Red Flag Warning Issued for Friday through Saturday

High temperatures, windy conditions expected throughout North Central Washington

information released; graphic courtesy of Washington Weather Chasers

The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning (fire weather warning) for portions of Eastern Washington from 11:00 a.m. on Friday through 11:00 p.m. on Saturday.

“A dry cold front will push toward the area Friday and push by Saturday, bringing breezy west to southwesterly winds. Winds will be strongest near the Cascades and Western Columbia Basin. Wind speeds on Friday and Saturday will be similar, with winds on Saturday becoming more widespread in the eastern Columbia Basin. Combined with low afternoon relative humidity values, poor to fair humidity recoveries at night, hot temperatures and dry fuels, this will bring the potential for critical fire weather conditions.”

* Affected Area: East Washington Central Cascades (Zone 696), East Portion of North Cascades National Park/Lake Chelan National Recreation Area (Zone 697), East Washington North Cascades (Zone 698), Okanogan Valley (Zone 703), Methow Valley (Zone 704), Foothills of Central Washington Cascades (Zone 705), Waterville Plateau (Zone 706) and Lower Palouse -Snake River (Zone 709).
* Winds: West 10 to 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph. Strongest winds Saturday.
* Relative Humidities: 8 to 20 percent in the valleys and 20 to 30 percent in the higher terrain.
* Impacts: Rapid fire spread is possible with any new or ongoing fires.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… 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.

For more information, visit the National Weather Service website.