Alert archive / Iowa / Red Flag Warnings in 2021
Red Flag Warning 5, NWS Des Moines, IA
NWS Des Moines, IA issued this red flag warning at May 1, 2021, 3:57 AM CDT for 30 counties in Iowa. It took effect at May 1, 2021, 1:00 PM CDT. 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
- May 1, 2021, 3:57 AM CDT (08:57 UTC)
- In effect from
- May 1, 2021, 1:00 PM CDT
- Expired
- May 1, 2021, 7:00 PM CDT
- In force
- 6 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Des Moines, IA
All 30 counties
Adair County, IA, Audubon County, IA, Black Hawk County, IA, Boone County, IA, Bremer County, IA, Butler County, IA, Calhoun County, IA, Carroll County, IA, Cass County, IA, Cerro Gordo County, IA, Crawford County, IA, Dallas County, IA, Emmet County, IA, Franklin County, IA, Greene County, IA, Grundy County, IA, Guthrie County, IA, Hamilton County, IA, Hancock County, IA, Hardin County, IA, Humboldt County, IA, Kossuth County, IA, Palo Alto County, IA, Pocahontas County, IA, Sac County, IA, Story County, IA, Webster County, IA, Winnebago County, IA, Worth County, IA, Wright County, IA
The radar
The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 84 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:54 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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 1, 1:53 PM CDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 59 | 3 S Ames, IA | ASOS STATION KAMW AMES AIRPORT. |
| May 1, 3:28 PM CDT | NON-TSTM WND GST 62 | Grafton, IA | MEASURED BY HOME WEATHER STATION. FROM KAAL/ABC6 VIEWER. |
Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.
The nearest sounding before it
Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 00:00Z, 9.0 hours before the alert went out and 235 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 2917 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 35 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 71 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 306 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted.
884 WWUS83 KDMX 010857 RFWDMX URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Des Moines IA 357 AM CDT Sat May 1 2021 ...Extreme Fire Danger in Portions of Central and Northern Iowa This Afternoon... .Strong southwest winds, very warm temperatures, low relative humidity values along with mostly dry fuels will combine to produce extreme fire conditions in portions of central and northern Iowa this afternoon. Elevated fire conditions are expected elsewhere in central and southern Iowa. IAZ004>007-015>017-023>026-033>037-044>047-011700- /O.NEW.KDMX.FW.W.0005.210501T1800Z-210502T0000Z/ Emmet-Kossuth-Winnebago-Worth-Palo Alto-Hancock-Cerro Gordo- Pocahontas-Humboldt-Wright-Franklin-Sac-Calhoun-Webster-Hamilton- Hardin-Crawford-Carroll-Greene-Boone- 357 AM CDT Sat May 1 2021 ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR EXTREME FIRE CONDITIONS... The National Weather Service in Des Moines has issued a Red Flag Warning, which is in effect from 1 PM this afternoon to 7 PM CDT this evening. * AFFECTED AREA...Portions of central and northern Iowa. * WIND...Southwest winds at 20 to 30 mph gusting up to 40 mph. * HUMIDITY...Dropping to between 20 to 25 percent this afternoon. * IMPACTS...Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly. 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. && $$
3 follow-up statements
