Red flag warning issued

Created on Monday, 06 August 2012 08:53 Published Date Hits: 737

 

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 Monday, Aug. 6, through midnight. 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.

..RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO MIDNIGHT MDT TONIGHT LOW HUMIDITIES...HOT TEMPERATURES...AND INCREASING THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY FOR ALL OF SOUTH CENTRAL MONTANA AND PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL WYOMING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BILLINGS HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO MIDNIGHT MDT TONIGHT. THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* WEATHER PATTERN...HOT TEMPERATURES AND VERY LOW RELATIVE

  HUMIDITY VALUES WILL BE OVER SOUTH CENTRAL MONTANA TODAY. A

  STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION THIS

  AFTERNOON AND WILL BRING SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS TO THE AREA.

  THESE STORMS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS

  ALONG WITH FREQUENT LIGHTNING...THUS GENERATING CRITICAL FIRE

  WEATHER CONDITIONS.

* IMPACTS...GUSTY WINDS AND ERRATIC OUTFLOW WILL HAVE AN IMPACT ON

  ANY CURRENT FIRES OR POTENTIAL FIRE STARTS DUE TO LIGHTNING ACTIVITY.

* WIND...WEST 5 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH. OUTFLOW WINDS

  FROM THUNDERSTORMS MAY APPROACH 40 MPH OR HIGHER OVER SOME LOCATIONS.

* HUMIDITY...IN THE LOW TO MID TEENS.

* TEMPERATURES...MID TO UPPER 90S.

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.