NOAA - FIRE WEATHER WATCH

[doug_e 0]

It's gettin' worse by the day....

FIRE WEATHER WATCH

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE UPTON NY

312 PM EDT TUE APR 19 2005

...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FOR WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON FOR THE ENTIRE TRI-STATE REGION...

THE COMBINATION OF GUSTY WINDS...A LACK OF RAINFALL AND LOW RELATIVE

HUMIDITIES WILL TEAM UP TO CREATE A HIGH FIRE DANGER FOR WEDNESDAY

AFTERNOON ACROSS MUCH OF THE TRI-STATE REGION.

THE AREA HAS NOT SEEN ANY RAINFALL IN OVER 10 DAYS NOW...AND THE LACK

OF RAINFALL AND THE RECENT LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES HAVE CAUSED FOREST

UNDERSTORIES TO BECOME VERY DRY. WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 25

MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 30 MPH ARE EXPECTED WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.

ALL OF THESE CONDITIONS ARE CONDUCIVE TO FIRE IGNITION AND A RAPID

SPREAD OF ANY FIRES THAT DO START.

IF CURRENT FORECASTS DO NOT CHANGE SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE NEXT 12 TO 24

HOURS...A RED FLAG WARNING WOULD BE ISSUED EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING.

LOCAL RESIDENTS ARE URGED TO USE EXTREME CAUTION WHILE OUTDOORS

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. PLEASE BE AWARE THAT JUST THE SMALLEST SPARK

COULD IGNITE A WILDLAND FIRE WITH POTENTIAL DIRE CIRCUMSTANCES.

$$

REYNOLDS

[doug_e 0]

Fire Weather Watches and Red Flag Warnings

Fire Weather Watches are used to alert users of the possible development of a Red Flag event in the near future. This period covers from 12 to 72 hours in advance of the event. A Red Flag event is defined as an event where ten-hour fuel stick moisture must be 8% or less, along with afternoon relative humidity levels 25% or below, and 20-foot winds are expected to exceed 15 mph. All three requirements must be met.

Red Flag Warning are issued to warn an impending or ongoing Red Flag event. A Red Flag Warning will be issued immediately when Red Flag conditions are met. Otherwise, it will be issued for impending Red Flag conditions when there is a high degree of confidence that conditions will develop and the forecast time of onset for the event is less than four hours.