Alert: Red Flag Warning until 11:00PM Friday
Hot, dry and unstable conditions look to peak on Thursday in the Cascades and on Friday over the Idaho Panhandle. This will be followed by a strong cold front Friday night with the potential for dry breezy winds and a threat of dry thunderstorms. This combination may lead to critical fire weather conditions with the potential for increased fire spread of current fires and possible new fire starts. The National Weather Service in Spokane has issued a Red Flag Warning for hot, dry, and unstable conditions followed by dry gusty winds, which is in effect from noon Thursday to 11 PM PDT Friday. The Fire Weather Watch is no longer in effect.
* Affected Area: Fire Weather Zone 101 Northern and Central Idaho Panhandle (Zone 101)...Fire Weather Zone 673 East Washington Northern Columbia Basin (Zone 673)...Fire Weather Zone 674 East Washington Palouse and Spokane Area (Zone 674)... Fire Weather Zone 676 East Washington South Central Cascade Valleys (Zon e 676)...Fire Weather Zone 677 East Washington Central Cascade Valleys (Zone 677)...Fire Weather Zone 680 East Washington South Central Cascade Mountains (Zone 680)... Fire Weather Zone 682 East Washington Central Cascade Mountains (Zone 682)...Fire Weather Zone 684 East Washington Okanogan/Methow Valleys (Zone 684)... Fire Weather Zone 685 East Washington North Cascades (Zone 685)... Fire Weather Zone 686 East Washington Northeast (Zone 686) and Fire Weather Zone 687 East Washington Okanogan Highlands (Zone 687).
* Winds: Light upslope or east to southeast 5 mph Thursday and Thursday night. Southwest wind 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph by Friday afternoon and evening.
* Timing: Hot, dry and unstable conditions peak Thursday afternoon and evening in the Cascades and over north Idaho Friday. Dry and breezy winds increase Friday afternoon and evening.
* Relative Humidity’s: 8 to 18 percent in the lowlands and valleys and 19 to 29 percent ov er the higher terrain.
* Temperatures: 95 to 105 in the low lands and mid 80s to mid 90s in the higher terrain.
* Lightning: Slight chance of dry thunderstorms Friday night.
* Impacts: Hot, dry and unstable conditions could lead to increased growth on current fires. Any thunderstorms can lead to new fire starts. Dry and breezy winds have the potential for increased fire spread of current or new fires.
* AFFECTED AREAS: CENTRAL CASCADE MOUNTAINS ... OKANOGAN HIGHLANDS ... SOUTH CENTRAL CASCADE VALLEYS ... EASTERN WASHINGTON EAST COLUMBIA BASIN ... SOUTH CENTRAL CASCADE MOUNTAINS ... IDAHO PALOUSE ... NORTH CASCADES ... CENTRAL CASCADE VALLEYS ... NORTHERN COLUMBIA BASIN ... OKANOGAN VALLEY ... NORTHEAST MOUNTAINS
Instructions:
A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now....or will shortly. A combination of strong winds...low relative humidity...and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior.