Alert archive / North Dakota / Red Flag Warnings in 2021

Red Flag Warning 17, NWS Bismarck, ND

May 17, 202117 counties in North Dakota

NWS Bismarck, ND issued this red flag warning at May 17, 2021, 3:29 AM CDT for 17 counties in North Dakota. It took effect at May 17, 2021, 2:00 PM CDT. It was in force for 6 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 17, 2021, 3:29 AM CDT (08:29 UTC)
In effect from
May 17, 2021, 2:00 PM CDT
Expired
May 17, 2021, 8:00 PM CDT
In force
6 hr
Issued by
NWS Bismarck, ND

Counties Bottineau County, ND, Burke County, ND, Divide County, ND, Foster County, ND, Kidder County, ND, McHenry County, ND, McKenzie County, ND, McLean County, ND, Mountrail County, ND, Pierce County, ND, Renville County, ND, Rolette County, ND, Sheridan County, ND, Stutsman County, ND, Ward County, ND, Wells County, ND, Williams County, ND

The radar

The Minot AFB radar (KMBX), 41 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:26 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

Bismarck Municip, ND (KBIS), launched 00:00Z, 8.5 hours before the alert went out and 147 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, Bismarck Municip, ND at 00:00Z on 2021-05-17Temperature 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, Bismarck Municip, ND at 00:00Z on 2021-05-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -26 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
2201 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
13 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-26 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
0 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

527 
WWUS83 KBIS 170829
RFWBIS

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Bismarck ND
329 AM CDT Mon May 17 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING TODAY ACROSS THE NORTH AND INTO NORTHERN 
PORTIONS OF THE JAMES RIVER VALLEY...

.Critical fire weather conditions are expected this afternoon and
into the early evening hours across the north and into northern 
portions of the James River Valley. Cloud cover will be limited 
and temperatures will be very warm with highs in the mid to upper 
80s across most of the warning area. These warm temperatures and a
dry atmosphere will lead to afternoon humidity values dropping as
low as 16 percent. It will also be breezy with southerly winds up
to 25 mph with gusts to 35 mph. These conditions combined with 
dry vegetation will result in critical fire weather conditions. 

NDZ001>005-009>013-017-021>023-025-036-037-172030-
/O.NEW.KBIS.FW.W.0017.210517T1900Z-210518T0100Z/
Divide-Burke-Renville-Bottineau-Rolette-Williams-Mountrail-Ward-
McHenry-Pierce-McKenzie-McLean-Sheridan-Wells-Foster-Kidder-
Stutsman-
329 AM CDT Mon May 17 2021 /229 AM MDT Mon May 17 2021/

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM CDT /1 PM MDT/ THIS
AFTERNOON TO 8 PM CDT /7 PM MDT/ THIS EVENING FOR WIND AND LOW
RELATIVE HUMIDITY ACROSS THE NORTH AND INTO NORTHERN PORTIONS OF 
THE JAMES RIVER VALLEY...

The National Weather Service in Bismarck has issued a Red Flag
Warning for wind and low relative humidity, which is in effect
from 2 PM CDT /1 PM MDT/ this afternoon to 8 PM CDT /7 PM MDT/
this evening.

* WINDS...South up to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 16 percent.

* AFFECTED AREA...Across the north and into northern portions of 
  the James River Valley.

* IMPACTS...Any fires that ignite will spread rapidly and become 
  difficult to control or suppress.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Burn bans may be in effect. Contact local authorities for
details.

&&

$$

ZH
2 follow-up statements
938 
WWUS83 KBIS 171115
RFWBIS

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Bismarck ND
615 AM CDT Mon May 17 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING TODAY ACROSS THE NORTH AND INTO NORTHERN
PORTIONS OF THE JAMES RIVER VALLEY...

.Critical fire weather conditions are expected this afternoon and
into the early evening hours across the north and into northern
portions of the James River Valley. Cloud cover will be limited
and temperatures will be very warm with highs in the mid to upper
80s across most of the warning area. These warm temperatures and
a dry atmosphere will lead to afternoon humidity values dropping
as low as 16 percent. It will also be breezy with southerly winds
up to 25 mph with gusts to 35 mph. These conditions combined with
dry vegetation will result in critical fire weather conditions.

NDZ001>005-009>013-017-021>023-025-036-037-172315-
/O.CON.KBIS.FW.W.0017.210517T1900Z-210518T0100Z/
Divide-Burke-Renville-Bottineau-Rolette-Williams-Mountrail-Ward-
McHenry-Pierce-McKenzie-McLean-Sheridan-Wells-Foster-Kidder-
Stutsman-
615 AM CDT Mon May 17 2021 /515 AM MDT Mon May 17 2021/

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM CDT /1 PM MDT/
THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 PM CDT /7 PM MDT/ THIS EVENING FOR WIND AND
LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY ACROSS THE NORTH AND INTO NORTHERN PORTIONS
OF THE JAMES RIVER VALLEY...

* WINDS...South up to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 16 percent.

* AFFECTED AREA...Across the north and into northern portions of 
  the James River Valley.

* IMPACTS...Any fires that ignite will spread rapidly and become 
  difficult to control or suppress.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Burn bans may be in effect. Contact local authorities for
details.

&&

$$

ZH
750 
WWUS83 KBIS 171726
RFWBIS

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Bismarck ND
1226 PM CDT Mon May 17 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING TODAY OVER NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL NORTH
DAKOTA INTO NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE JAMES RIVER VALLEY...

.Critical fire weather conditions this afternoon into the early 
evening hours across northwest and north central North Dakota into
northern portions of the James River Valley. Cloud cover will be 
limited and temperatures will be very warm with highs in the mid 
to upper 80s. These warm temperatures and a dry atmosphere will 
lead to afternoon humidity values dropping as low as 15 percent. 
It will also be breezy with southerly winds up to 25 mph with 
gusts to 35 mph. These conditions, combined with dry vegetation, 
will result in critical fire weather conditions.

NDZ001>005-009>013-017-021>023-025-036-037-180100-
/O.CON.KBIS.FW.W.0017.210517T1900Z-210518T0100Z/
Divide-Burke-Renville-Bottineau-Rolette-Williams-Mountrail-Ward-
McHenry-Pierce-McKenzie-McLean-Sheridan-Wells-Foster-Kidder-
Stutsman-
1226 PM CDT Mon May 17 2021 /1126 AM MDT Mon May 17 2021/

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT /7 PM MDT/
THIS EVENING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY ACROSS THE NORTH
AND INTO NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE JAMES RIVER VALLEY...

* WINDS...South up to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 15 percent.

* AFFECTED AREA...Northwest and north central North Dakota into 
  northern portions of the James River Valley.

* IMPACTS...Any fires that ignite will spread rapidly and become 
  difficult to control or suppress.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Burn bans may be in effect. Contact local authorities for
details.

&&

$$

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in North Dakota, 2021Every red flag warning in 2021

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.