Alert archive / Alaska / Red Flag Warnings in 2025
Red Flag Warning 1, NWS Anchorage, AK
NWS Anchorage, AK issued this red flag warning at Jun 17, 2025, 9:27 AM AKDT for Bethel Census Area, Alaska. It took effect at Jun 17, 2025, 2:00 PM AKDT. It was in force for 12 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
- Jun 17, 2025, 9:27 AM AKDT (17:27 UTC)
- In effect from
- Jun 17, 2025, 2:00 PM AKDT
- Expired
- Jun 18, 2025, 2:02 AM AKDT
- In force
- 12 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Anchorage, AK
County Bethel Census Area, AK
The radar
The Bethel radar (PABC), 75 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 17:27 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
Bethel, (PBET), launched 12:00Z, 5.5 hours before the alert went out and 71 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 768 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 19 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -6 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 88 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted.
026 WWAK62 PAFC 171727 RFWALU URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Anchorage AK 927 AM AKDT Tue Jun 17 2025 AKZ753-754-180800- /O.NEW.PAFC.FW.W.0001.250617T2200Z-250618T0800Z/ 927 AM AKDT Tue Jun 17 2025 ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO MIDNIGHT AKDT TONIGHT FOR LIGHTNING FOR THE KUSKOKWIM VALLEY... The National Weather Service in Anchorage has issued a Red Flag Warning FOR LIGHTNING, which is in effect from 2 PM this afternoon to midnight AKDT tonight. * Timing...This afternoon through this evening. * Location...Northern half of the Kuskokwim Valley including Crooked Creek, Lime Village, and Sleetmute. * Thunderstorm Coverage...Scattered thunderstorms * Winds...West 10 to 15 mph. Expect variable and gusty winds near thunderstorms. * Relative Humidity...As low as 37 percent. * Temperatures...In the lower to mid 70s * Impacts...Ample lightning could lead to numerous new fire starts PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A red flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions are imminent or occurring now, or will shortly. It is directed toward fire agencies, and through them to the public. && $$
2 follow-up statements
574 WWAK62 PAFC 180755 RFWALU URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Anchorage AK 1155 PM AKDT Tue Jun 17 2025 AKZ753-754-181100- /O.EXT.PAFC.FW.W.0001.000000T0000Z-250618T1100Z/ 1155 PM AKDT Tue Jun 17 2025 ...RED FLAG WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 AM AKDT WEDNESDAY FOR HOT DRY AND WINDY CONDITIONS FOR THE KUSKOKWIM VALLEY... * Timing...Until 2 AM. * Location...Northern half of the Kuskokwim Valley including Crooked Creek, Lime Village, and Sleetmute. * Thunderstorm Coverage...Scattered thunderstorms * Winds...West 10 to 15 mph. Expect variable and gusty winds near thunderstorms. * Relative Humidity...As low as 37 percent. * Temperatures...In the mid 60s to lower 70s. * Impacts...Ample lightning could lead to numerous new fire starts PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A red flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions are imminent or occurring now, or will shortly. It is directed toward fire agencies, and through them to the public. && $$
517 WWAK62 PAFC 181002 RFWALU URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Anchorage AK 202 AM AKDT Wed Jun 18 2025 AKZ753-754-181115- /O.CAN.PAFC.FW.W.0001.000000T0000Z-250618T1100Z/ 202 AM AKDT Wed Jun 18 2025 ...RED FLAG WARNING IS CANCELLED FOR HOT DRY AND WINDY CONDITIONS FOR THE KUSKOKWIM VALLEY... The National Weather Service in Anchorage has cancelled the Red Flag Warning. Thunderstorms are weakening and the lightning threat will diminish over the next couple of hours. $$
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 Anchorage, AK wrote its last area forecast discussion before this red flag warning went out at Jun 17, 4:44 AM AKDT, 4 hours 43 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jun 17, 4:44 AM AKDT, 4 hours 43 minutes before
