Alert archive / Minnesota / Red Flag Warnings in 2020

Red Flag Warning 2, NWS Sioux Falls, SD

May 2, 20208 counties in Minnesota

NWS Sioux Falls, SD issued this red flag warning at May 2, 2020, 12:19 PM CDT for 8 counties in Minnesota. 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
May 2, 2020, 12:19 PM CDT (17:19 UTC)
Expired
May 2, 2020, 7:00 PM CDT
In force
7 hr
Issued by
NWS Sioux Falls, SD

Counties Cottonwood County, MN, Jackson County, MN, Lincoln County, MN, Lyon County, MN, Murray County, MN, Nobles County, MN, Pipestone County, MN, Rock County, MN

The radar

The Sioux Falls radar (KFSD), 86 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 17:22 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

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 12:00Z, 5.3 hours before the alert went out and 200 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, Minneapolis, MN at 12:00Z on 2020-05-02Temperature 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, Minneapolis, MN at 12:00Z on 2020-05-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -32 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
1802 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
61 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-32 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
47 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

093 
WWUS83 KFSD 021719
RFWFSD

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD
1219 PM CDT Sat May 2 2020

MNZ071-072-080-081-089-090-097-098-030000-
/O.NEW.KFSD.FW.W.0002.200502T1719Z-200503T0000Z/
Lincoln-Lyon-Murray-Cottonwood-Nobles-Jackson-Pipestone-Rock-
1219 PM CDT Sat May 2 2020

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR LOW
RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND GUSTY WINDS FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 071, 
072, 080, 081, 089, 090, 097, AND 098...

The National Weather Service in Sioux Falls has issued a Red Flag
Warning, which is in effect until 7 PM CDT this evening. 

* AFFECTED AREA...Fire weather zones 071, 072, 080, 081, 089, 
  090, 097, and 098. 

* WIND...Northwest winds with gusts of near 30 mph are expected
  through the remainder of the afternoon.

* HUMIDITY...Relative humidity values are expected to fall to or remain
  around 20 to 25 percent through the remainder of the afternoon.

* 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.

&&

$$
1 follow-up statement
531 
WWUS83 KFSD 030002
RFWFSD

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD
702 PM CDT Sat May 2 2020

...RED FLAG WARNING FOR LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND GUSTY WINDS
ACROSS SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA EXPIRES AT 7 PM CDT...

MNZ071-072-080-081-089-090-097-098-030115-
/O.EXP.KFSD.FW.W.0002.000000T0000Z-200503T0000Z/
Lincoln-Lyon-Murray-Cottonwood-Nobles-Jackson-Pipestone-Rock-
702 PM CDT Sat May 2 2020

...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR LOW
HUMIDITY AND GUSTY WINDS FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 071, 072, 080, 
081, 089, 090, 097, AND 098...

While low humidity from 15 to 25 percent will continue very early
this evening, gusty northwest winds will drop off at a quick rate
heading toward sunset. After sunset, a rapid humidity recovery to
30 to 45 percent is likely.

$$

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Minnesota, 2020Every red flag warning in 2020

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.