Red Flags and Fire Weather Zones



ContentsTOC \o "1-9" \w \* MERGEFORMATRed Flags and Fire Weather Zones PAGEREF _Toc71543358 \h 1Materials and Equipment PAGEREF _Toc71543359 \h 1Safety PAGEREF _Toc71543360 \h 1Procedure PAGEREF _Toc71543361 \h 1Fire Weather Zone Maps PAGEREF _Toc71543362 \h 1Red Flag Warning PAGEREF _Toc71543363 \h 2Weather Data Collection PAGEREF _Toc71543364 \h 2Data Collection PAGEREF _Toc71543365 \h 3Questions and Analysis PAGEREF _Toc71543366 \h 3Red Flags and Fire Weather ZonesYour mission is to identify the Red Flag warning criteria for your local area and then monitor those conditions by creating your own weather station.A Red Flag Warning is a forecast warning that is used by the National Weather Service. It is used to inform the public, firefighters, and land management agencies that conditions are ideal for wildfires and rapid spread. A Red Flag Warning means warm temperatures, very low humidity, and stronger winds are expected. In addition, other conditions are monitored such as the presence of dry fuels, such as dry grass and dead trees, and the possibility of dry lightning strikes. Dry lightning comes from a dry thunderstorm. These storms produce thunder and lightning, but most, if not all, of its precipitation evaporates before reaching the ground. States can review their Annual Fire Weather Plan to identify the zone in which they live along with conditions that trigger a Red Flag Warning.Materials and EquipmentData collection systemWireless weather sensorOptional: Weather vane accessorySafetyFollow these important safety precautions in addition to your regular classroom procedures:When outside, be within your teacher's line of sight and/or follow instructions on where to go.ProcedureFire Weather Zone MapsFire weather zones are used for fire weather forecasting.Locate your fire weather zone by choosing your state at your state's map, locate the county in which you live. Some counties have multiple fire weather boundaries. Use your city location as reference and write the number of your fire weather boundary here _______. You will need to refer to this number in Part 2.Red Flag WarningLocate your states National Weather Service Annual Fire Weather Plan. Use this document to identify what the Red Flag warning indicators are in your area. This includes sustained wind speed, low relative humidity, and specific temperatures. You can find this plan via a web search or refer to any links your teacher may provide.For example, I live in Northern California and live in Fire Weather Zone 267. Based on Red Flag warning indicators, in my area, sustained winds will need to be over 15 mph (24 kph), relative humidity is less than 25%, and temperatures must exceed 75° F (24° C).Weather Data CollectionSelect Sensor Data in SPARKvue.Connect your weather sensor to your device.Select the weather conditions you wish to monitor, such as Temperature, Relative Humidity, and Wind Speed.Select the Digits display under Templates.Take the weather sensor outside to a location determined by your teacher and press Start to begin collecting data. Record your data in Table 1. Format as needed to reflect the weather conditions you are monitoring. You can do this once or several times throughout the day.You can also set up your weather station to collect data remotely. This will allow you to bring the weather sensor outside and place it in one location for an extended period of time without having to bring out your computer or cell phone.To do this, Select Remote logging in SPARKvue from choose a path screen.Connect the sensor available to logging and select to configure. Select OK. You will know you are connect to remote logging when the Bluetooth indicator light on your sensor is blinking amber.Once the determined amount of time has passed, collect the weather sensor, and connect to download your weather data to review.To download the stored data on your sensor, start PASCO software and briefly press the sensor button to see your sensor on the list. Then connect your sensor and follow the prompts to download data.Record your data in Table 1. Format as needed to reflect the weather conditions you are monitoring.Data CollectionTable SEQ Table \* ARABIC 1: Current weather conditionsDate/TimeTemperature (°F or °C)Relative Humidity (%)Wind Speed (mph or kph)Questions and AnalysisAfter reviewing your states Fire Weather Zone map, what zone are you located in?What triggers a Red Flag Warning in your area based on your states Annual Fire Weather Report?What were the weather conditions on the day you collected data? If you recorded data throughout the day, how did the conditions change over time? ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download