Alert archive / Colorado / Red Flag Warnings in 2021

Red Flag Warning 1, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO

January 14, 20218 counties in Colorado

NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued this red flag warning at Jan 14, 2021, 1:25 PM MST for 8 counties in Colorado. It took effect at Jan 15, 2021, 10:00 AM MST. It was in force for 7 hr. 4 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
Jan 14, 2021, 1:25 PM MST (20:25 UTC)
In effect from
Jan 15, 2021, 10:00 AM MST
Expired
Jan 15, 2021, 5:00 PM MST
In force
7 hr
Issued by
NWS Denver/Boulder, CO

Counties Elbert County, CO, Lincoln County, CO, Logan County, CO, Morgan County, CO, Phillips County, CO, Sedgwick County, CO, Washington County, CO, Weld County, CO

The radar

The Denver radar (KFTG), 109 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:25 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
Jan 15, 10:07 AM MSTNON-TSTM WND GST 582 Nnw Briggsdale, COMESONET STATION TT567 CROW CREEK.
Jan 15, 10:12 AM MSTNON-TSTM WND GST 581 Nnw Briggsdale, COMESONET STATION CO043 014W176 BRIGGSDALE.
Jan 15, 10:58 AM MSTNON-TSTM WND GST 595 N Pawnee Buttes, COAWOS STATION K1OW OSCAR MADIS.
Jan 15, 11:42 AM MSTNON-TSTM WND GST 633 S Cedar Point, COMESONET STATION CO066 SH-86 CEDAR POINT.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Denver, CO (KDNR), launched 12:00Z, 8.4 hours before the alert went out and 34 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, Denver, CO at 12:00Z on 2021-01-14Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Denver, CO at 12:00Z on 2021-01-14The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 26 square meters per square second.1939587897117136156Sfc1 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
1 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-47 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2072 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
124 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
26 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
135 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

004 
WWUS85 KBOU 142025
RFWBOU

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO
125 PM MST Thu Jan 14 2021

COZ242-244-246>251-151200-
/O.NEW.KBOU.FW.W.0001.210115T1700Z-210116T0000Z/
Northeast Weld County-Morgan County-
North and Northeast Elbert County Below 6000 Feet/North Lincoln
County-
Southeast Elbert County Below 6000 Feet/South Lincoln County-
Logan County-Washington County-Sedgwick County-Phillips County-
125 PM MST Thu Jan 14 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 5 PM MST FRIDAY FOR
WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR EASTERN COLORADO...

The National Weather Service in Denver has issued a Red Flag
Warning for wind and low relative humidity, which is in effect
from 10 AM to 5 PM MST Friday.

* Affected Area...Fire Weather Zones 242, 244, 246, 247, 248, 
  249, 250 and 251.

* Timing...10 AM to 5 PM MST Friday.

* Winds...North 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 60 mph.

* Relative Humidity...As low as 12 percent.

* Impacts...The strong winds combined with low relative humidity
  may cause new fire starts to very rapidly spread and grow.

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.

&&

$$
3 follow-up statements
958 
WWUS85 KBOU 151037
RFWBOU

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO
337 AM MST Fri Jan 15 2021

COZ242-244-246>251-151845-
/O.CON.KBOU.FW.W.0001.210115T1700Z-210116T0000Z/
Northeast Weld County-Morgan County-
North and Northeast Elbert County Below 6000 Feet/North Lincoln
County-
Southeast Elbert County Below 6000 Feet/South Lincoln County-
Logan County-Washington County-Sedgwick County-Phillips County-
337 AM MST Fri Jan 15 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO
5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY ACROSS 
THE EASTERN COLORADO PLAINS... 

* Affected Area...Fire Weather Zones 242, 244, 246, 247, 248, 
  249, 250 and 251.

* Timing...10 AM to 5 PM MST Friday.

* Winds...North 35 to 45 mph with gusts up to 65 mph.

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

* Impacts...The strong winds combined with low relative humidity 
  may cause new fire starts to very rapidly spread and grow.

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.

&&

$$
912 
WWUS85 KBOU 151854
RFWBOU

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO
1154 AM MST Fri Jan 15 2021

COZ242-244-246>251-160000-
/O.CON.KBOU.FW.W.0001.000000T0000Z-210116T0000Z/
Northeast Weld County-Morgan County-
North and Northeast Elbert County Below 6000 Feet/North Lincoln
County-
Southeast Elbert County Below 6000 Feet/South Lincoln County-
Logan County-Washington County-Sedgwick County-Phillips County-
1154 AM MST Fri Jan 15 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM MST THIS
AFTERNOON FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY ACROSS THE EASTERN
COLORADO PLAINS...

* Affected Area...Fire Weather Zones 242, 244, 246, 247, 248, 
  249, 250 and 251.

* Timing...Until 5 PM MST Friday.

* Winds...North 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 70 mph.

* Relative Humidity...As low as 13 percent.

* Impacts...The strong winds combined with low relative humidity 
  may cause new fire starts to very rapidly spread and grow.

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.

&&

$$
889 
WWUS85 KBOU 160001
RFWBOU

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO
501 PM MST Fri Jan 15 2021

COZ242-244-246>251-160115-
/O.EXP.KBOU.FW.W.0001.000000T0000Z-210116T0000Z/
Northeast Weld County-Morgan County-
North and Northeast Elbert County Below 6000 Feet/North Lincoln
County-
Southeast Elbert County Below 6000 Feet/South Lincoln County-
Logan County-Washington County-Sedgwick County-Phillips County-
501 PM MST Fri Jan 15 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON FOR
WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY ACROSS THE EASTERN COLORADO 
PLAINS...

Winds are decreasing and humidities are beginning to recover so 
the Red Flag Warning has been allowed to expire.

$$

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Colorado, 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.