Alert archive / Montana / Red Flag Warnings in 2021

Red Flag Warning 16, NWS Great Falls, MT

September 8, 202117 counties in Montana

NWS Great Falls, MT issued this red flag warning at Sep 8, 2021, 12:57 PM MDT for 17 counties in Montana. It took effect at Sep 9, 2021, 12:00 PM MDT. It was in force for 9 hr. 1 report 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
Sep 8, 2021, 12:57 PM MDT (18:57 UTC)
In effect from
Sep 9, 2021, 12:00 PM MDT
Expired
Sep 9, 2021, 9:00 PM MDT
In force
9 hr
Issued by
NWS Great Falls, MT

Counties Blaine County, MT, Broadwater County, MT, Cascade County, MT, Chouteau County, MT, Fergus County, MT, Gallatin County, MT, Glacier County, MT, Hill County, MT, Jefferson County, MT, Judith Basin County, MT, Lewis and Clark County, MT, Liberty County, MT, Meagher County, MT, Phillips County, MT, Pondera County, MT, Teton County, MT, Toole County, MT

The radar

The Great Falls radar (KTFX), 33 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:03 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
Sep 9, 7:19 PM MDTTSTM WND GST 435 E Gallatin Gateway, MTMESONET STATION FW1650 BOZEMAN.

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, 7.0 hours before the alert went out and 30 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 2021-09-08Temperature 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 2021-09-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -17 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
2726 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
39 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-17 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
36 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

783 
WWUS85 KTFX 081857
RFWTFX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Great Falls MT
1257 PM MDT Wed Sep 8 2021

MTZ112>115-117-118-091200-
/O.UPG.KTFX.FW.A.0012.210909T1800Z-210910T0300Z/
/O.NEW.KTFX.FW.W.0016.210909T1800Z-210910T0300Z/
Eastern Glacier/Toole/Central/Eastern Pondera/Liberty-
Hill and Blaine Counties-
Lewis and Clark National Forest Rocky Mountain District-
Rocky Mountain Front-Chouteau and Fergus Counties-
Central and Eastern Lewis and Clark National Forest Areas-
Helena and Townsend Ranger Districts of the Helena National Forest-
1257 PM MDT Wed Sep 8 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TO 9 PM MDT THURSDAY FOR
VERY WARM TEMPERATURES, GUSTY WINDS, AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR
FIRE WEATHER ZONES 112, 113, 114, 115, 117, AND 118...

The National Weather Service in Great Falls has issued a Red Flag
Warning for hot temperatures, gusty winds, and low relative
humidity, which is in effect from noon to 9 PM MDT Thursday. The
Fire Weather Watch is no longer in effect.

* AFFECTED AREA...Eastern Glacier/Toole/Central/Eastern 
  Pondera/Liberty, Hill and Blaine Counties, Lewis and Clark 
  National Forest Rocky Mountain District-Rocky Mountain Front, 
  Chouteau and Fergus Counties, Central and Eastern Lewis and 
  Clark National Forest Areas and Helena and Townsend Ranger 
  Districts of the Helena National Forest.

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

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

* TEMPERATURES: In the upper 80s to lower 90s.

* IMPACTS...Any new or existing fires may be able to grow and 
  spread rapidly in the dry and windy 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 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
077 
WWUS85 KTFX 090930
RFWTFX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Great Falls MT
330 AM MDT Thu Sep 9 2021

MTZ112>115-117-118-092300-
/O.CON.KTFX.FW.W.0016.210909T1800Z-210910T0300Z/
Eastern Glacier/Toole/Central/Eastern Pondera/Liberty-
Hill and Blaine Counties-
Lewis and Clark National Forest Rocky Mountain District-
Rocky Mountain Front-Chouteau and Fergus Counties-
Central and Eastern Lewis and Clark National Forest Areas-
Helena and Townsend Ranger Districts of the Helena National Forest-
330 AM MDT Thu Sep 9 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 9 PM MDT
THIS EVENING FOR VERY WARM TEMPERATURES, GUSTY WINDS, AND LOW
RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 112, 113, 114, 115, 117,
AND 118...

* AFFECTED AREA...Eastern Glacier/Toole/Central/Eastern 
  Pondera/Liberty, Hill and Blaine Counties, Lewis and Clark 
  National Forest Rocky Mountain District-Rocky Mountain Front, 
  Chouteau and Fergus Counties, Central and Eastern Lewis and 
  Clark National Forest Areas and Helena and Townsend Ranger 
  Districts of the Helena National Forest.

* WINDS...West 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 40 mph.

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

* TEMPERATURES: In the upper 80s to lower 90s.

* IMPACTS...Any new or existing fires may be able to grow and 
  spread rapidly in the dry and windy 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 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
672 
WWUS85 KTFX 092036
RFWTFX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Great Falls MT
236 PM MDT Thu Sep 9 2021

MTZ112>115-117-118-100300-
/O.CON.KTFX.FW.W.0016.000000T0000Z-210910T0300Z/
Eastern Glacier/Toole/Central/Eastern Pondera/Liberty-
Hill and Blaine Counties-
Lewis and Clark National Forest Rocky Mountain District-
Rocky Mountain Front-Chouteau and Fergus Counties-
Central and Eastern Lewis and Clark National Forest Areas-
Helena and Townsend Ranger Districts of the Helena National Forest-
236 PM MDT Thu Sep 9 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING
FOR VERY WARM TEMPERATURES, GUSTY WINDS, AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY
FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 112, 113, 114, 115, 117, AND 118...

* AFFECTED AREA...Eastern Glacier/Toole/Central/Eastern 
  Pondera/Liberty, Hill and Blaine Counties, Lewis and Clark 
  National Forest Rocky Mountain District-Rocky Mountain Front, 
  Chouteau and Fergus Counties, Central and Eastern Lewis and 
  Clark National Forest Areas and Helena and Townsend Ranger 
  Districts of the Helena National Forest.

* WINDS...West 15 to 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph.

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

* TEMPERATURES: In the 80s.

* IMPACTS...Any new or existing fires may be able to grow and 
  spread rapidly in the dry and windy 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 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
926 
WWUS85 KTFX 100235
RFWTFX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Great Falls MT
835 PM MDT Thu Sep 9 2021

MTZ112>115-117-118-100345-
/O.EXP.KTFX.FW.W.0016.000000T0000Z-210910T0300Z/
Eastern Glacier/Toole/Central/Eastern Pondera/Liberty-
Hill and Blaine Counties-
Lewis and Clark National Forest Rocky Mountain District-
Rocky Mountain Front-Chouteau and Fergus Counties-
Central and Eastern Lewis and Clark National Forest Areas-
Helena and Townsend Ranger Districts of the Helena National Forest-
835 PM MDT Thu Sep 9 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR HOT
TEMPERATURES, GUSTY WINDS, AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE
WEATHER ZONES 112, 113, 114, 115, 117, AND 118...

Winds have decreased to mostly below 10 mph across much of north
central and southwest Montana, and relative humidity there has
mostly recovered to above 20 percent as temperatures start to cool
off. Therefore, the Red Flag Warning will be allowed to expire at 9
pm MDT.

$$

http://www.weather.gov/greatfalls

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.