Red Flag Warning issued August 15 at 2:19AM PDT until August 15 at 11:00PM PDT by NWS Pendleton OR
…ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED HIGH-BASED STORMS OVERNIGHT INTO
THURSDAY IN OREGON ZONES 611, 640, and 642…
…SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS STORMS THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING
ACROSS OREGON ZONES 644 and 645…
.Satellite and radar imagery currently show shower activity across
central Oregon. Lightning strikes across the warned areas have
thus far been limited, but weather models do continue to show a
potential for thunderstorm activity for the warned areas,
particularly across the eastern mountains of Oregon, with a
potential flare-up in storm activity occurring Thursday
afternoon. While wet storms are still in the forecast, fuels are
receptive enough to warrant a Red Flag Warning, with lightning
strikes still leading to new fire starts even under a wetting
rain.
* AFFECTED AREA…Fire Weather Zones 611 Deschutes National
Forest -minus Sisters Ranger District, 640 Central Mountains
of Oregon and 642 Southern Blue and Strawberry Mountains.
* IMPACTS…Thunderstorms will be capable of producing frequent
cloud-to-ground lightning and erratic, gusty outflow winds.
This combination will promote conditions conducive to new fire
starts and rapid fire spread for new and existing fires.
* THUNDERSTORMS…Abundant lightning with frequent cloud-to-
ground lightning strikes.
* OUTFLOW WINDS…Gusty winds up to 40 mph.
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.
