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Tag: Red Flag Warning

Red Flag Warnings in seven Great Plains states, April 2, 2021

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , , 1 Comment on Red Flag Warnings in seven Great Plains states, April 2, 2021
Red Flag Warnings April 2, 2021
Red Flag Warnings April 2, 2021. NOAA/Google.

Red Flag Warnings have been issued for areas of the Great Plains on April 2, including sections of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, and Oklahoma.

Very low relative humidity and strong winds are predicted. Most of the warnings expire Friday evening.

The Hot, Dry, Windy Index for April 2 shows elevated wildfire danger for many areas in the western U.S. This is a fairly new tool for fire managers, described as being very simple and only considers the atmospheric factors of heat, moisture, and wind. To be more precise, it is a multiplication of the maximum wind speed and maximum vapor pressure deficit (VPD) in the lowest 50 or so millibars in the atmosphere. It does not consider fuel moisture.

Hot, Dry, Windy Index for April 2, 2021
Hot, Dry, Windy Index for April 2, 2021

(Red Flag Warnings can be modified throughout the day as NWS offices around the country update and revise their weather forecasts.)

Two wildfires burn total of more than 600 acres near Denver on Superbowl Sunday

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories WildfireTags ,

Red Flag Warnings in effect Monday for parts of Colorado and New Mexico

Bear Creek Fire, Feb. 7, 2020
Bear Creek Fire, Lakewood CO, Feb. 7, 2020. 9News image.

Sunday afternoon a large grass fire west of Denver in Lakewood, Colorado burned 537 acres before firefighters were able to stop the spread. Several neighborhoods were under evacuation orders but those were lifted after the fire was contained Sunday night. The fire was known  as the Bear Creek and also the Morris Road Fire.

There are no reports of structures being damaged.

Bear Creek Fire
Bear Creek Fire, Feb. 7, 2020, west of Denver. West Metro Fire image.

Another fire, the Cherry Creek Fire, also broke out Sunday on the southeast side of Denver in Cherry Creek State Park east of the intersection of Interstates 25 and 225. The blaze burned 101 acres.

Map Cherry Creek Fire
Map showing the location of the Cherry Creek Fire southeast of Denver. Fire perimeter mapped Feb. 8, 2020 by Colorado’s MultiMission Aircraft.

The strong winds that made the fires difficult to control are going to continue Monday in south-central Colorado and parts of Eastern New Mexico where Red Flag Warnings are in effect until Monday night. The forecast for Trinidad, Colorado on Monday calls for 56 degrees, relative humidity of 13 precent, and winds out of the east at 20 mph gusting to 32.

Red Flag Warnings in Colorado and New Mexico
Red Flag Warnings in Colorado and New Mexico, Feb. 8, 2020

Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to LM.

Strongest wind event in months expected in California

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , 1 Comment on Strongest wind event in months expected in California

Prediction for gusts over 60 mph Monday night and Tuesday

Weather forecast for the Santa Clarita wind red flag warning
Weather forecast for the Santa Clarita area north of Los Angeles, January 18 through 20, 2021. NWS.

Conditions in Southern California are setting up for what is being called “the strongest wind event of the season.” Red Flag Warnings are in effect in the greater Los Angeles area from Monday evening to 4 a.m. Wednesday. Forecasters are predicting strong damaging winds, with gusts to 60 mph that could blow down large objects such as trees and power lines.

The forecast for the Santa Clarita area north of Los Angeles calls for sustained winds Monday night of 22 to 41 mph gusting at 32 to 61 mph, with the strongest gusts after midnight. On Tuesday winds will continue to gust around 60 and then taper off Tuesday night to the 40s. During daylight hours the relative humidity will be in the low 20s through Wednesday.

This could lead to large wildland fires that are very resistant to control.

Let’s be careful out there.

Red Flag Warnings, Jan. 18, 2021
Red Flag Warnings in California, Jan. 18, 2021. NWS.
Red Flag (red) and weather stations
Weather stations with Red Flag (red) and those flirting with red flag conditions (yellow), at 1:06 p.m. PST, Jan. 18, 2021. NWS.

