Dry, hot and breezy over the weekend, High Fire Danger

Bend, Ore (KTVZ) – Several wildfires are being attacked aggressively today as dozens of new wildfires were started by the lightning strikes Wednesday evening.  Several fires are now over 1000 acres and continue to grow. The dry air and the dry fuel on the ground needed very little to get a fire going, and this week’s storms provided the energy.  

The forecast for the weekend is not favorable for fire suppression as the region will be hot, breezy and dry. The good news is that the winds will not be overly robust, but they are still present. If you are out and about this weekend, be aware that many of your favorite camping spots may be impacted by wildfires.

The air quality issues will be a concern moving through the weekend as well.  In eastern Oregon an Air Quality Alert has been issued by the Department of Environmental Quality through noon Monday. Wheeler, Grant, Harney, Lake, Klamath and Malheur Counties are included in the alert. Air quality indexes will be unhealthy most of the weekend.  Central Oregon counties of Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson are not included at this time, but as conditions deteriorate over time that may be revisited by the DEQ.

Saturday will be mostly sunny and hot with highs reaching the low 90s.  The winds will be generally from the west, pushing the smoke to the east. The bulk of the fires are east of the 97 corridor, so most populated areas are not in the direct line of the smoke that will be transported east. Winds will change direction periodically, as usual, so this may change the air quality rapidly. Stay alert and prepare for the smoke anyway.

Sunday will be slightly hotter than Saturday with mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies. Winds, once again, will be noticeable but not overwhelming.

Monday is expected to be partly to mostly cloudy with a slight chance for a shower. The rain will be light and mainly east, but the clouds will be present in the afternoon. Highs remain above 90° even with the cloud cover.

Tuesday through the end of the work week will be hot and dry with highs in the middle 90s and mostly sunny.

Stay hydrated and prepare for poor air quality over the weekend.

Please, Stay safe and smart.

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