Alert archive / North Carolina / Red Flag Warnings in 2021

Red Flag Warning 1, NWS Raleigh, NC

April 21, 202123 counties in North Carolina

NWS Raleigh, NC issued this red flag warning at Apr 21, 2021, 3:22 AM EDT for 23 counties in North Carolina. It took effect at Apr 21, 2021, 2:00 PM EDT. It was in force for 6 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 21, 2021, 3:22 AM EDT (07:22 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 Raleigh, NC
All 23 counties

Alamance County, NC, Anson County, NC, Chatham County, NC, Davidson County, NC, Durham County, NC, Forsyth County, NC, Franklin County, NC, Granville County, NC, Guilford County, NC, Harnett County, NC, Hoke County, NC, Lee County, NC, Montgomery County, NC, Moore County, NC, Orange County, NC, Person County, NC, Randolph County, NC, Richmond County, NC, Scotland County, NC, Stanly County, NC, Vance County, NC, Wake County, NC, Warren County, NC

The radar

The Raleigh/Durham radar (KRAX), 74 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 07:26 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

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 00:00Z, 7.4 hours before the alert went out and 67 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, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 00:00Z on 2021-04-21Temperature 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, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 00:00Z on 2021-04-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 51 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
2214 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
38 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
51 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
151 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

430 
WWUS82 KRAH 210722
RFWRAH

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Raleigh NC
322 AM EDT Wed Apr 21 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING THIS AFTERNOON...

.A dry cold front will move through the region by mid-day. It will
become windy and dry this afternoon increasing the fire danger
concerns. 

NCZ007>010-021>026-038>041-073>077-083>086-211530-
/O.UPG.KRAH.FW.A.0001.210421T1800Z-210422T0000Z/
/O.NEW.KRAH.FW.W.0001.210421T1800Z-210422T0000Z/
Person-Granville-Vance-Warren-Forsyth-Guilford-Alamance-Orange-
Durham-Franklin-Davidson-Randolph-Chatham-Wake-Stanly-Montgomery-
Moore-Lee-Harnett-Anson-Richmond-Scotland-Hoke-
322 AM EDT Wed Apr 21 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 PM
EDT THIS EVENING FOR FOR THE PIEDMONT AND SANDHILLS...

The National Weather Service in Raleigh has issued a Red Flag
Warning for the Piedmont and Sandhills, which is in effect from 2
PM this afternoon to 8 PM EDT this evening. The Fire Weather 
Watch is no longer in effect.

* AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zone 007 Person, Fire Weather 
  Zone 008 Granville, Fire Weather Zone 009 Vance, Fire Weather 
  Zone 010 Warren, Fire Weather Zone 021 Forsyth, Fire Weather 
  Zone 022 Guilford, Fire Weather Zone 023 Alamance, Fire 
  Weather Zone 024 Orange, Fire Weather Zone 025 Durham, Fire 
  Weather Zone 026 Franklin, Fire Weather Zone 038 Davidson, 
  Fire Weather Zone 039 Randolph, Fire Weather Zone 040 Chatham, 
  Fire Weather Zone 041 Wake, Fire Weather Zone 073 Stanly, Fire 
  Weather Zone 074 Montgomery, Fire Weather Zone 075 Moore, Fire 
  Weather Zone 076 Lee, Fire Weather Zone 077 Harnett, Fire 
  Weather Zone 083 Anson, Fire Weather Zone 084 Richmond, Fire 
  Weather Zone 085 Scotland and Fire Weather Zone 086 Hoke.

* TIMING...Wednesday afternoon and evening.

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

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 20 percent.

* TEMPERATURES...High temperatures in the upper 60s. 

* FUEL MOISTURE...Already seasonably low, under 10 percent, and 
  likely to drop further with no wetting rain in the forecast 
  through Wednesday.

* IMPACTS...Outdoor fires may easily grow out of control in 
  these conditions.

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 will
create dangerous fire behavior.

&&

$$
2 follow-up statements
883 
WWUS82 KRAH 211501
RFWRAH

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Raleigh NC
1101 AM EDT Wed Apr 21 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING THIS AFTERNOON...

.A dry cold front will move through the region through the early
afternoon. It will become windy and dry this afternoon increasing
the fire danger concerns.

NCZ007>010-021>026-038>041-073>077-083>086-220000-
/O.CON.KRAH.FW.W.0001.210421T1800Z-210422T0000Z/
Person-Granville-Vance-Warren-Forsyth-Guilford-Alamance-Orange-
Durham-Franklin-Davidson-Randolph-Chatham-Wake-Stanly-Montgomery-
Moore-Lee-Harnett-Anson-Richmond-Scotland-Hoke-
1101 AM EDT Wed Apr 21 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO
8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR FOR THE PIEDMONT AND SANDHILLS...

* AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zone 007 Person, Fire Weather 
  Zone 008 Granville, Fire Weather Zone 009 Vance, Fire Weather 
  Zone 010 Warren, Fire Weather Zone 021 Forsyth, Fire Weather 
  Zone 022 Guilford, Fire Weather Zone 023 Alamance, Fire 
  Weather Zone 024 Orange, Fire Weather Zone 025 Durham, Fire 
  Weather Zone 026 Franklin, Fire Weather Zone 038 Davidson, 
  Fire Weather Zone 039 Randolph, Fire Weather Zone 040 Chatham, 
  Fire Weather Zone 041 Wake, Fire Weather Zone 073 Stanly, Fire 
  Weather Zone 074 Montgomery, Fire Weather Zone 075 Moore, Fire 
  Weather Zone 076 Lee, Fire Weather Zone 077 Harnett, Fire 
  Weather Zone 083 Anson, Fire Weather Zone 084 Richmond, Fire 
  Weather Zone 085 Scotland and Fire Weather Zone 086 Hoke.

* TIMING...This afternoon and evening.

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

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 20 percent.

* TEMPERATURES...High temperatures in the upper 60s.

* FUEL MOISTURE...Already seasonably low, under 10 percent, and 
  likely to drop further with no wetting rain in the forecast 
  through Wednesday.

* IMPACTS...Outdoor fires may easily grow out of control in 
  these conditions.

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 will
create dangerous fire behavior.

&&

$$
560 
WWUS82 KRAH 220006
RFWRAH

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Raleigh NC
806 PM EDT Wed Apr 21 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING EXPIRING AT 8 PM THIS EVENING...

.Winds will gradually relax tonight.

NCZ007>010-021>026-038>041-073>077-083>086-220115-
/O.EXP.KRAH.FW.W.0001.000000T0000Z-210422T0000Z/
Person-Granville-Vance-Warren-Forsyth-Guilford-Alamance-Orange-
Durham-Franklin-Davidson-Randolph-Chatham-Wake-Stanly-Montgomery-
Moore-Lee-Harnett-Anson-Richmond-Scotland-Hoke-
806 PM EDT Wed Apr 21 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR
STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR THE NORTH
CAROLINA PIEDMONT.

Winds will gradually relax tonight. Winds will become strong and
gusty again tomorrow, combined with relative humidity values 
around 20 percent Increased Fire Danger is once again expected.

$$

The office that day

Everything else NWS Raleigh, NC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 21, 10:58 AM EDTFrost AdvisoryRAHCumberland, Edgecombe, Halifax, Harnett, Hoke, Johnston and 6 more21 hr
Apr 21, 10:58 AM EDTFreeze WarningRAHAlamance, Anson, Chatham, Davidson, Durham, Forsyth and 13 more21 hr

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in North Carolina, 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.