Red Flag Warning for Boone, Dallas Counties until 8 PM
…DANGEROUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON…
.STRONG SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 20 TO 25 MPH AND GUSTS TO NEAR
40 MPH…COMBINED WITH VERY LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY WILL RESULT IN
DANGEROUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS OVER MUCH OF NORTHERN AND
WESTERN IOWA BY THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EARLY EVENING.
…RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM CDT THIS
EVENING…
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING FOR EXTREME FIRE CONDITIONS…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM
NOON TODAY TO 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING. THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS NO
LONGER IN EFFECT.
* TIMING…THE RELATIVE HUMIDITY WILL DIP BELOW 25 PERCENT BY NOON
AND CONTINUE TO DECREASE DURING THE AFTERNOON. THE LOWEST
RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED BETWEEN 1
PM AND 5 PM TODAY.
* AFFECTED AREA…WEST CENTRAL TO NORTH CENTRAL IOWA.
* WIND…SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 20 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS AS
HIGH AS 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE BY THIS AFTERNOON.
* RELATIVE HUMIDITY…AS LOW AS 17 PERCENT.
* FUEL…MANY WILD GRASSES ARE NOT FULLY GREEN AS A RESULT OF THE
LATE SPRING AND COULD POTENTIALLY BURN MORE EASILY THAN IS
TYPICAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR.
* IMPACTS…FIRES WILL SPREAD QUICKLY IN THESE DANGEROUS
CONDITIONS AND BURNING IS STRONGLY DISCOURAGED.
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.