High fire danger this weekend, gusty at times, very warm and dry

Bend, Ore (KTVZ) – The weather this weekend will not be favorable for fighting fires as the winds will be in the 15 – 20 mph range and gusts may reach 25 mph. The ground has dried out from the rain on Wednesday so the fuel on the ground will easily burn. Rapid fire growth is expected, but the firefighters are doing an excellent job with restricting the growth as best as possible.

Highs today will be in the upper 90s in some locations and the winds going to be arriving from the west and northwest generally. The smoke from the Akawa Fire will be transported toward Redmond and Bend so air quality will be impacted. There is a much better report from Air Now so we do have improvement, but just how long it will last is the concern.

The bulk of the smoke is being generated by the Brewer, Box Springs (now part of the Rowe Creek Complex) and the Shingle Fires. The latest satellite image shows that the smoke is migrating north, away from Crook County, but should settle down and drift south overnight.

Saturday will be very warm and breezy to windy with west winds at around 15 and gusts to 25 at times. The mercury in the thermometer will reach the upper 80s under mostly sunny skies. Best described as smoky haze as there will be numerous fires contributing to the poor air quality.

Sunday will be similar to Saturday but with less wind. The highs will be in the upper 80s under sunny (smoky) skies.  Winds will be lighter, but still able to transport the smoke around.

Monday will be dry and warm once again as the rinse and repeat forecast goes into effect. The highs will reach the upper 80s through Tuesday and Wednesday before we cross back into the 90s Thursday and Friday. The last full week of July will be about 5 – 7 degrees above normal under mostly sunny skies. 

If it were not for the fires, this would be a very warm and sunny week to enjoy all of what Central Oregon has to offer, unfortunately, we have the dangerous fires throughout the region.

Thank you to the fire fighters and coordinators that are managing these fires excellently considering the conditions.

Please, Stay safe and smart.

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