Red flag warning in effect

Created on Tuesday, 03 July 2012 13:07 Published Date Hits: 1274

 

 

From Duane Winslow, director of Emergency and General Services for Yellowstone County

Below is a National Weather Service Red Flag warning which will be in effect from noon Tuesday July 3 through midnight.  As we are already under Stage II restrictions the only addition is that during this time, no open burning will be allowed in Yellowstone County including any agricultural burning, as the weather conditions will create explosive fire growth potential. If there are any questions concerning this, please contact me. Please urge everyone to use EXTREME caution during this critical period! Thank you.

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT

347 AM MDT TUE JUL 3 2012

MTZ123>133-WYZ274-284-032200-

/O.CON.KBYZ.FW.W.0010.120703T1800Z-120704T0600Z/

GALLATIN NATIONAL FOREST-WHEATLAND COUNTY/SWEET GRASS COUNTY-

STILLWATER COUNTY-BEARTOOTH RANGER DISTRICT CUSTER NATIONAL FOREST-

GOLDEN VALLEY COUNTY/MUSSELSHELL COUNTY-YELLOWSTONE COUNTY-

CROW INDIAN RESERVATION/BIG HORN CANYON REC AREA-

NORTHERN ROSEBUD/NORTHERN TREASURE COUNTIES-

NORTHERN CHEYENNE INDIAN RESERVATION/ASHLAND RANGER DISTRICT

CUSTER NATL FOREST-CUSTER COUNTY-

SIOUX RANGER DISTRICT CUSTER NATIONAL FOREST-SHERIDAN COUNTY-

BIG HORN NATIONAL FOREST-

347 AM MDT TUE JUL 3 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO MIDNIGHT

MDT TONIGHT FOR LOW HUMIDITIES...HOT TEMPERATURES... STRONG GUSTY

WINDS...AND WIND SHIFT WITH A COLD FRONT FOR ALL OF SOUTH CENTRAL

MONTANA...ALL OF SOUTHEAST MONTANA...PARTS OF NORTHWEST SOUTH

DAKOTA...AND PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL WYOMING...

* IMPACTS...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THIS

  AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

* COLD FRONT...A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL SHIFT WINDS FROM THE

  SOUTHWEST TO THE NORTHWEST LATE IN THE DAY TUESDAY. THE FRONT

  WILL MOVE THROUGH HARLOWTON AND LIVINGSTON AROUND 3 PM...

  BILLINGS AROUND 6 PM AND MILES CITY AND SHERIDAN AROUND 8 PM.

* WIND...SOUTHWEST 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 30 MPH IN THE

  AFTERNOON...SHIFTING TO THE NORTHWEST 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS

  UP TO 45 MPH BEHIND THE FRONT.

* HUMIDITY...AROUND 10 PERCENT.

* TEMPERATURES...95 TO 105.

* THUNDERSTORMS...ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE

  EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG THE COLD FRONT.

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 WILL CREATE

EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.