URGENT – FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
1156 AM CDT MON MAR 26 2012

.VERY STRONG WEST WINDS OF 30 TO 45 MPH WILL DEVELOP LATE TUESDAY
MORNING AND CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY. DRIER AIR FROM ALOFT WILL
MIX DOWN TO THE SURFACE DURING THE DAY…ALLOWING RELATIVE
HUMIDITIES TO FALL TO 20 TO 30 PERCENT. THE COMBINATION OF THE
WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY WILL CREATE A VERY DANGEROUS FIRE
WEATHER SCENARIO.

IAZ300-NEZ249-SDZ255>258-270100-
/O.NEW.KFSD.FW.W.0005.120327T1600Z-120328T0300Z/
NORTHERN LOESS HILLS AND FLOYD RIVER BASIN-
EXTREME NORTHEAST NEBRASKA-LOWER BRULE AND LAKE ANDES VICINITY-
MIDDLE JAMES RIVER VALLEY-MIDDLE BIG SIOUX RIVER VALLEY-
LOWER JAMES RIVER TO LOWER BIG SIOUX RIVER VALLEY-
1156 AM CDT MON MAR 26 2012

…RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM TO 10 PM CDT TUESDAY FOR
WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 249…255…
256…257…258 AND 300…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SIOUX FALLS HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY…WHICH IS IN EFFECT
FROM 11 AM TO 10 PM CDT TUESDAY.

* AFFECTED AREA…IN IOWA…FIRE WEATHER ZONE 300. IN NEBRASKA…
FIRE WEATHER ZONE 249. IN SOUTH DAKOTA…FIRE WEATHER ZONES
255… 256…257 AND 258.

* WINDS…WEST 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY…AS LOW AS 20 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS…ANY FIRES THAT START WILL SPREAD RAPIDLY DUE TO THE
DANGEROUS WINDY AND LOW HUMIDITY CONDITIONS…COUPLED WITH
DORMANT VEGETATION. FIRES COULD EXHIBIT EXTREME
CHARACTERISTICS…INCLUDING LONG RANGE SPOTTING POTENTIAL AND
RAPID MOVEMENT. WITH WIND SPEEDS OF THIS MAGNITUDE FORECAST…
FIGHTING FIRES ON THE FLANKS IN THESE SITUATIONS IS ADVISED…
AVOIDING THE HEAD OF THE FIRE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW…OR IN THE NEAR FUTURE. A COMBINATION
OF STRONG WINDS…LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY…AND WARM TEMPERATURES
WILL CREATE EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.