Is is also windy in Northern California—

Red Flag Warnings in Southern California

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , , 2 Comments on Red Flag Warnings in Southern California

The winds are going to be breezy to very strong, off and on through Thursday

Hot-Dry-Windy forecast for Southern California
Hot-Dry-Windy forecast for Southern California, January 16, 2021

After record high temperatures were set Friday in multiple Southern California locations, Red Flag Warnings continue on Saturday. Residents in Santa Clarita can expect the temperature to reach 83 degrees today, with the humidity in the low teens, and 22 mph winds out of the northeast gusting to 33. Strong winds will continue through Saturday night but will taper off a bit Sunday, 18 to 22 mph gusting out of the northeast at 28 to 34.

Monday afternoon a strong offshore pressure gradient will begin growing, bringing very strong winds out of the northeast again, with the humidity in the low 20s and teens.

Wind speeds next week:

  • Monday afternoon: 24 mph gusting at 32
  • Monday night: 25 to 47 gusting at 37 to 62
  • Tuesday: 47 gusting at 63
  • Tuesday night: 29 to 41 gusting at 38 to 54
  • Wednesday: 18 to 26 gusting at 24 to 34

Record high temperatures in Southern California

At least two large air tankers, 01 and 02, were flown in from Missoula on Friday to be available if needed by firefighters. Two Fire Integrated Real-Time Intelligence System (FIRIS) mapping aircraft are also on standby.

Fire Integrated Real-Time Intelligence System (FIRIS) aircraft
Fire Integrated Real-Time Intelligence System (FIRIS) aircraft.
Red Flag Warnings, January 16, 2021
Red Flag Warnings, January 16, 2021. National Weather Service.
Red Flag or near Red Flag conditions
Weather stations in Southern California experiencing Red Flag or near Red Flag conditions, January 16, 2021. National Weather Service.
Santa Clarita Wx forecast, January 16, 2021
Santa Clarita, California Wx forecast, January 16, 2021. National Weather Service.

Strong winds, Red Flag Warnings, and high wildfire danger predicted for Southern California this week

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , ,
Weather forecast for San Bernardino, CA fire danger
Weather forecast for San Bernardino, California December 2 through 7, 2020.

Wildfire danger described as “very critical” by the National Weather Service is in the forecast for Southern California this week. Strong winds gusting at 55 to 70 mph in the mountains is predicted for Wednesday night and Thursday, which will be followed by warm temperatures and single-digit relative humidities into the weekend.

Very critical fire danger for the Los Angeles area
Very critical fire danger for the Los Angeles area. NWS.
Red Flag Warning for Southern California
Red Flag Warning for Southern California, December 2, 2020.

A Red Flag Warning is in the forecast for San Bernardino Wednesday through Saturday.

The Hot-Dry-Windy Index will be increasing Tuesday through Monday.

Hot-Dry-Windy Index
Hot-Dry-Windy Index for the Santa Clarita, California area, December 1 through 7, 2020.

Thanksgiving power shutoffs due to fire danger could affect 76,000 in Southern California

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , 1 Comment on Thanksgiving power shutoffs due to fire danger could affect 76,000 in Southern California

Red Flag Warnings November 26, 2020

Southern California Edison has notified some of their customers that strong Santa Ana winds on Thursday and Friday could result in a preemptive power shutoff on Thanksgiving in order to reduce the chance of wildfires being ignited by power line failures caused by the winds.

The National Weather Service has issued Red Flag Warnings from Ventura County south to San Diego County as well as the Lower Colorado River Valley.

The Red Flag Warning goes into effect at 2 p.m. Thursday about the time many Southern Californians will be thinking about sitting down for Thanksgiving dinner. It will end at 6 p.m. Friday.

The forecasters expect 40 to 55 mph northeast winds in the lower elevations with isolated gusts to 65 mph in the mountains, with 12 to 25 percent relative humidity Thursday dropping to 8 to 15 percent Friday. The wind will decrease during the weekend but it will remain breezy and dry.

Red Flag Warnings November 26, 2020
Red Flag Warnings November 26, 2020.

The Angeles National Forest will have extra firefighters on duty through this wind event.