Alert archive / Montana / Red Flag Warnings in 2021

Red Flag Warning 11, NWS Great Falls, MT

August 4, 20219 counties in Montana

NWS Great Falls, MT issued this red flag warning at Aug 4, 2021, 2:35 PM MDT for 9 counties in Montana. It took effect at Aug 5, 2021, 12:00 PM MDT. It was in force for 12 hr. 3 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
Aug 4, 2021, 2:35 PM MDT (20:35 UTC)
In effect from
Aug 5, 2021, 12:00 PM MDT
Expired
Aug 6, 2021, 12:00 AM MDT
In force
12 hr
Issued by
NWS Great Falls, MT

Counties Broadwater County, MT, Cascade County, MT, Fergus County, MT, Gallatin County, MT, Jefferson County, MT, Judith Basin County, MT, Lewis and Clark County, MT, Meagher County, MT, Powell County, MT

The radar

The Great Falls radar (KTFX), 86 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:37 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
Aug 5, 5:39 PM MDTTSTM WND GST 542 E Helena, MTASOS STATION KHLN HELENA AIRPORT.
Aug 5, 5:50 PM MDTTSTM WND GST 632 E Helena, MTASOS STATION KHLN HELENA AIRPORT.
Aug 5, 6:28 PM MDTNON-TSTM WND GST 638 Ssw Wolf Creek, MTMESONET STATION MTSBN 8.4 S WOLF CREEK (MT DOT).

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

The nearest sounding before it

Great_falls, MT (KTFX), launched 12:00Z, 8.6 hours before the alert went out and 101 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, Great_falls, MT at 12:00Z on 2021-08-04Temperature 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, Great_falls, MT at 12:00Z on 2021-08-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -14 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
3035 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
24 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-14 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
45 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

152 
WWUS85 KTFX 042035
RFWTFX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Great Falls MT
235 PM MDT Wed Aug 4 2021

MTZ116>118-051145-
/O.NEW.KTFX.FW.W.0011.210805T1800Z-210806T0600Z/
Lincoln Ranger District of the Helena National Forest-
Central and Eastern Lewis and Clark National Forest Areas-
Helena and Townsend Ranger Districts of the Helena National Forest-
235 PM MDT Wed Aug 4 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON THURSDAY TO MIDNIGHT MDT
THURSDAY NIGHT FOR DRY LIGHTNING AND GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS FOR FIRE 
WEATHER ZONES 116, 117, AND 118...

The National Weather Service in Great Falls has issued a Red Flag
Warning for dry lightning and gusty outflow winds, which is in 
effect from noon Thursday to midnight MDT Thursday night.

* AFFECTED AREA...Lincoln Ranger District of the Helena National 
  Forest, Central and Eastern Lewis and Clark National Forest 
  Areas and Helena and Townsend Ranger Districts of the Helena 
  National Forest.

* TIMING...Thunderstorms will begin to push into Southwestern
  Montana tomorrow afternoon, and will last into the evening

* TEMPERATURES...In the mid 70s.

* WINDS...Southwest 5 to 15 mph with gusts up to 30 mph.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...15 to 20 percent.

* IMPACTS...Lightning in and near thunderstorms may cause new fire
  starts. In addition, gusty outflow winds may cause existing fires
  to exhibit erratic behavior.

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.

Please advise the appropriate officials or fire crews in these
areas of this Red Flag Warning.

&&

$$

http://www.weather.gov/greatfalls
3 follow-up statements
170 
WWUS85 KTFX 050755
RFWTFX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Great Falls MT
155 AM MDT Thu Aug 5 2021

MTZ116>118-060000-
/O.CON.KTFX.FW.W.0011.210805T1800Z-210806T0600Z/
Lincoln Ranger District of the Helena National Forest-
Central and Eastern Lewis and Clark National Forest Areas-
Helena and Townsend Ranger Districts of the Helena National Forest-
155 AM MDT Thu Aug 5 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO MIDNIGHT
MDT TONIGHT FOR DRY THUNDERSTORMS WITH GUSTY AND ERRATIC OUTFLOW
WINDS FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 116, 117, AND 118...

* AFFECTED AREA...Lincoln Ranger District of the Helena National 
  Forest, Central and Eastern Lewis and Clark National Forest 
  Areas and Helena and Townsend Ranger Districts of the Helena 
  National Forest.

* THUNDERSTORMS...Storms will begin to push into Southwestern
  Montana from Idaho by the late morning and early afternoon hours
  today, lifting northeast into Central Montana by the mid-
  afternoon or early evening hours tonight. Storms are initially
  expected to be dry this afternoon, before becoming more wet by 
  the evening hours.

