Alert archive / Virginia / Red Flag Warnings in 2021

Red Flag Warning 3, NWS Baltimore/Washington

April 30, 2021Orange County, Spotsylvania County, City of Fredericksburg, Virginia

NWS Baltimore/Washington issued this red flag warning at Apr 30, 2021, 12:24 PM EDT for Orange County, Spotsylvania County, City of Fredericksburg, Virginia. It was in force for 7 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 30, 2021, 12:24 PM EDT (16:24 UTC)
Expired
Apr 30, 2021, 7:29 PM EDT
In force
7 hr
Issued by
NWS Baltimore/Washington

Counties City of Fredericksburg, VA, Orange County, VA, Spotsylvania County, VA

The radar

The Sterling radar (KLWX), 84 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 16:26 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

Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 12:00Z, 4.4 hours before the alert went out and 83 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, Washington/Dulle, VA at 12:00Z on 2021-04-30Temperature 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, Washington/Dulle, VA at 12:00Z on 2021-04-30The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 10 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
1380 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
58 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
10 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
9 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

472 
WWUS81 KLWX 301624
RFWLWX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC
1224 PM EDT Fri Apr 30 2021

VAZ050-056-010000-
/O.NEW.KLWX.FW.W.0003.210430T1624Z-210501T0000Z/
Orange-Spotsylvania-
1224 PM EDT Fri Apr 30 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR LOW
HUMIDITY AND STRONG WINDS FOR ORANGE AND SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTIES...

The National Weather Service in Baltimore MD/Washington has
issued a Red Flag Warning for low humidity and strong wind, which
is in effect until 8 PM EDT this evening.

* WINDS...Northwest 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 45 mph.

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

* IMPACTS...Critical fire weather conditions are expected through
  this evening. All outdoor burning is discouraged, as fires 
  could rapidly spread and become uncontrollable.

* FUEL MOISTURE...Around 8 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.

&&

$$

DHOF
1 follow-up statement
961 
WWUS81 KLWX 302329
RFWLWX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC
729 PM EDT Fri Apr 30 2021

VAZ050-056-010030-
/O.CAN.KLWX.FW.W.0003.000000T0000Z-210501T0000Z/
Orange-Spotsylvania-
729 PM EDT Fri Apr 30 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING IS CANCELLED FOR STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY 
FOR ORANGE...SPOTSYLVANIA AND CITY OF FREDERICKSBURG...

The National Weather Service in Baltimore MD/Washington has
cancelled the Red Flag Warning.

Humidities have risen as showers have arrived.

$$

The office that day

Everything else NWS Baltimore/Washington issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 29, 8:18 PM EDTHigh Wind WarningLWXAlbemarle, Amherst, Arlington, Augusta, Fairfax, Greene and 12 more25 hr
Apr 29, 8:18 PM EDTWind AdvisoryLWXAlbemarle, Amherst, Arlington, Augusta, Clarke, Culpeper and 24 more30 hr
Apr 29, 8:36 PM EDTStorm WarningLWX24 hr
Apr 29, 10:32 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningLWX99 min
Apr 29, 10:34 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningLWX116 min
Apr 29, 11:20 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningLWX115 min
Apr 29, 11:25 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningLWX2 hr
Apr 29, 11:53 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningLWX2 hr
Apr 30, 12:09 AM EDTSpecial Marine WarningLWX2 hr
Apr 30, 12:29 PM EDTFreeze WarningLWXHighland21 hr
Apr 30, 4:31 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLWXLoudoun29 min
Apr 30, 4:36 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningLWX59 min
Apr 30, 4:38 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningLWX49 min
Apr 30, 4:39 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLWXArlington, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, Prince William, City of Alexandria and 4 more36 min
Apr 30, 5:05 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningLWX45 min
Apr 30, 5:08 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningLWX54 min

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Virginia, 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.