Alert archive / Massachusetts / Red Flag Warnings in 2021

Red Flag Warning 1, NWS Boston/Norton, MA

March 12, 202113 counties in Massachusetts; Capitol Planning Region, Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut; 5 counties in Rhode Island

NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued this red flag warning at Mar 12, 2021, 1:30 PM EST for 13 counties in Massachusetts; Capitol Planning Region, Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut; 5 counties in Rhode Island. It took effect at Mar 13, 2021, 7:00 AM EST. It was in force for 10 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
Mar 12, 2021, 1:30 PM EST (18:30 UTC)
In effect from
Mar 13, 2021, 7:00 AM EST
Expired
Mar 13, 2021, 5:00 PM EST
In force
10 hr
Issued by
NWS Boston/Norton, MA

Counties Capitol Planning Region, CT, Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region, CT, Barnstable County, MA, Bristol County, MA, Dukes County, MA, Essex County, MA, Franklin County, MA, Hampden County, MA, Hampshire County, MA, Middlesex County, MA, Nantucket County, MA, Norfolk County, MA, Plymouth County, MA, Suffolk County, MA, Worcester County, MA, Bristol County, RI, Kent County, RI, Newport County, RI, Providence County, RI, Washington County, RI

The radar

The Boston radar (KBOX), 26 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:31 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

Chatham, MA (KCHH), launched 12:00Z, 6.5 hours before the alert went out and 127 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, Chatham, MA at 12:00Z on 2021-03-12Temperature 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, Chatham, MA at 12:00Z on 2021-03-12The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -110 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
956 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
45 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-110 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-118 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

339 
WWUS81 KBOX 121830
RFWBOX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA
130 PM EST Fri Mar 12 2021

CTZ002>004-MAZ002>024-026-RIZ001>008-131100-
/O.NEW.KBOX.FW.W.0001.210313T1200Z-210313T2200Z/
Hartford CT-Tolland CT-Windham CT-Western Franklin MA-
Eastern Franklin MA-Northern Worcester MA-Central Middlesex MA-
Western Essex MA-Eastern Essex MA-Western Hampshire MA-
Western Hampden MA-Eastern Hampshire MA-Eastern Hampden MA-
Southern Worcester MA-Western Norfolk MA-Southeast Middlesex MA-
Suffolk MA-Eastern Norfolk MA-Northern Bristol MA-
Western Plymouth MA-Eastern Plymouth MA-Southern Bristol MA-
Southern Plymouth MA-Barnstable MA-Dukes MA-Nantucket MA-
Northern Middlesex MA-Northwest Providence RI-
Southeast Providence RI-Western Kent RI-Eastern Kent RI-
Bristol RI-Washington RI-Newport RI-Block Island RI-
130 PM EST Fri Mar 12 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM TO 5 PM EST SATURDAY FOR
GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS AND VERY LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY ACROSS MUCH
OF SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND...

The National Weather Service in Boston/Norton has issued a Red
Flag Warning for gusty northwest winds and very low relative
humidity, which is in effect from 7 AM to 5 PM EST Saturday.

* AFFECTED AREA...North central and northeast Connecticut, all of
  Rhode Island, and Massachusetts from the east slopes of the
  Berkshires east through the remainder of the state, for
  locations where a snow pack no longer exists.

* TIMING...Saturday morning through late afternoon. 

* WINDS...Northwest 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 50 mph during
  Saturday morning. Winds diminishing by midday, to 10 to 15 mph
  with gusts to 25 to 30 mph. 

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...Between 20 and 30 percent. 

* TEMPERATURES...Afternoon highs in the mid 30s to upper 40s,
  coolest along the east slopes of the Berkshires. 

* IMPACTS...Dry weather and gusty winds will result in critical 
  fire weather conditions.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions
are expected. Any fires that start may spread rapidly and become 
difficult to extinguish.

&&

$$


For more information from the National Weather Service visit
http://weather.gov/box
For the latest updates...please visit our webpage at
www.weather.gov/boston

You can follow us on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/us.nationalweatherservice.boston.gov

You can follow us on Twitter at
@NWSBoston
3 follow-up statements
173 
WWUS81 KBOX 130312
RFWBOX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA
1012 PM EST Fri Mar 12 2021

CTZ002>004-MAZ002>024-026-RIZ001>008-131115-
/O.CON.KBOX.FW.W.0001.210313T1200Z-210313T2200Z/
Hartford CT-Tolland CT-Windham CT-Western Franklin MA-
Eastern Franklin MA-Northern Worcester MA-Central Middlesex MA-
Western Essex MA-Eastern Essex MA-Western Hampshire MA-
Western Hampden MA-Eastern Hampshire MA-Eastern Hampden MA-
Southern Worcester MA-Western Norfolk MA-Southeast Middlesex MA-
Suffolk MA-Eastern Norfolk MA-Northern Bristol MA-
Western Plymouth MA-Eastern Plymouth MA-Southern Bristol MA-
Southern Plymouth MA-Barnstable MA-Dukes MA-Nantucket MA-
Northern Middlesex MA-Northwest Providence RI-
Southeast Providence RI-Western Kent RI-Eastern Kent RI-
Bristol RI-Washington RI-Newport RI-Block Island RI-
1012 PM EST Fri Mar 12 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM TO 5 PM EST
SATURDAY FOR GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS AND VERY LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY
ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND...

