SAC-CRAWFORD-CARROLL-GREENE-BOONE-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-CASS-ADAIR-ADAMS-

421 AM CDT TUE MAY 14 2013

…RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG WARNING FOR EXTREME FIRE CONDITIONS…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING. THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.  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.

* TIMING…THE RELATIVE HUMIDITY WILL DIP BELOW 25 PERCENT BY NOON AND CONTINUE TO DECREASE DURING THE AFTERNOON. THE LOWEST RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED BETWEEN  1 PM AND 5 PM TODAY. * AFFECTED AREA…WEST CENTRAL TO NORTH CENTRAL IOWA.

* WIND…SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 20 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE BY THIS AFTERNOON.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY…AS LOW AS 17 PERCENT.

* FUEL…MANY WILD GRASSES ARE NOT FULLY GREEN AS A RESULT OF THE LATE SPRING AND COULD POTENTIALLY BURN MORE EASILY THAN IS TYPICAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR.

* IMPACTS…FIRES WILL SPREAD QUICKLY IN THESE DANGEROUS CONDITIONS AND BURNING IS STRONGLY DISCOURAGED.