Alert archive / Minnesota / Red Flag Warnings in 2020

Red Flag Warning 1, NWS Twin Cities, MN

April 20, 202042 counties in Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this red flag warning at Apr 20, 2020, 3:49 AM CDT for 42 counties in Minnesota. It took effect at Apr 20, 2020, 8:00 AM CDT. It was in force for 10 hr. 33 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Apr 20, 2020, 3:49 AM CDT (08:49 UTC)
In effect from
Apr 20, 2020, 8:00 AM CDT
Expired
Apr 20, 2020, 6:00 PM CDT
In force
10 hr
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN
All 42 counties

Anoka County, MN, Benton County, MN, Blue Earth County, MN, Brown County, MN, Carver County, MN, Chippewa County, MN, Chisago County, MN, Dakota County, MN, Douglas County, MN, Faribault County, MN, Freeborn County, MN, Goodhue County, MN, Hennepin County, MN, Isanti County, MN, Kanabec County, MN, Kandiyohi County, MN, Lac qui Parle County, MN, Le Sueur County, MN, Martin County, MN, McLeod County, MN, Meeker County, MN, Mille Lacs County, MN, Morrison County, MN, Nicollet County, MN, Pope County, MN, Ramsey County, MN, Redwood County, MN, Renville County, MN, Rice County, MN, Scott County, MN, Sherburne County, MN, Sibley County, MN, Stearns County, MN, Steele County, MN, Stevens County, MN, Swift County, MN, Todd County, MN, Waseca County, MN, Washington County, MN, Watonwan County, MN, Wright County, MN, Yellow Medicine County, MN

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 50 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:52 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.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Apr 20, 2:33 PM CDTNON-TSTM WND GST 433 Nnw Owatonna, MNAWOS STATION KOWA OWATONNA AP.
Apr 20, 2:35 PM CDTNON-TSTM WND GST 443 Wsw Waseca, MNAWOS STATION KACQ WASECA AP.
Apr 20, 2:36 PM CDTNON-TSTM WND GST 441 Ese Round Prairie, MNAWOS STATION K14Y LONG PRAIRIE AP.
Apr 20, 2:40 PM CDTNON-TSTM WND GST 522 Sse Waseca, MNMESONET STATION MN039 WASECA 1SSE.
Apr 20, 2:50 PM CDTNON-TSTM WND GST 491 N Rice, MNMESONET STATION MN064 RICE 1NNW.
Apr 20, 3:01 PM CDTTSTM WND GST 446 E St. Cloud, MNASOS STATION KSTC ST. CLOUD AP.
Apr 20, 3:01 PM CDTNON-TSTM WND GST 446 E St. Cloud, MNASOS STATION KSTC ST. CLOUD AP.
Apr 20, 3:04 PM CDTNON-TSTM WND GST 483 Ese Fairmont, MNAWOS STATION KFRM FAIRMONT AP.
Apr 20, 3:07 PM CDTNON-TSTM WND GST 462 Sw Alexandria, MNASOS STATION KAXN ALEXANDRIA MN ASOS.
Apr 20, 3:08 PM CDTNON-TSTM WND GST 442 W Benson, MNAWOS STATION KBBB BENSON AP.
Apr 20, 3:20 PM CDTTSTM WND GST 442 Se Clearwater, MNMESONET STATION MN017 CLEARWATER 1SE.
Apr 20, 3:20 PM CDTNON-TSTM WND GST 442 Se Clearwater, MNMESONET STATION MN017 CLEARWATER 1SE.
Apr 20, 3:35 PM CDTTSTM WND GST 441 Nne Rush City, MNASOS STATION KROS RUSH CITY AP.
Apr 20, 3:35 PM CDTNON-TSTM WND GST 441 Nne Rush City, MNASOS STATION KROS RUSH CITY AP.
Apr 20, 3:39 PM CDTTSTM WND GST 473 Ne Winsted, MNMESONET STATION FW4584 WINSTED.
Apr 20, 3:39 PM CDTNON-TSTM WND GST 473 Ne Winsted, MNMESONET STATION FW4584 WINSTED.
Apr 20, 3:41 PM CDTTSTM WND GST 473 Sse Dayton, MNMESONET STATION HPN27 DAYTON.
Apr 20, 3:41 PM CDTNON-TSTM WND GST 473 Sse Dayton, MNMESONET STATION HPN27 DAYTON.
Apr 20, 3:50 PM CDTTSTM WND GST 53Coon Rapids, MNMESONET STATION CW0561 COON RAPIDS.
Apr 20, 3:50 PM CDTNON-TSTM WND GST 53Coon Rapids, MNMESONET STATION CW0561 COON RAPIDS.
Apr 20, 3:51 PM CDTTSTM WND GST 431 Ne Appleton, MNAWOS STATION KAQP APPLETON AP.
Apr 20, 3:51 PM CDTNON-TSTM WND GST 431 Ne Appleton, MNAWOS STATION KAQP APPLETON AP.
Apr 20, 4:04 PM CDTTSTM WND GST 511 Wnw Carver, MN.
Apr 20, 4:04 PM CDTTSTM WND GST 511 Wnw Carver, MN
Apr 20, 4:04 PM CDTNON-TSTM WND GST 511 Wnw Carver, MN
Apr 20, 4:12 PM CDTTSTM WND GST 562 Ese St. Paul, MNASOS STATION KSTP ST. PAUL DWTN AP.
Apr 20, 4:15 PM CDTTSTM WND GST 545 Sw Prior Lake, MNMESONET STATION EW0600 LYDIA.
Apr 20, 4:15 PM CDTTSTM WND GST 551 Sw Bloomington, MN.
Apr 20, 4:15 PM CDTTSTM WND GST 551 Sw Bloomington, MN
Apr 20, 4:15 PM CDTNON-TSTM WND GST 551 Sw Bloomington, MN
Apr 20, 4:47 PM CDTHAIL 0.251 Sw Rosemount, MN
Apr 20, 4:52 PM CDTHAIL 0.251 W Circle Pines, MN
Apr 20, 5:25 PM CDTHAIL 0.53 S Burnsville, MN

