URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
DRY...UNSTABLE AND LOCALLY BREEZY
CONDITIONS WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY...
A THERMAL TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE WILL BUILD
NORTH ALONG THE COAST WEDNESDAY INTO EARLY THURSDAY THEN SHIFT EAST OF THE
CASCADES THURSDAY EVENING. THIS WILL RESULT IN POOR OVERNIGHT HUMIDITY RECOVERIES
OVER THE CASCADES AND OLYMPICS WEDNESDAY NIGHT WITH LOCALLY BREEZY EAST WINDS
ACROSS THE WEST SLOPES OF THE CASCADES AND ONTO THE IMMEDIATE FOOTHILL AREAS
WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY THURSDAY. THEN THE WIND WILL EASE LATER THURSDAY
MORNING AS THE THERMAL TROUGH PASSES OVERHEAD. HOWEVER THIS WILL BRING UNSTABLE
HIGH HAINES CONDITIONS TO MOST OF WESTERN WASHINGTON WITH A SIGNIFICANT PORTION
OF THE AREA HAVING MINIMUM RH VALUES BELOW 25 PERCENT THURSDAY AFTERNOON. THE
WESTERN OLYMPICS AND THE COASTAL AREAS WERE LEFT OUT OF THE WATCH DUE TO THE
AMOUNT OF RAIN RECEIVED SUNDAY NIGHT. FIRE ZONE 653 WAS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO HIGHER
FORECAST RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES.
CENTRAL AND SOUTH PUGET SOUND LOWLANDS- BLACK
HILLS AND SOUTHWEST INTERIOR LOWLANDS- SOUTHEAST PUGET SOUND LOWLANDS GENERALLY
BELOW 1500 FEET- WEST SLOPES OF THE NORTH CASCADES GENERALLY ABOVE 1500 FEET- WEST
SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL CASCADES GENERALLY ABOVE 1500 FEET- EAST PORTION OF THE
OLYMPIC MOUNTAINS-
FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY
EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING FOR LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES COMBINED WITH
LOCAL EAST WINDS AND A HIGH HAINES OVER THE WEST SLOPES OF THE CASCADES...EASTERN
OLYMPICS AND PORTIONS OF THE INTERIOR LOWLANDS...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SEATTLE HAS
ISSUED A FIRE WEATHER WATCH FOR LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES...LOCAL EAST WINDS AND
A HIGH HAINES...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY
EVENING.
·
AFFECTED
AREA...FOR THE WEST SLOPES OF THE CASCADES AND THE IMMEDIATE FOOTHILLS FOR EAST
WINDS AND LOW RH. THE ENTIRE WATCH AREA FOR LOW RH AND HIGH HAINES THURSDAY.
·
WINDS...EAST
TO NORTHEAST 5 TO 10 MPH...EXCEPT LOCALLY 10 TO 15 MPH CASCADES SOUTH OF
INTERSTATE 90 AND THE IMMEDIATE FOOTHILLS.
·
TIMING...WEDNESDAY
NIGHT INTO EARLY THURSDAY FOR WINDS AND LOW RH AND THURSDAY FOR LOW RH AND HIGH
HAINES.
·
RELATIVE
HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 15 TO 20 PERCENT.
·
IMPACTS...THESE
WEATHER CONDITIONS WHEN COMBINED WITH RECEPTIVE FUELS CAN LEAD TO RAPID FIRE
GROWTH ON EXISTING FIRES OR NEW STARTS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A FIRE WEATHER WATCH MEANS THAT CRITICAL
FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST TO OCCUR. LISTEN FOR LATER FORECASTS AND
POSSIBLE RED FLAG WARNINGS.