* AFFECTED AREA...North central and northeast Connecticut, all 
  of Rhode Island, and Massachusetts from the east slopes of the 
  Berkshires east through the remainder of the state, for 
  locations where a snow pack no longer exists. 

* TIMING...Saturday morning through late afternoon.

* WINDS...Northwest 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 50 mph during 
  Saturday morning. Winds diminishing by midday, to 10 to 15 
  mph with gusts to 25 to 30 mph.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...Between 20 and 30 percent.

* TEMPERATURES...Afternoon highs in the mid 30s to upper 40s, 
  coolest along the east slopes of the Berkshires.

* IMPACTS...Dry weather and gusty winds will result in critical 
  fire weather conditions.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions
are expected. Any fires that start may spread rapidly and become
difficult to extinguish.

&&

$$
969 
WWUS81 KBOX 130829
RFWBOX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA
329 AM EST Sat Mar 13 2021


CTZ002>004-MAZ002>024-026-RIZ001>008-131630-
/O.CON.KBOX.FW.W.0001.210313T1200Z-210313T2200Z/
Hartford CT-Tolland CT-Windham CT-Western Franklin MA-
Eastern Franklin MA-Northern Worcester MA-Central Middlesex MA-
Western Essex MA-Eastern Essex MA-Western Hampshire MA-
Western Hampden MA-Eastern Hampshire MA-Eastern Hampden MA-
Southern Worcester MA-Western Norfolk MA-Southeast Middlesex MA-
Suffolk MA-Eastern Norfolk MA-Northern Bristol MA-
Western Plymouth MA-Eastern Plymouth MA-Southern Bristol MA-
Southern Plymouth MA-Barnstable MA-Dukes MA-Nantucket MA-
Northern Middlesex MA-Northwest Providence RI-
Southeast Providence RI-Western Kent RI-Eastern Kent RI-
Bristol RI-Washington RI-Newport RI-Block Island RI-
329 AM EST Sat Mar 13 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO
5 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON FOR GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS AND VERY LOW
RELATIVE HUMIDITY ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND...

* AFFECTED AREA...North central and northeast Connecticut, all 
  of Rhode Island, and Massachusetts from the east slopes of the 
  Berkshires east through the remainder of the state, for 
  locations where a snow pack no longer exists. 

* TIMING...Through 5 PM this evening.

* WINDS...Northwest 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 40 mph this
  morning. Winds diminishing by midday, to 10 to 20 mph with 
  gusts to 25 to 30 mph.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...Between 15 and 25 percent.

* TEMPERATURES...Afternoon highs in the 40s.

* IMPACTS...Dry weather and gusty winds will result in critical 
  fire weather conditions.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions
are expected. Any fires that start may spread rapidly and become
difficult to extinguish.

&&

$$

Frank
615 
WWUS81 KBOX 131530
RFWBOX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA
1030 AM EST Sat Mar 13 2021

CTZ002>004-MAZ002>024-026-RIZ001>008-132200-
/O.CON.KBOX.FW.W.0001.000000T0000Z-210313T2200Z/
Hartford CT-Tolland CT-Windham CT-Western Franklin MA-
Eastern Franklin MA-Northern Worcester MA-Central Middlesex MA-
Western Essex MA-Eastern Essex MA-Western Hampshire MA-
Western Hampden MA-Eastern Hampshire MA-Eastern Hampden MA-
Southern Worcester MA-Western Norfolk MA-Southeast Middlesex MA-
Suffolk MA-Eastern Norfolk MA-Northern Bristol MA-
Western Plymouth MA-Eastern Plymouth MA-Southern Bristol MA-
Southern Plymouth MA-Barnstable MA-Dukes MA-Nantucket MA-
Northern Middlesex MA-Northwest Providence RI-
Southeast Providence RI-Western Kent RI-Eastern Kent RI-
Bristol RI-Washington RI-Newport RI-Block Island RI-
1030 AM EST Sat Mar 13 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM EST THIS
AFTERNOON FOR FOR GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS AND VERY LOW RELATIVE  
HUMIDITY ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND...

* AFFECTED AREA...North central and northeast Connecticut, all 
  of Rhode Island, and Massachusetts from the east slopes of the 
  Berkshires east through the remainder of the state, for 
  locations where a snow pack no longer exists. 

* TIMING...Through 5 PM this evening.

* WINDS...Northwest 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 40 mph this 
  morning. Winds diminishing by midday, to 10 to 20 mph with 
  gusts to 25 to 30 mph.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...Between 15 and 25 percent.

* TEMPERATURES...Afternoon highs in the 40s.

* IMPACTS...Dry weather and gusty winds will result in critical 
  fire weather conditions.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions
are expected. Any fires that start may spread rapidly and become
difficult to extinguish.

&&

$$

The office that day

Everything else NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 12, 2:53 AM ESTWind AdvisoryBOXBarnstable, Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Franklin, Hampden and 7 more28 hr
Mar 12, 2:55 AM ESTGale WarningBOX33 hr

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Massachusetts, 2021Red Flag Warnings in Rhode Island, 2021Red Flag Warnings in Connecticut, 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.