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 00:00Z, 8.8 hours before the alert went out and 47 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 00:00Z on 2020-04-20Temperature 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 00:00Z on 2020-04-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 16 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
2501 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
47 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
16 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
93 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

089 
WWUS83 KMPX 200849
RFWMPX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
349 AM CDT Mon Apr 20 2020

...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS EXPECTED TODAY ACROSS THE
SOUTHERN HALF OF MINNESOTA...

.Strong westerly winds with gusts in the 35 to 40 mph range, 
combined with minimum humidity values in the 20s to low 30s, will 
create critical fire weather conditions today. The lowest humidity
values are expected across western and southern Minnesota.
Scattered to numerous showers and a few thunderstorms are expected
across central and eastern Minnesota later this afternoon, but
after critical fire conditions are met.

MNZ041>045-047>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-201700-
/O.UPG.KMPX.FW.A.0001.200420T1300Z-200420T2300Z/
/O.NEW.KMPX.FW.W.0001.200420T1300Z-200420T2300Z/
Douglas-Todd-Morrison-Mille Lacs-Kanabec-Stevens-Pope-Stearns-
Benton-Sherburne-Isanti-Chisago-Lac Qui Parle-Swift-Chippewa-
Kandiyohi-Meeker-Wright-Hennepin-Anoka-Ramsey-Washington-
Yellow Medicine-Renville-McLeod-Sibley-Carver-Scott-Dakota-
Redwood-Brown-Nicollet-Le Sueur-Rice-Goodhue-Watonwan-Blue Earth-
Waseca-Steele-Martin-Faribault-Freeborn-
349 AM CDT Mon Apr 20 2020

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM CDT
THIS EVENING FOR LOW HUMIDITY AND GUSTY WINDS FOR CENTRAL AND
SOUTHERN MINNESOTA...

The National Weather Service in Twin Cities/Chanhassen has issued
a Red Flag Warning, which is in effect from 8 AM this morning to
6 PM CDT this evening. The Fire Weather Watch is no longer in
effect. 

* AFFECTED AREA...Locations south of a line from Alexandria, to 
  Little Falls, Mora, and Rush City. 

* WIND...West to northwest sustained near 25 mph this afternoon, 
  with gusts of 35 to 40 mph. 

* HUMIDITY...25 to 32 percent.

* THUNDERSTORMS...Slight chance late this 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.

&&

$$

Borghoff

The office that day

Everything else NWS Twin Cities, MN issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 20, 9:44 AM CDTWind AdvisoryMPXBrown, Chippewa, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Martin, Pope and 6 more9 hr
Apr 20, 4:08 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXHennepin37 min
Apr 20, 4:16 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXWashington44 min
Apr 20, 4:31 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXDakota29 min
Apr 20, 4:59 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXScott31 min
Apr 20, 5:43 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXGoodhue47 min

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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.