Fire
News
March 2012
Fire Weather Planning Forecasts are issued twice a day. The first
issuance is between 4 and 6 am and the second issuance is between 2
and 4 pm. Updates will be sent as needed.
Red Flag Criteria for 2012: Sustained
winds 20 mph along with relative humidity less than 30 percent and
fuel moisture less than or equal to 8 percent will spark a call to
the Maryland State Agency regarding a Red Flag Warning or Fire Weather
Watch. For West Virginia, sustained winds 20 mph along with relative
humidity less than or equal to 25 percent and fuel moisture less than
or equal to 8 percent will spark a call to the State Agency. For VA,
a call will be made when sustained winds of 20 mph and relative humidity
of less than 30 percent combines with fuel moistures less than 8 percent.
Special Weather Statements: Special weather statements
will be issued in coordination with the state agencies when near red
flag criteria
are expected. Red Flag criteria is defined above.
The updated 2012 State Plans for VA, WV, and MD
will be updated soon. Links to each plan are located on the fireweather
page.
The Sterling Fire Weather web page remains the same.
If you see something that you use frequently, that you would like to
see linked to our page, let me know and I can add it.
There is a link on our
fire web page for archived RAWS data. This site contains
all RAWS data that has ever been transmitted. There are also
some interesting graphs and wind roses you can make thru this page.
Comments and questions are always welcome. Feel free to drop me a
line. Here's to another
exceptional season of fire suppression!
Brian LaSorsa
NWS Sterling
Fire Weather Program Leader
If you have any questions or comments, please
contact your local NWS forecast office's Fire Weather program leader:
weather.gov 