Southcentral and Southwest Alaska Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Anchorage AK 444 AM AKDT Tue Jun 17 2025 .SHORT TERM FORECAST SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA (Days 1 through 3: Today through Thursday)... Cooler, cloudier weather with a passing shot of rain is on deck for many across Southcentral Alaska today. Satellite imagery shows a low moving westward across the southern Gulf of Alaska. A more pronounced trough is currently moving west along an axis extending out from the low north through the Prince William Sound and into the central Chugach. The approach of the trough is beginning to induce a coastal ridge, which in turn has resulted in an uptick in winds through some of the gaps and fjords such as Valdez. Radar imagery currently reveals precipitation moving into Prince William Sound and encroaching upon the eastern Kenai Peninsula as of 4am. As we progress through the morning, precipitation will overspread much of the eastern Kenai up through the western half of the Chugach, with some precip likely making it into the Talkeetnas as well. A brief, though likely strong, Turnagain Arm jet will get going such that the southern portion of Anchorage and Anchorage Hillside will likely be in a for a breezy morning. Precipitation on the lee of the mountains is expected to be lighter and more showery in nature, with scattered showers expected from the western Kenai up through Anchorage and the Mat-Su later this morning into the early afternoon hours before clearing this evening in wake of the trough. Wednesday will mark the return of warmer, sunnier typical summer weather for most locations in wake of Tuesday's trough. A strong upper-level ridge remains well-established across Interior Alaska, placing Southcentral Alaska within easterly flow on the southern periphery of this ridge. Weak, subtle shortwave troughs embedded in this easterly flow combined with daytime heating will help initiate showers and isolated thunderstorms, particularly across the higher terrain of the Copper River Basin and Talkeetnas on both days, with a lesser but non-zero chance of some showers across the Chugach and Kenai Mountains. Temperatures both Wednesday and Thursday will be on the warm side, with many locations expected to be in the 70s to around 80. Coastal locations of course will remain a bit cooler with the maritime influence. -Brown && .SHORT TERM FORECAST SOUTHWEST ALASKA/BERING SEA/ALEUTIANS (Days 1 through 3)... Hot and dry conditions will continue across Southwest Alaska today. Chances are still good for thunderstorm development across the lower Kuskokwim Valley this afternoon/evening, with slighter chances stretching into Bristol Bay and eastern portions of the Kuskokwim Delta. The best chances will be between Aniak and Lime Village and areas north. A slightly more stable atmosphere will develop over Southwest on Wednesday before thunderstorm chances kick up again on Thursday afternoon. Low marine stratus and areas of fog will continue across the Bering and Aleutian Islands. By Wednesday, a gale force North Pacific low moves just south of the Central Aleutians. Widespread rain and small craft to gale force winds will encompass much of the Bering Sea by Wednesday night. && .LONG TERM FORECAST (Days 4 through 7: Thursday through Sunday)... Much of the long term has good, broad scale agreement as an upper ridge of high pressure for the north-central part of the state remains in place and a large, upper level low encompasses much of the eastern Gulf. With daytime heating and a reinforced easterly flow, this is a good convective setup for storms for the northern Susitna Valley and Copper River Basin for at least the first part of the period. There is fair confidence that the upper level dynamics for the west should allow for a series of shortwaves to rotate off of a main system south of the Aleutians beginning Friday. This could cut into the ridge and cause it to lift as the waves move eastward. Mid to late period, more of an Omega blocking pattern takes over across the region with upper troughing in the west and ridging extending northward from the Gulf into Southcentral. Overall, temperature and precipitation anomalies from the global models suggest that most areas of the east will stay warmer and some areas wetter than average, while the west could become cooler and wetter than average due to lows tracking across the Aleutians and Bering. -AM && .AVIATION... PANC...VFR conditions are set to prevail throughout the TAF period. Isolated, very light rain showers are currently moving through the Anchorage area early this morning ahead of an approaching trough. This trough and associated coastal ridge are set to induce a brief, though likely gusty, southeast wind out of the Turnagain Arm this morning. Can't rule out a few showers as well, but should be isolated to scattered in nature as the trough rotates through. Wind speeds will decrease and showers will diminish through the afternoon in wake of the trough passage. -Brown &&
The office that day
Everything else NWS Anchorage, AK issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 17, 3:33 AM AKDT | Small Craft Advisory | AFC | 48 hr | |
| Jun 17, 3:52 AM AKDT | Small Craft Advisory | AFC | 12 hr | |
| Jun 17, 3:46 PM AKDT | Gale Warning | AFC | 36 hr | |
| Jun 17, 3:46 PM AKDT | Small Craft Advisory | AFC | 36 hr |
Nearby
Red Flag Warnings in Alaska, 2025Every red flag warning in 2025
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.