Alert archive / Missouri / Red Flag Warnings in 2026

Red Flag Warning 2, NWS St. Louis, MO

February 27, 20268 counties in Illinois; 21 counties in Missouri

NWS St. Louis, MO issued this red flag warning at Feb 27, 2026, 12:28 AM CST for 8 counties in Illinois; 21 counties in Missouri. It took effect at Feb 27, 2026, 12:00 PM CST. 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
Feb 27, 2026, 12:28 AM CST (06:28 UTC)
In effect from
Feb 27, 2026, 12:00 PM CST
Expired
Feb 27, 2026, 6:00 PM CST
In force
6 hr
Issued by
NWS St. Louis, MO
All 29 counties

Adams County, IL, Brown County, IL, Calhoun County, IL, Greene County, IL, Jersey County, IL, Macoupin County, IL, Madison County, IL, Pike County, IL, Audrain County, MO, Boone County, MO, Callaway County, MO, City of Saint Louis, MO, Cole County, MO, Franklin County, MO, Gasconade County, MO, Knox County, MO, Lewis County, MO, Lincoln County, MO, Marion County, MO, Moniteau County, MO, Monroe County, MO, Montgomery County, MO, Osage County, MO, Pike County, MO, Ralls County, MO, Saint Charles County, MO, Saint Louis County, MO, Shelby County, MO, Warren County, MO

The radar

The St Louis radar (KLSX), 72 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 06:31 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

Lincoln, IL (KILX), launched 00:00Z, 6.5 hours before the alert went out and 253 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, Lincoln, IL at 00:00Z on 2026-02-27Temperature 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, Lincoln, IL at 00:00Z on 2026-02-27The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 146 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
1640 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
68 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
146 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
233 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

455 
WWUS83 KLSX 270628
RFWLSX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service St Louis MO
1228 AM CST Fri Feb 27 2026

ILZ095>097-MOZ018-019-026-027-034>036-042-271430-
/O.UPG.KLSX.FW.A.0001.260227T1800Z-260228T0000Z/
/O.NEW.KLSX.FW.W.0002.260227T1800Z-260228T0000Z/
Adams IL-Brown IL-Pike IL-Knox MO-Lewis MO-Shelby MO-Marion MO-
Monroe MO-Ralls MO-Pike MO-Audrain MO-
1228 AM CST Fri Feb 27 2026

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM CST THIS
EVENING...

The National Weather Service in St Louis MO has issued a Red Flag
Warning in effect from noon today to 6 PM CST this evening.

* AFFECTED AREA...Portions of west central Illinois and central and
  northeast Missouri.

* TIMING...From noon today to 6 PM CST this evening.

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

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...Relative Humidity between 20 to 25 percent.

* TEMPERATURES...In the upper 60s to low 70s.

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

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

$$

ILZ058-059-098>100-MOZ041-047>052-059>064-271430-
/O.NEW.KLSX.FW.W.0002.260227T1800Z-260228T0000Z/
Greene IL-Macoupin IL-Calhoun IL-Jersey IL-Madison IL-Boone MO-
Moniteau MO-Cole MO-Osage MO-Callaway MO-Montgomery MO-Lincoln MO-
Gasconade MO-Warren MO-Saint Charles MO-Franklin MO-Saint Louis
MO-Saint Louis City MO-
1228 AM CST Fri Feb 27 2026

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM CST THIS
EVENING...

The National Weather Service in St Louis MO has issued a Red Flag
Warning.

* AFFECTED AREA...Portions of southwest Illinois and central and east
  central Missouri.

* TIMING...From noon today to 6 PM CST this evening.

* WINDS...Southwest winds 15 to 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...Relative Humidity between 20 to 25 percent.

* TEMPERATURES...In the upper 60s to low 70s.

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

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

$$

BRC
2 follow-up statements
694 
WWUS83 KLSX 271827
RFWLSX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service St Louis MO
1227 PM CST Fri Feb 27 2026

ILZ058-059-095>100-MOZ018-019-026-027-034>036-041-042-047>052-
059>064-280000-
/O.CON.KLSX.FW.W.0002.000000T0000Z-260228T0000Z/
Greene IL-Macoupin IL-Adams IL-Brown IL-Pike IL-Calhoun IL-Jersey
IL-Madison IL-Knox MO-Lewis MO-Shelby MO-Marion MO-Monroe MO-
Ralls MO-Pike MO-Boone MO-Audrain MO-Moniteau MO-Cole MO-Osage MO-
Callaway MO-Montgomery MO-Lincoln MO-Gasconade MO-Warren MO-Saint
Charles MO-Franklin MO-Saint Louis MO-Saint Louis City MO-
1227 PM CST Fri Feb 27 2026

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING...

* AFFECTED AREA...Portions of southwest and west central Illinois and
  central, east central, and northeast Missouri.

* TIMING...From 1225 PM this afternoon to 6 PM CST this evening.

* WINDS...West winds 10 to 20 mph with gusts up to 35 mph.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...Relative Humidity between 21 to 25 percent.

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

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

$$

Elmore
886 
WWUS83 KLSX 272353
RFWLSX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service St Louis MO
553 PM CST Fri Feb 27 2026

ILZ058-059-095>100-MOZ018-019-026-027-034>036-041-042-047>052-
059>064-280100-
/O.EXP.KLSX.FW.W.0002.000000T0000Z-260228T0000Z/
Greene IL-Macoupin IL-Adams IL-Brown IL-Pike IL-Calhoun IL-Jersey
IL-Madison IL-Knox MO-Lewis MO-Shelby MO-Marion MO-Monroe MO-
Ralls MO-Pike MO-Boone MO-Audrain MO-Moniteau MO-Cole MO-Osage MO-
Callaway MO-Montgomery MO-Lincoln MO-Gasconade MO-Warren MO-Saint
Charles MO-Franklin MO-Saint Louis MO-Saint Louis City MO-
553 PM CST Fri Feb 27 2026

...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 6 PM CST THIS EVENING...

The relative humidity has increased above critical levels and the
strong winds have decreased. Hence, the Red Flag Warning will be
allowed to expire.

$$

Britt

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Missouri, 2026Red Flag Warnings in Illinois, 2026Every red flag warning in 2026

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.