278 WWUS83 KDMX 011502 RFWDMX URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Des Moines IA 1002 AM CDT Sat May 1 2021 ...Extreme Fire Danger Northwest Half Of Iowa Today... .Strong southwest winds, very warm temperatures, and low relative humidity along with mostly dry fuels will combine to produce extreme fire conditions this afternoon. Elevated fire conditions are expected elsewhere across southern and eastern Iowa. IAZ027-028-038-039-048-057>059-070-071-012315- /O.EXA.KDMX.FW.W.0005.210501T1800Z-210502T0000Z/ Butler-Bremer-Grundy-Black Hawk-Story-Audubon-Guthrie-Dallas-Cass- Adair- 1002 AM CDT Sat May 1 2021 ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR EXTREME FIRE CONDITIONS.... The National Weather Service in Des Moines has issued a Red Flag Warning FOR EXTREME FIRE CONDITIONS, which is in effect from 1 PM this afternoon to 7 PM CDT this evening. * AFFECTED AREA...Portions of western, central and northern Iowa. * WIND...Sustained southwest winds of 20 to 30 mph gusting up to 40 mph. * HUMIDITY...Dropping to near 20 percent this afternoon. * IMPACTS...Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is not recommended. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will shortly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior. && $$ IAZ004>007-015>017-023>026-033>037-044>047-012315- /O.CON.KDMX.FW.W.0005.210501T1800Z-210502T0000Z/ Emmet-Kossuth-Winnebago-Worth-Palo Alto-Hancock-Cerro Gordo- Pocahontas-Humboldt-Wright-Franklin-Sac-Calhoun-Webster-Hamilton- Hardin-Crawford-Carroll-Greene-Boone- 1002 AM CDT Sat May 1 2021 ...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR EXTREME FIRE CONDITIONS... * AFFECTED AREA...Portions of western, central and northern Iowa. * WIND...Sustained southwest winds of 20 to 30 mph gusting up to 40 mph. * HUMIDITY...Dropping to near 20 percent this afternoon. * IMPACTS...Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly. 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. && $$
869 WWUS83 KDMX 011917 RFWDMX URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Des Moines IA 217 PM CDT Sat May 1 2021 ...Extreme Fire Danger Northwest Half Of Iowa Today... .Strong southwest winds, very warm temperatures, and low relative humidity along with mostly dry fuels are combining to produce extreme fire conditions across northern and western, into central Iowa this afternoon. Elevated fire conditions are expected elsewhere across southern and eastern Iowa. IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-044>048-057>059-070-071-020000- /O.CON.KDMX.FW.W.0005.000000T0000Z-210502T0000Z/ Emmet-Kossuth-Winnebago-Worth-Palo Alto-Hancock-Cerro Gordo- Pocahontas-Humboldt-Wright-Franklin-Butler-Bremer-Sac-Calhoun- Webster-Hamilton-Hardin-Grundy-Black Hawk-Crawford-Carroll-Greene- Boone-Story-Audubon-Guthrie-Dallas-Cass-Adair- 217 PM CDT Sat May 1 2021 ...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR EXTREME FIRE CONDITIONS.... * AFFECTED AREA...Portions of western, central and northern Iowa. * WIND...Southwest winds of 25 to 35 mph, gusting in excess of 45 mph at times. * HUMIDITY...15 to 20 percent this afternoon, then slowly climbing later in the day. * IMPACTS...Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is not recommended. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will shortly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior. && $$ Lee
777 WWUS83 KDMX 020001 RFWDMX URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Des Moines IA 701 PM CDT Sat May 1 2021 IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-044>048-057>059-070-071-020115- /O.EXP.KDMX.FW.W.0005.000000T0000Z-210502T0000Z/ Emmet-Kossuth-Winnebago-Worth-Palo Alto-Hancock-Cerro Gordo- Pocahontas-Humboldt-Wright-Franklin-Butler-Bremer-Sac-Calhoun- Webster-Hamilton-Hardin-Grundy-Black Hawk-Crawford-Carroll-Greene- Boone-Story-Audubon-Guthrie-Dallas-Cass-Adair- 701 PM CDT Sat May 1 2021 ...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR EXTREME FIRE CONDITIONS.... Winds should diminish somewhat this evening, especially with respect to gusts, so the Red Flag Warning will be allowed to expire at 7 PM. Although extreme conditions are not expected later this evening, fire weather conditions will still remain somewhat elevated into the night due to warm temperatures and low humidities, as well as dry grasses and crop debris. Outdoor burning is still not recommended as fires could develop and spread relatively quickly. $$ Small
Nearby
Red Flag Warnings in Iowa, 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.