Carson City sees blue skies, expected gusty winds ahead prompt Reg Flag Warning
Under somewhat clearer skies, gusty winds and low humidity are expected to arrive Thursday afternoon, which has prompted the National Weather Service to issue a Red Flag warning from 1 to 9 p.m. and a fire weather watch through Saturday.
A fire weather watch remains in effect from Friday afternoon through Saturday due to gusty winds and low humidity expected to remain in the western Nevada region, according to the weather service.
The Red Flag Warning notes winds will be out of the west to southwest winds 10 to 20 mph with gusts to 35 mph Thursday and Friday, increasing to 15 to 25 mph with gusts to 40 mph Saturday. Humidity will range between 5 to 15 percent.
The combination of gusty winds and low humidity can cause fires 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.
Meanwhile, air quality around Carson City, Carson Valley and around Dayton has improved over Wednesday's conditions. Both Carson City and Gardnerville have "moderate" readings on the Air Quality Index as of 11:45 a.m. Thursday.
The "moderate" designation, in which Carson City has a reading of 74 and Gardnerville, 56, means Air quality is acceptable; however, for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.