FLAG WARNING HAS EXPIRED FOR STRONG NORTH WINDS 20 TO 25 MPH AND GUSTY COMBINED WITH HUMIDITY NEAR 15 PERCENT AND HOT TEMPERATURES FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 252 AND 253... As of 7 PM, temperatures had fallen into the 70s to lower 80s, humidity had risen to between 30 and 50 percent, and north winds were diminishing to 20 mph or less with a few higher gusts across southern Hidalgo and Starr County. By mid evening, winds will still be gusting to 20 to 25 mph in spots, but temperatures will be in the upper 60s to lower 70s and humidity between 45 and 55 percent, well above the threshold for rapid wildfire growth and spread. Residents are still advised to use caution with any outdoor activities this evening, such as grilling, and continue to do these on paved or dirt areas away from high grass and brush. $$ 52/BSG
The office that day
Everything else NWS Brownsville, TX issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 11, 4:06 AM CDT | Small Craft Advisory | BRO | 36 hr | |
| Mar 11, 4:06 AM CDT | Small Craft Advisory for Winds | BRO | 32 hr | |
| Mar 11, 9:38 AM CDT | Rip Current Statement | BRO | Kenedy | 33 hr |
Nearby
Red Flag Warnings in Texas, 2018Every red flag warning in 2018
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.