Alert archive / Montana / Red Flag Warnings in 2021

Red Flag Warning 3, NWS Billings, MT

April 29, 2021Carter County, Fallon County, Montana

NWS Billings, MT issued this red flag warning at Apr 29, 2021, 2:29 AM MDT for Carter County, Fallon County, Montana. It took effect at Apr 30, 2021, 11:00 AM MDT. 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
Apr 29, 2021, 2:29 AM MDT (08:29 UTC)
In effect from
Apr 30, 2021, 11:00 AM MDT
Expired
Apr 30, 2021, 9:00 PM MDT
In force
10 hr
Issued by
NWS Billings, MT

Counties Carter County, MT, Fallon County, MT

The radar

The Rapid City radar (KUDX), 238 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:28 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

Rapid City, SD (KUNR), launched 00:00Z, 8.5 hours before the alert went out and 241 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, Rapid City, SD at 00:00Z on 2021-04-29Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 19 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Rapid City, SD at 00:00Z on 2021-04-29The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 31 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
19 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-8 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2491 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
40 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
31 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
124 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

071 
WWUS85 KBYZ 290829
RFWBYZ

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Billings MT
229 AM MDT Thu Apr 29 2021

MTZ133-300830-
/O.NEW.KBYZ.FW.W.0003.210430T1700Z-210501T0300Z/
Sioux Ranger District Custer National Forest-
229 AM MDT Thu Apr 29 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM TO 9 PM MDT FRIDAY...

The National Weather Service in Billings has issued a Red Flag
Warning...which is in effect from 11 AM to 9 PM MDT Friday.

* IMPACTS: Low humidities, unseasonably warm temperatures, and
  gusty winds will create erratic fire behavior.  

* AFFECTED AREA: 
   In Southeast MT and Northwest SD Fire Zone...133.

* COUNTIES AFFECTED: 
   In Northwest SD...Harding.
   In Southeast MT...Carter...Fallon.

* WIND: West 15 to 20 mph with gusts up to 35 mph.

* HUMIDITY: As low as 16 percent.

* TEMPERATURES: In the 80s.

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.

&&

$$


http://weather.gov/Billings
4 follow-up statements
382 
WWUS85 KBYZ 292032
RFWBYZ

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Billings MT
232 PM MDT Thu Apr 29 2021

MTZ133-302045-
/O.CON.KBYZ.FW.W.0003.210430T1700Z-210501T0300Z/
Sioux Ranger District Custer National Forest-
232 PM MDT Thu Apr 29 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM TO 9 PM MDT
FRIDAY...

* IMPACTS: Low humidities, unseasonably warm temperatures, and
  strong gusty winds will create erratic fire behavior.

* AFFECTED AREA: 
   In Southeast MT and Northwest SD Fire Zone...133.

* COUNTIES AFFECTED: 
   In Northwest SD...Harding.
   In Southeast MT...Carter...Fallon.

* WIND: West 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph.

* HUMIDITY: As low as 15 percent.

* TEMPERATURES: In the mid to upper 80s.

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.

&&

$$


http://weather.gov/Billings
861 
WWUS85 KBYZ 300727
RFWBYZ

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Billings MT
127 AM MDT Fri Apr 30 2021

MTZ133-010300-
/O.CON.KBYZ.FW.W.0003.210430T1700Z-210501T0300Z/
Sioux Ranger District Custer National Forest-
127 AM MDT Fri Apr 30 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO
9 PM MDT THIS EVENING...

* IMPACTS: Low humidities, unseasonably warm temperatures, and
  strong gusty winds will create erratic fire behavior. 

* AFFECTED AREA: 
   In Southeast MT and Northwest SD Fire Zone...133.

* COUNTIES AFFECTED: 
   In Northwest SD...Harding.
   In Southeast MT...Carter...Fallon.

* WIND: West 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph.

* HUMIDITY: As low as 15 percent.

* TEMPERATURES: Mid to upper 80s.

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.

&&

$$

http://weather.gov/Billings
847 
WWUS85 KBYZ 302059
RFWBYZ

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Billings MT
259 PM MDT Fri Apr 30 2021

MTZ133-010300-
/O.CON.KBYZ.FW.W.0003.000000T0000Z-210501T0300Z/
Sioux Ranger District Custer National Forest-
259 PM MDT Fri Apr 30 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM MDT THIS
EVENING...

* IMPACTS: Low humidities, unseasonably warm temperatures, and
  strong gusty winds will create erratic fire behavior.

* AFFECTED AREA: 
   In Southeast MT and Northwest SD Fire Zone...133.

* COUNTIES AFFECTED: 
   In Northwest SD...Harding.
   In Southeast MT...Carter...Fallon.

* WIND: West 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph.

* HUMIDITY: As low as 15 percent.

* TEMPERATURES: Mid to upper 80s.

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.

&&

$$


http://weather.gov/Billings
254 
WWUS85 KBYZ 010318
RFWBYZ

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Billings MT
918 PM MDT Fri Apr 30 2021


MTZ133-010430-
/O.EXP.KBYZ.FW.W.0003.000000T0000Z-210501T0300Z/
Sioux Ranger District Custer National Forest-
918 PM MDT Fri Apr 30 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING HAS EXPIRED FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONE 133...

Wind has decreased and humidity is slowly climbing. Therefore the
Red Flag Warning was allowed to expire. Conditions will not be 
quite as warm and dry as today. 


&&

$$

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Montana, 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.