* WINDS...Southwest 10 to 15 mph, with gusts up to 30 mph.

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

* IMPACTS...Lightning in and near thunderstorms may cause new 
  fire starts. In addition, gusty outflow winds may cause 
  existing fires to exhibit erratic behavior.

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.

Please advise the appropriate officials or fire crews in these
areas of this Red Flag Warning.

&&

Moldan

$$

http://www.weather.gov/greatfalls
907 
WWUS85 KTFX 051929
RFWTFX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Great Falls MT
129 PM MDT Thu Aug 5 2021

MTZ116>118-060600-
/O.CON.KTFX.FW.W.0011.000000T0000Z-210806T0600Z/
Lincoln Ranger District of the Helena National Forest-
Central and Eastern Lewis and Clark National Forest Areas-
Helena and Townsend Ranger Districts of the Helena National Forest-
129 PM MDT Thu Aug 5 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT MDT TONIGHT
FOR DRY THUNDERSTORMS WITH GUSTY AND ERRATIC OUTFLOW WINDS FOR
FIRE WEATHER ZONES 116, 117, AND 118...

* AFFECTED AREA...Lincoln Ranger District of the Helena National 
  Forest, Central and Eastern Lewis and Clark National Forest 
  Areas and Helena and Townsend Ranger Districts of the Helena 
  National Forest.

* THUNDERSTORMS...Isolated dry thunderstorms are possible.

* WINDS...Southwest 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 30 mph.

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

* IMPACTS...Lightning in and near thunderstorms may cause new 
  fire starts. In addition, gusty outflow winds may cause 
  existing fires to exhibit erratic behavior.

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.

Please advise the appropriate officials or fire crews in these
areas of this Red Flag Warning.

&&

$$

http://www.weather.gov/greatfalls
196 
WWUS85 KTFX 060539
RFWTFX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Great Falls MT
1139 PM MDT Thu Aug 5 2021

MTZ116>118-060645-
/O.EXP.KTFX.FW.W.0011.000000T0000Z-210806T0600Z/
Lincoln Ranger District of the Helena National Forest-
Central and Eastern Lewis and Clark National Forest Areas-
Helena and Townsend Ranger Districts of the Helena National Forest-
1139 PM MDT Thu Aug 5 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT MIDNIGHT MDT TONIGHT FOR FIRE 
WEATHER ZONES 116, 117, AND 118...

Isolated light rain showers continue to dissipate, with decreasing 
winds and rising humidity.

$$

http://www.weather.gov/greatfalls

The office that day

Everything else NWS Great Falls, MT issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 3, 6:29 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXBlaine31 min
Aug 3, 6:32 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXMeagher28 min
Aug 4, 3:03 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXGlacier42 min
Aug 4, 3:18 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTFXGlacier42 min
Aug 4, 3:36 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXCascade24 min
Aug 4, 3:44 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXGlacier31 min
Aug 4, 3:55 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTFXGlacier12 min
Aug 4, 3:59 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXGlacier46 min
Aug 4, 4:09 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXToole51 min
Aug 4, 4:13 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXCascade32 min
Aug 4, 4:14 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXCascade31 min
Aug 4, 4:15 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXTeton30 min
Aug 4, 4:18 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXLewis and Clark27 min
Aug 4, 4:23 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXPondera37 min
Aug 4, 4:26 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXGlacier49 min
Aug 4, 4:41 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXCascade49 min
Aug 4, 4:45 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXTeton45 min
Aug 4, 4:47 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXCascade43 min
Aug 4, 4:48 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXJudith Basin27 min
Aug 4, 4:51 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXGlacier24 min
Aug 4, 4:53 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXToole37 min
Aug 4, 4:56 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXToole34 min
Aug 4, 4:57 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXPondera33 min
Aug 4, 5:01 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXTeton29 min
Aug 4, 5:11 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXMeagher34 min
Aug 4, 5:17 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXGlacier28 min
Aug 4, 5:18 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXTeton27 min
Aug 4, 5:23 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXTeton37 min
Aug 4, 5:25 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXCascade35 min
Aug 4, 5:25 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXLiberty50 min
Aug 4, 5:32 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXTeton28 min
Aug 4, 5:37 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXTeton23 min
Aug 4, 5:42 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXMeagher33 min
Aug 4, 5:50 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXToole40 min
Aug 4, 5:57 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXCascade33 min

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Montana, 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.