Alert archive / Montana / Red Flag Warnings in 2021

Red Flag Warning 19, NWS Great Falls, MT

October 16, 202111 counties in Montana

NWS Great Falls, MT issued this red flag warning at Oct 16, 2021, 2:37 PM MDT for 11 counties in Montana. It took effect at Oct 17, 2021, 12:00 PM MDT. 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
Oct 16, 2021, 2:37 PM MDT (20:37 UTC)
In effect from
Oct 17, 2021, 12:00 PM MDT
Expired
Oct 17, 2021, 6:00 PM MDT
In force
6 hr
Issued by
NWS Great Falls, MT

Counties Cascade County, MT, Chouteau County, MT, Fergus County, MT, Glacier County, MT, Judith Basin County, MT, Lewis and Clark County, MT, Liberty County, MT, Meagher County, MT, Pondera County, MT, Teton County, MT, Toole County, MT

The radar

The Great Falls radar (KTFX), 32 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Great_falls, MT (KTFX), launched 12:00Z, 8.6 hours before the alert went out and 64 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 2021-10-16Temperature 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 2021-10-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 220 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
1896 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
36 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
220 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
309 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

687 
WWUS85 KTFX 162037
RFWTFX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Great Falls MT
237 PM MDT Sat Oct 16 2021

MTZ112-114-115-117-171145-
/O.UPG.KTFX.FW.A.0013.211017T1800Z-211018T0000Z/
/O.NEW.KTFX.FW.W.0019.211017T1800Z-211018T0000Z/
Eastern Glacier/Toole/Central/Eastern Pondera/Liberty-
Lewis and Clark National Forest Rocky Mountain District-
Rocky Mountain Front-Chouteau and Fergus Counties-
Central and Eastern Lewis and Clark National Forest Areas-
237 PM MDT Sat Oct 16 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TO 6 PM MDT SUNDAY FOR WARM
TEMPERATURES, GUSTY WINDS, AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE 
WEATHER ZONES 112, 114, 115, AND 117...

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 6 PM MDT Sunday.

* AFFECTED AREA...Eastern Glacier/Toole/Central/Eastern 
  Pondera/Liberty, Lewis and Clark National Forest Rocky Mountain 
  District-Rocky Mountain Front, Chouteau and Fergus Counties and 
  Central and Eastern Lewis and Clark National Forest Areas.

* TEMPERATURES...In the low to mid 70s.

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

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 12 percent.

* IMPACTS...The combination of low humidity and windy west winds 
  could make it difficult to contain any new fire starts.

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
656 
WWUS85 KTFX 170931
RFWTFX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Great Falls MT
331 AM MDT Sun Oct 17 2021

MTZ112-114-115-117-180000-
/O.CON.KTFX.FW.W.0019.211017T1800Z-211018T0000Z/
Eastern Glacier/Toole/Central/Eastern Pondera/Liberty-
Lewis and Clark National Forest Rocky Mountain District-
Rocky Mountain Front-Chouteau and Fergus Counties-
Central and Eastern Lewis and Clark National Forest Areas-
331 AM MDT Sun Oct 17 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM MDT
THIS EVENING FOR WARM TEMPERATURES, GUSTY WINDS, AND LOW RELATIVE 
HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 112, 114, 115, AND 117...

* AFFECTED AREA...Eastern Glacier/Toole/Central/Eastern 
  Pondera/Liberty, Lewis and Clark National Forest Rocky Mountain 
  District-Rocky Mountain Front, Chouteau and Fergus Counties and 
  Central and Eastern Lewis and Clark National Forest Areas.

* TEMPERATURES...Highs in the upper 60s to mid 70s.

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

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 10 percent.

* IMPACTS...The combination of low humidity and windy west winds 
  could make it difficult to contain any new fire starts.

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
659 
WWUS85 KTFX 172001
RFWTFX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Great Falls MT
201 PM MDT Sun Oct 17 2021

MTZ112-114-115-117-180000-
/O.CON.KTFX.FW.W.0019.000000T0000Z-211018T0000Z/
Eastern Glacier/Toole/Central/Eastern Pondera/Liberty-
Lewis and Clark National Forest Rocky Mountain District-
Rocky Mountain Front-Chouteau and Fergus Counties-
Central and Eastern Lewis and Clark National Forest Areas-
201 PM MDT Sun Oct 17 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING
FOR WARM TEMPERATURES, GUSTY WINDS, AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR 
FIRE WEATHER ZONES 112, 114, 115, AND 117...

* AFFECTED AREA...Eastern Glacier/Toole/Central/Eastern 
  Pondera/Liberty, Lewis and Clark National Forest Rocky Mountain 
  District-Rocky Mountain Front, Chouteau and Fergus Counties and 
  Central and Eastern Lewis and Clark National Forest Areas.

* TEMPERATURES...In the 70s.

* WINDS...Southwest 15 to 25 mph, with gusts up to 35 mph.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...Near 10 percent.

* IMPACTS...The combination of low humidity and windy west winds 
  could make it difficult to contain any new fire starts.

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
570 
WWUS85 KTFX 172346
RFWTFX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Great Falls MT
546 PM MDT Sun Oct 17 2021

MTZ112-114-115-117-180100-
/O.EXP.KTFX.FW.W.0019.000000T0000Z-211018T0000Z/
Eastern Glacier/Toole/Central/Eastern Pondera/Liberty-
Lewis and Clark National Forest Rocky Mountain District-
Rocky Mountain Front-Chouteau and Fergus Counties-
Central and Eastern Lewis and Clark National Forest Areas-
546 PM MDT Sun Oct 17 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR WARM 
TEMPERATURES, GUSTY WINDS, AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE 
WEATHER ZONES 112, 114, 115, AND 117...

Winds will begin to decrease as humidity slowly recovers with the 
loss of daytime heating. The Red Flag Warning will be allowed to 
expire 6 PM MDT, but continue to be mindful of the dry conditions 
across the region.


$$

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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.