Weather Alert in Washington
Red Flag Warning issued August 24 at 1:44PM PDT until August 26 at 9:00PM PDT by NWS Spokane WA
AREAS AFFECTED: East Washington Central Cascades; East Portion of North Cascades National Park / Lake Chelan National Recreation Area; East Washington North Cascades; Methow Valley
DESCRIPTION: ...HOT, DRY, AND UNSTABLE CONDITIONS FOR MONDAY AND TUESDAY ALONG WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WITH GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS... .Hot, dry, and unstable conditions are forecast along the East Slopes of the Central and Northern Cascades as well as the Methow Valley Monday and Tuesday. In addition, we are monitoring the potential for isolated thunderstorms on Monday and Tuesday afternoons that could result in new fire starts along with gusty outflow winds. The National Weather Service in Spokane has issued a Red Flag Warning for hot, dry, and unstable conditions, which is in effect from noon Monday to 9 PM PDT Tuesday. The Fire Weather Watch is no longer in effect. * Affected Area: East Washington Central Cascades (Zone 696), East Portion of North Cascades National Park/Lake Chelan National Recreation Area (Zone 697), East Washington North Cascades (Zone 698) and Methow Valley (Zone 704). * Winds: Southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon shifting to northwest in the evening, except gusty outflow winds near thunderstorms. * Timing: Afternoon and evening for both Monday and Tuesday. * Thunderstorms: A 5-10 percent chance of dry thunderstorms late Monday afternoon into the evening. A 20-25 percent chance of thunderstorms Tuesday afternoon and evening mainly over the higher terrain. * Relative Humidities: Below 4000 feet: 13 to 20 percent. Above 4000 feet: 20 to 30 percent. * Temperatures: Below 4000 feet: 90 to 102 degrees. Above 4000 feet: 75 to 90 degrees. * Impacts: Hot, dry, unstable conditions may lead to rapid fire growth on any new or existing fires. Isolated thunderstorms will bring the potential for new fire starts, as well as gusty outflow winds.
INSTRUCTION: 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.
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Weather Topic: What is Rain?
Home - Education - Precipitation - Rain
Next Topic: Shelf Clouds
Precipitation in the form of water droplets is called rain.
Rain generally has a tendency to fall with less intensity over a greater period
of time, and when rainfall is more severe it is usually less sustained.
Rain is the most common form of precipitation and happens with greater frequency
depending on the season and regional influences. Cities have been shown to have
an observable effect on rainfall, due to an effect called the urban heat island.
Compared to upwind, monthly rainfall between twenty and forty miles downwind of
cities is 30% greater.
Next Topic: Shelf Clouds
Weather Topic: What is Sleet?
Home - Education - Precipitation - Sleet
Next Topic: Snow
Sleet is a form of precipitation in which small ice pellets are the primary
components. These ice pellets are smaller and more translucent than hailstones,
and harder than graupel. Sleet is caused by specific atmospheric conditions and
therefore typically doesn't last for extended periods of time.
The condition which leads to sleet formation requires a warmer body of air to be
wedged in between two sub-freezing bodies of air. When snow falls through a warmer
layer of air it melts, and as it falls through the next sub-freezing body of air
it freezes again, forming ice pellets known as sleet. In some cases, water
droplets don't have time to freeze before reaching the surface and the result is
freezing rain.
Next Topic: Snow
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