Alert archive / Minnesota / Red Flag Warnings in 2021

Red Flag Warning 6, NWS Grand Forks, ND

May 1, 202117 counties in North Dakota; 18 counties in Minnesota

NWS Grand Forks, ND issued this red flag warning at May 1, 2021, 3:51 AM CDT for 17 counties in North Dakota; 18 counties in Minnesota. It took effect at May 1, 2021, 12:00 PM CDT. It was in force for 8 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
May 1, 2021, 3:51 AM CDT (08:51 UTC)
In effect from
May 1, 2021, 12:00 PM CDT
Expired
May 1, 2021, 8:00 PM CDT
In force
8 hr
Issued by
NWS Grand Forks, ND
All 35 counties

Becker County, MN, Beltrami County, MN, Clay County, MN, Clearwater County, MN, Grant County, MN, Hubbard County, MN, Kittson County, MN, Lake of the Woods County, MN, Mahnomen County, MN, Marshall County, MN, Norman County, MN, Otter Tail County, MN, Pennington County, MN, Polk County, MN, Red Lake County, MN, Roseau County, MN, Wadena County, MN, Wilkin County, MN, Barnes County, ND, Benson County, ND, Cass County, ND, Cavalier County, ND, Eddy County, ND, Grand Forks County, ND, Griggs County, ND, Nelson County, ND, Pembina County, ND, Ramsey County, ND, Ransom County, ND, Richland County, ND, Sargent County, ND, Steele County, ND, Towner County, ND, Traill County, ND, Walsh County, ND

The radar

The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 32 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:49 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

International Fa, MN (KINL), launched 00:00Z, 8.9 hours before the alert went out and 290 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, International Fa, MN at 00:00Z on 2021-05-01Temperature 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, International Fa, MN at 00:00Z on 2021-05-01The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 18 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
3176 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
41 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
18 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
201 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

057 
WWUS83 KFGF 010851
RFWFGF

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Grand Forks ND
351 AM CDT Sat May 1 2021

NDZ038-049-052-053-020100-
/O.NEW.KFGF.FW.W.0006.210501T1700Z-210502T0100Z/
Barnes-Ransom-Sargent-Richland-
351 AM CDT Sat May 1 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM CDT THIS
EVENING FOR LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND GUSTY WINDS FOR PORTIONS
OF SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA...

The National Weather Service in Grand Forks has issued a Red Flag
Warning for low relative humidity and gusty winds, which is in 
effect from noon today to 8 PM CDT this evening.

* AFFECTED AREA...In North Dakota...Fire Weather Zones 038... 
  049...052 and 053.

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

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 17 percent.

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.

&&

$$

Knutsvig
2 follow-up statements
028 
WWUS83 KFGF 011440
RFWFGF

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Grand Forks ND
940 AM CDT Sat May 1 2021

MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-024-
026>030-039-054-020100-
/O.EXA.KFGF.FW.W.0006.210501T1700Z-210502T0100Z/
West Polk-Norman-Clay-Kittson-Roseau-Lake Of The Woods-
West Marshall-East Marshall-North Beltrami-Pennington-Red Lake-
East Polk-North Clearwater-South Beltrami-Mahnomen-
South Clearwater-Hubbard-West Becker-East Becker-Wilkin-
West Otter Tail-East Otter Tail-Wadena-Grant-Towner-Cavalier-
Pembina-Benson-Ramsey-Eastern Walsh-Eddy-Nelson-Grand Forks-
Griggs-Steele-Traill-Cass-Western Walsh-
940 AM CDT Sat May 1 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR LOW
RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND GUSTY WINDS FOR EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND THE
NORTHWEST QUARTER OF MINNESOTA...

The National Weather Service in Grand Forks has issued a Red Flag
Warning for low relative humidity and gusty winds, which is in 
effect until 8 PM CDT this evening.

* AFFECTED AREA...In Minnesota...Fire Weather Zones 001...002...
  003...004...005...006...007...008...009...013...014...015...
  016... 017...022...023...024...027...028...029...030...031...
  032 and 040. In North Dakota...Fire Weather Zones 006...007...
  008...014... 015...016...024...026...027...028...029...030...
  039 and 054.

* WINDS...Northwest 10 to 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 17 percent.

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.

&&

$$

NDZ038-049-052-053-020100-
/O.CON.KFGF.FW.W.0006.210501T1700Z-210502T0100Z/
Barnes-Ransom-Sargent-Richland-
940 AM CDT Sat May 1 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING
FOR LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND GUSTY WINDS FOR SOUTHEAST NORTH
DAKOTA...

* AFFECTED AREA...In North Dakota...Fire Weather Zones 038... 
  049...052 and 053.

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

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 15 percent.

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.

&&

$$
448 
WWUS83 KFGF 020107
RFWFGF

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Grand Forks ND
807 PM CDT Sat May 1 2021

MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-024-
026>030-038-039-049-052>054-020215-
/O.EXP.KFGF.FW.W.0006.000000T0000Z-210502T0100Z/
West Polk-Norman-Clay-Kittson-Roseau-Lake Of The Woods-
West Marshall-East Marshall-North Beltrami-Pennington-Red Lake-
East Polk-North Clearwater-South Beltrami-Mahnomen-
South Clearwater-Hubbard-West Becker-East Becker-Wilkin-
West Otter Tail-East Otter Tail-Wadena-Grant-Towner-Cavalier-
Pembina-Benson-Ramsey-Eastern Walsh-Eddy-Nelson-Grand Forks-
Griggs-Steele-Traill-Barnes-Cass-Ransom-Sargent-Richland-
Western Walsh-
807 PM CDT Sat May 1 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING HAS EXPIRED...

Fire weather conditions are still borderline critical in the
northern Red River Valley as well as the Devils Lake Basin where a
cold front passage has helped boost northerly winds to around 20
to 25 mph. However, relative humidity values have improved to the
25 to 30 percent range as temperatures drop, and RH values will 
continue to increase in the next hour or so. The warning has been 
allowed to expire. 

$$

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Minnesota, 2021Red Flag Warnings in North Dakota, 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.