Gusty winds, low humidity prompt Red Flag fire weather warning across northern Nevada
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Mon, 09/07/2020 - 8:53am
Gusty winds and low humidity ahead has prompted the National Weather Service to issue a Red Flag Warning from noon Monday to 5 a.m. Tuesday for northern and western Nevada, including the Reno, Carson City, Carson Valley and Lyon County region, as well as the Lake Tahoe Basin and the eastern Sierra.
Forecasters say winds expected Monday will be from northwest to north, 15 to 20 mph with gusts to 35 mph, then shifting to the north and northeast for Tuesday. The strongest winds will be felt in Washoe, Pershing, Churchill, Lyon, and Mineral counties. The Red Flag warning covers the Northern Sierra Front including Carson City, Douglas, Storey and Washoe counties.
Winds are unlikely to decrease overnight due to the strength of the cold front. Ridge gusts over 40 mph are possible. Humidity will be anywhere from 5 to 15 percent Monday afternoon with a humidity recovery of 20 to 30 percent Monday night.
The combination of recent hot temperatures, gusty winds, and low humidity can cause fire to rapidly grow in size and intensity before first responders can contain them.
The weather service advises people to avoid outdoor activities that can cause a spark near dry vegetation, such as yard work, target shooting, or campfires. Follow local fire restrictions and see livingwithfire.info for preparedness tips.
Meanwhile, heat and smoke impacts continue through Monday followed by a big cool down. Smoke from ongoing wildfires will continue to impact the region through Monday. Some locations will see degraded air quality, while for others the smoke will remain aloft.
The worst conditions will be downwind of ongoing wildfires, such as Quincy toward the Sierra Valley, and the Walker, Coleville and Topaz Lake areas. The most abundant smoke producer is currently the Creek Fire in the southern Sierra in Madera County, Calif., however, much of this smoke is remaining elevated outside of Mono County, where a Dense Smoke Advisory remains in effect, according to the weather service.
Temperatures will remain well above normal through Monday, though as noted by forecasters earlier, temperatures are being tampered down by the thick smoke present over the region. Therefore, while it will certainly be hot, forecasters say it is anything record-breaking Monday is up in the air.
According to a weather service special statement, we can expect a big cool down Tuesday, with high temperatures 15-25 degrees cooler than what we have experienced over the past few days.
"This will also bring a very dry air mass and gusty winds, so unfortunately, no relief is in sight for ongoing wildfires. With high fire danger the next several days, avoid any activities that could start a fire, and follow all area restrictions for campfires and use of outdoor grills," according to the weather statement.
See CarsonWeather.com for local area forecasts and weather updates.
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