Alert archive / South Carolina / Red Flag Warnings in 2021

Red Flag Warning 1, NWS Columbia, SC

April 21, 20215 counties in Georgia; 18 counties in South Carolina

NWS Columbia, SC issued this red flag warning at Apr 21, 2021, 1:37 AM EDT for 5 counties in Georgia; 18 counties in South Carolina. It took effect at Apr 21, 2021, 2:00 PM EDT. It was in force for 6 hr. 2 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
Apr 21, 2021, 1:37 AM EDT (05:37 UTC)
In effect from
Apr 21, 2021, 2:00 PM EDT
Expired
Apr 21, 2021, 8:00 PM EDT
In force
6 hr
Issued by
NWS Columbia, SC
All 23 counties

Burke County, GA, Columbia County, GA, Lincoln County, GA, McDuffie County, GA, Richmond County, GA, Aiken County, SC, Bamberg County, SC, Barnwell County, SC, Calhoun County, SC, Chesterfield County, SC, Clarendon County, SC, Edgefield County, SC, Fairfield County, SC, Kershaw County, SC, Lancaster County, SC, Lee County, SC, Lexington County, SC, McCormick County, SC, Newberry County, SC, Orangeburg County, SC, Richland County, SC, Saluda County, SC, Sumter County, SC

The radar

The Columbia radar (KCAE), 22 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 05:40 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
Apr 21, 4:58 PM EDTWILDFIRE4 Nw Aiken, SCWILDFIRE REPORTED BY AIKEN COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AT 458 PM APR 21 2021. SOUTH CAROLINA FORESTRY COMMISSION CURRENTLY WORKING THE FIRE WITH AN ESTIMATED SIZE OF 90 ACRES. A LOCAL VOLUNTARY EVACUATION WAS RECOMMENDED BY AIKEN COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. N
Apr 21, 6:18 PM EDTWILDFIRE3 Ne Hephzibah, GAGEORGIA FORESTRY COMMISSION REPORTED A WILDFIRE NEAR WILSON ROAD. SIZE APROXIMATELY 60 ACRES. AS OF 618 PM APR 21 2021 THE WILDFIRE WAS REPORTED AS IN THE MOP UP PHASE.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Charleston AFB, SC (KCHS), launched 00:00Z, 5.6 hours before the alert went out and 160 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, Charleston AFB, SC at 00:00Z on 2021-04-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 13 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, Charleston AFB, SC at 00:00Z on 2021-04-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 99 square meters per square second.1939587897117136Sfc1 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
13 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-29 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1413 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
47 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
99 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
215 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
-0.0
Supercell composite
-0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

786 
WWUS82 KCAE 210537
RFWCAE

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Columbia SC
137 AM EDT Wed Apr 21 2021

...ELEVATED FIRE DANGER EXPECTED FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND 
EVENING...

GAZ040-063>065-077-SCZ016-018-020>022-025>031-035-037-038-041-115-
116-135>137-220000-
/O.UPG.KCAE.FW.A.0001.210421T1800Z-210422T0000Z/
/O.NEW.KCAE.FW.W.0001.210421T1800Z-210422T0000Z/
Lincoln-McDuffie-Columbia-Richmond-Burke-Chesterfield-McCormick-
Newberry-Fairfield-Kershaw-Edgefield-Saluda-Lexington-Richland-
Lee-Aiken-Sumter-Barnwell-Calhoun-Clarendon-Bamberg-
Northern Lancaster-Southern Lancaster-Northwestern Orangeburg-
Central Orangeburg-Southeastern Orangeburg-
137 AM EDT Wed Apr 21 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 PM
EDT THIS EVENING FOR STRONG WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY AHEAD
OF AND BEHIND A DRY COLD FRONT...

The National Weather Service in Columbia has issued a Red Flag
Warning for strong winds and low relative humidity, which is in 
effect from 2 PM this afternoon to 8 PM EDT this evening. The Fire
Weather Watch is no longer in effect.

* FOR the Midlands of South Carolina and Central Savannah River 
  Valley Area of Georgia

* AFFECTED AREA...Chesterfield, McCormick, Newberry, Fairfield, 
  Kershaw, Edgefield, Saluda, Lexington, Richland, Lee, Aiken, 
  Sumter, Barnwell, Calhoun, Clarendon, Lincoln, Bamberg, 
  McDuffie, Columbia, Richmond, Burke, Northern Lancaster, 
  Southern Lancaster, Northwestern Orangeburg, Central 
  Orangeburg and Southeastern Orangeburg.

* TIMING...2pm to 8pm Today

* WINDS...West 15 to 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 25 percent.

* TEMPERATURES...Ranging from the upper 60s to the upper 70s.

* IMPACTS...With dry fuels and strong gusty winds behind the cold
  front, extreme fire behavior possible. Outdoor burning is not
  recommended.

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.

&&

$$
1 follow-up statement
764 
WWUS82 KCAE 211820
RFWCAE

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Columbia SC
220 PM EDT Wed Apr 21 2021

...ELEVATED FIRE DANGER CONTINUES THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...

GAZ040-063>065-077-SCZ016-018-020>022-025>031-035-037-038-041-115-
116-135>137-220000-
/O.CON.KCAE.FW.W.0001.000000T0000Z-210422T0000Z/
Lincoln-McDuffie-Columbia-Richmond-Burke-Chesterfield-McCormick-
Newberry-Fairfield-Kershaw-Edgefield-Saluda-Lexington-Richland-
Lee-Aiken-Sumter-Barnwell-Calhoun-Clarendon-Bamberg-
Northern Lancaster-Southern Lancaster-Northwestern Orangeburg-
Central Orangeburg-Southeastern Orangeburg-
220 PM EDT Wed Apr 21 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING
FOR STRONG WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY BEHIND A DRY COLD 
FRONT...

* FOR the Midlands of South Carolina and Central Savannah River 
  Valley Area of Georgia

* AFFECTED AREA...Chesterfield, McCormick, Newberry, Fairfield, 
  Kershaw, Edgefield, Saluda, Lexington, Richland, Lee, Aiken, 
  Sumter, Barnwell, Calhoun, Clarendon, Lincoln, Bamberg, 
  McDuffie, Columbia, Richmond, Burke, Northern Lancaster, 
  Southern Lancaster, Northwestern Orangeburg, Central 
  Orangeburg and Southeastern Orangeburg.

* TIMING...Through 8pm this evening

* WINDS...West 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 23 percent.

* TEMPERATURES...Mid to upper 70s this afternoon.

* IMPACTS...With dry fuels and strong gusty winds behind the 
  cold front, extreme fire behavior possible. Outdoor burning is 
  not recommended.

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.

&&

$$

The office that day

Everything else NWS Columbia, SC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 21, 1:17 AM EDTLake Wind AdvisoryCAEBurke, Columbia, Lincoln, McDuffie, Richmond31 hr
Apr 21, 2:25 PM EDTFrost AdvisoryCAELincoln18 hr

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in South Carolina, 2021Red Flag Warnings in Georgia, 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.