Alert archive / Colorado / Red Flag Warnings in 2020

Red Flag Warning 48, NWS Pueblo, CO

August 20, 20206 counties in Colorado

NWS Pueblo, CO issued this red flag warning at Aug 20, 2020, 4:36 AM MDT for 6 counties in Colorado. It took effect at Aug 20, 2020, 12:00 PM MDT. It was in force for 8 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
Aug 20, 2020, 4:36 AM MDT (10:36 UTC)
In effect from
Aug 20, 2020, 12:00 PM MDT
Expired
Aug 20, 2020, 7:42 PM MDT
In force
8 hr
Issued by
NWS Pueblo, CO

Counties Chaffee County, CO, Conejos County, CO, Lake County, CO, Mineral County, CO, Rio Grande County, CO, Saguache County, CO

The radar

The Grand Junction radar (KGJX), 193 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 10:38 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

Grand Junction, CO (KGJT), launched 00:00Z, 10.6 hours before the alert went out and 218 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, Grand Junction, CO at 00:00Z on 2020-08-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 18 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Grand Junction, CO at 00:00Z on 2020-08-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -18 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
18 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-88 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
4051 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
12 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-18 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-18 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

172 
WWUS85 KPUB 201036
RFWPUB

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Pueblo CO
436 AM MDT Thu Aug 20 2020

...Red Flag Warning in effect from noon today to 9 PM this evening
for low relative humidity, and dry lightning with localized gusty
winds for fire weather zones 220 and 223, which includes the 
Eastern San Juan and La Garita Mountains...

COZ220-223-210245-
/O.NEW.KPUB.FW.W.0048.200820T1800Z-200821T0300Z/
Upper Arkansas River Valley Including Lake County and Chaffee
County-
Eastern San Juan Mountains and La Garita Mountains Including Wolf
Creek Pass and Creede-
436 AM MDT Thu Aug 20 2020

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 9 PM MDT THIS
EVENING FOR LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY, AND DRY LIGHTNING WITH 
LOCALIZED GUSTY WINDS FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 220 AND 223...

The National Weather Service in Pueblo has issued a Red Flag 
Warning for low relative humidity, and dry lightning with 
localized gusty winds, which is in effect from noon today to 9 PM 
MDT this evening.

* Affected Area...Fire Weather Zones 220 and 223.

* Winds...Northwest 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph, with
  localized higher gusts.

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

* Lightning...Isolated to scattered thunderstorms with dry
  lightning are expected over the higher terrain.

* Impacts...Dry lightning, localized gusty winds, and minimal 
  precipitation may cause new fire starts and rapid spread of 
  fires.

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
735 
WWUS85 KPUB 210116
RFWPUB

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Pueblo CO
716 PM MDT Thu Aug 20 2020

...Red Flag Warning in effect until 9 PM for low relative 
humidity, and dry lightning with localized gusty winds for fire 
weather zones 220 and 223, which includes the Eastern San Juan and
La Garita Mountains...

COZ220-223-210300-
/O.CON.KPUB.FW.W.0048.000000T0000Z-200821T0300Z/
Upper Arkansas River Valley Including Lake County and Chaffee
County-
Eastern San Juan Mountains and La Garita Mountains Including Wolf
Creek Pass and Creede-
716 PM MDT Thu Aug 20 2020

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING
FOR DRY THUNDERSTORMS, LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY, AND LOCALIZED GUSTY
WINDS FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 220 AND 223...

* Affected Area...Fire Weather Zones 220 and 223.

* Winds...Northwest 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph.

* Relative Humidity...As low as 16 percent.

* Lightning...Isolated to scattered thunderstorms with dry 
  lightning are expected over the higher terrain.

* Impacts...Dry lightning, localized gusty winds, and minimal 
  precipitation may cause new fire starts and rapid spread of 
  fires.

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.

&&

$$
857 
WWUS85 KPUB 210142
RFWPUB

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Pueblo CO
742 PM MDT Thu Aug 20 2020

...Red Flag Warning for Fire Zones 220 and 220 cancelled..

COZ220-223-210245-
/O.CAN.KPUB.FW.W.0048.000000T0000Z-200821T0300Z/
Upper Arkansas River Valley Including Lake County and Chaffee
County-
Eastern San Juan Mountains and La Garita Mountains Including Wolf
Creek Pass and Creede-
742 PM MDT Thu Aug 20 2020

...RED FLAG WARNING IS CANCELLED FOR DRY THUNDERSTORMS, LOW
RELATIVE HUMIDITY, AND LOCALIZED GUSTY WINDS FOR FIRE WEATHER 
ZONES 220 AND 223...

The National Weather Service in Pueblo has cancelled the Red Flag
Warning.

$$

The office that day

Everything else NWS Pueblo, CO issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 19, 9:13 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementPUBLas Animas32 min
Aug 20, 4:20 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementPUBTeller25 min
Aug 20, 4:40 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPUBEl Paso35 min
Aug 20, 4:50 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementPUBTeller25 min
Aug 20, 5:03 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementPUBLas Animas27 min
Aug 20, 5:12 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementPUBEl Paso33 min
Aug 20, 5:13 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementPUBEl Paso32 min
Aug 20, 5:14 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementPUBEl Paso46 min
Aug 20, 5:23 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPUBEl Paso37 min
Aug 20, 5:28 PM MDTFlash Flood Warning Considerable damage threatPUBEl Paso68 min
Aug 20, 5:52 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPUBEl Paso23 min

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Colorado, 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.