The National Weather Service today issued the following alert, which includes forests and rangelands on the West End of the Olympic Peninsula as well as East Jefferson County from Chimacum south along Hood Canal.
URGENT – FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
859 AM PDT WED AUG 15 2012
…CRITICAL COMBINATIONS OF WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY IN
COMBINATION WITH DRY FUELS THROUGH MID-DAY THURSDAY…
.A THERMAL PRESSURE TROUGH WILL BUILD UP THE COAST TODAY AND PEAK
IN STRENGTH NEAR THE COAST ON THURSDAY MORNING. FOR TODAY…THIS
WILL LEAD TO BREEZY NORTH WINDS DOWN THE PUGET SOUND
LOWLANDS…THEN EAST WINDS WILL DEVELOP EARLY THURSDAY MORNING
WEST OF GAPS IN THE CENTRAL CASCADES…AS WELL AS OVER THE
NORTHWEST OLYMPIC PENINSULA.
…RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO 11 AM
PDT THURSDAY FOR EAST WIND AND LOW HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES
657 AND 659…
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SEATTLE HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING FOR EAST WIND AND LOW HUMIDITY…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM
11 PM THIS EVENING TO 11 AM PDT THURSDAY.
* AFFECTED AREA…GAP AREAS OF THE CENTRAL CASCADES AND THE
ADJACENT FOOTHILLS…PARTICULARLY IN EAST KING COUNTY AND PARTS
OF EASTERN LEWIS COUNTY.
* WINDS…EAST 6 TO 12 MPH. GUSTS OF 20 TO 30 MPH IN THE HOURS
AFTER SUNRISE ON THURSDAY MORNING.
* TIMING…LATE TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING.
* RELATIVE HUMIDITY…FALLING TO 30-35 PERCENT WITH THE ONSET OF
MODERATE EAST WIND.
* TEMPERATURES…OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 60S.
* IMPACTS…ANY FIRES THAT GET STARTED COULD SPREAD RAPIDLY UNDER
THE COMBINATION OF WIND AND LOW HUMIDITY.
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.
URGENT – FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
859 AM PDT WED AUG 15 2012
…CRITICAL COMBINATIONS OF WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY IN
COMBINATION WITH DRY FUELS THROUGH MID-DAY THURSDAY…
.A THERMAL PRESSURE TROUGH WILL BUILD UP THE COAST TODAY AND PEAK
IN STRENGTH NEAR THE COAST ON THURSDAY MORNING. FOR TODAY…THIS
WILL LEAD TO BREEZY NORTH WINDS DOWN THE PUGET SOUND
LOWLANDS…THEN EAST WINDS WILL DEVELOP EARLY THURSDAY MORNING
WEST OF GAPS IN THE CENTRAL CASCADES…AS WELL AS OVER THE
NORTHWEST OLYMPIC PENINSULA.
…RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON PDT
THURSDAY FOR EAST WIND AND LOW HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONE 650…
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SEATTLE HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING FOR EAST WIND AND LOW HUMIDITY…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM
11 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON PDT THURSDAY.
* AFFECTED AREA…FIRE WEATHER ZONE 650. INTENDED MAINLY FOR
RIDGES OF THE NORTHWEST OLYMPIC PENINSULA AND THE SOL DUC RIVER
DRAINAGE.
* WINDS…EAST 6 TO 14 MPH. RIDGETOP GUSTS TO 30 MPH ON THURSDAY
MORNING.
* TIMING…LATE TONIGHT THROUGH MID-DAY ON THURSDAY.
* RELATIVE HUMIDITY…LOW MORNING RH VALUES OF 25 TO 35 PERCENT.
* TEMPERATURES…IN THE MID 60S TO MID 70S.
* IMPACTS…ANY FIRES THAT GET STARTED COULD SPREAD RAPIDLY UNDER
THE COM THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
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.
