Alert archive / Florida / Red Flag Warnings in 2022

Red Flag Warning 2, NWS Tampa Bay, FL

March 26, 20226 counties in Florida

NWS Tampa Bay, FL issued this red flag warning at Mar 26, 2022, 6:50 AM EDT for 6 counties in Florida. It took effect at Mar 26, 2022, 2:00 PM EDT. It was in force for 4 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
Mar 26, 2022, 6:50 AM EDT (10:50 UTC)
In effect from
Mar 26, 2022, 2:00 PM EDT
Expired
Mar 26, 2022, 6:00 PM EDT
In force
4 hr
Issued by
NWS Tampa Bay, FL

Counties Charlotte County, FL, DeSoto County, FL, Hardee County, FL, Highlands County, FL, Lee County, FL, Polk County, FL

The radar

The Tampa radar (KTBW), 82 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 10:53 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

Tampa Bay, FL (KTBW), launched 00:00Z, 10.8 hours before the alert went out and 82 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, Tampa Bay, FL at 00:00Z on 2022-03-26Temperature 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°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Tampa Bay, FL at 00:00Z on 2022-03-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 52 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
1385 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
48 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
52 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
62 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

413 
WWUS82 KTBW 261050
RFWTBW

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Tampa Bay Area - Ruskin FL
650 AM EDT Sat Mar 26 2022

...Critically low humidity values, breezy northwest winds, and 
high ERC values will result in elevated fire danger today... 

.Gusty northwest winds combined with long durations of low 
humidity values below 35 percent along with high ERC values
will lead to increased fire dangers across the warning area 
today.

FLZ052-056-057-061-262-265-262200-
/O.NEW.KTBW.FW.W.0002.220326T1800Z-220326T2200Z/
Polk-Hardee-Highlands-DeSoto-Inland Charlotte-Inland Lee-
650 AM EDT Sat Mar 26 2022

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 6 PM
EDT THIS EVENING FOR...GUSTY WINDS, LOW HUMIDITY, AND HIGH ERC
VALUES...

The National Weather Service in Tampa Bay Area - Ruskin FL has
issued a Red Flag Warning, which is in effect from 2 PM this
afternoon to 6 PM EDT this evening. 

* AFFECTED AREA...Polk...Hardee...Highlands...DeSoto...Inland 
  Charlotte...Inland Lee. 

* WIND...Northwest winds in the 15 to 20 mph range.

* HUMIDITY...30 to 35 percent.

* ERC...31 to 46.

* IMPACTS...Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly. 
  Outdoor burning is not recommended.

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.

&&

$$

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this red flag warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Tampa Bay, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before this red flag warning went out at Mar 26, 3:33 AM EDT, 3 hours 17 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 26, 3:33 AM EDT, 3 hours 17 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Tampa Bay Ruskin FL
333 AM EDT Sat Mar 26 2022

.DISCUSSION...
Surface high pressure will gradually build into Florida this
weekend from the northwest in the wake of the recent cold front
passage, setting up fair weather under sunny skies. A mid level
ridge is forecast to shift east from the southern Plains into the
Gulf of Mexico during the first half of next week, setting up
stacked ridging with broad subsidence leading to increasing
surface temperatures. By midweek, temperatures will be running 5-8
degrees above normal for late March, with highs over the interior
topping out around 90.

A broad upper level trough will dig into the Mississippi River
Valley by Thursday, sweeping a surface cold front through the Gulf
Coast Wednesday night and Thursday before stalling out across the
Florida Peninsula on Friday. Showers and storms will be possible
along and just ahead of the front Thursday and Friday, with
temperatures moderating slightly by Friday afternoon under cloudy
skies.

&&

.AVIATION...
VFR conditions will hold through the next 24 hours.

&&

.MARINE...
High pressure will continue to build into the Gulf of Mexico from
the west through the weekend, with a tightening pressure gradient
this afternoon and evening bringing wind speeds up to Exercise
Caution or perhaps low end Small Craft Advisory levels. Winds will
subside on Sunday as the high pressure spreads across the area
and holds through Tuesday. Wind speeds will increase again to
cautionary or advisory levels on Wednesday ahead of an approaching
cold front.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
Areas of critically low relative humidity are expected this
afternoon, mainly over the interior and across southwest Florida.
With 20 foot winds approaching 15 MPH, a few spots may briefly hit
Red Flag criteria, but widespread Red Flag conditions are not
expected. Even drier conditions are expected Sunday afternoon,
with critically low humidity expected across virtually the entire
area. However, lighter wind speeds should prevent Red Flag
conditions from developing Sunday afternoon.

&&

.Preliminary Point Temps/PoPs...
TPA  76  60  77  61 /   0   0   0   0
FMY  82  59  84  57 /   0   0   0   0
GIF  79  54  79  54 /   0   0   0   0
SRQ  75  59  77  57 /   0   0   0   0
BKV  74  49  75  50 /   0   0   0   0
SPG  74  64  75  64 /   0   0   0   0

&&

.TBW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FL...High Rip Current Risk through Sunday afternoon for Coastal
     Charlotte-Coastal Hillsborough-Coastal Lee-Coastal Manatee-
     Coastal Sarasota-Pinellas.

Gulf waters...None.
&&

Fleming

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Florida, 2022Every red flag warning in 2022

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.