RED FLAG WARNING GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR SAN LUIS OBISPO AND SANTA BARBARA COUNTIES

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

RED FLAG WARNING GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR SAN LUIS OBISPO AND SANTA BARBARA COUNTIES

RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM TO 6 PM PDT WEDNESDAY FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR THE INTERIOR PORTIONS OF SAN LUIS OBISPO AND SANTA BARBARA COUNTY

Red Flag Warning

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA 1018 AM PDT TUE MAR 11 2014

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LOS ANGELES/OXNARD HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG WARNING FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY.

RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY OVER MOST OF LOS ANGELES AND VENTURA COUNTY AS WELL AS INTERIOR SAN LUIS OBISPO AND SANTA BARBARA COUNTY

A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE NEAR IDAHO IS EXPECTED TO DROP SOUTH INTO EASTERN CALIFORNIA BY WEDNESDAY. THIS WILL BRING MODERATE TO STRONG OFFSHORE FLOW THROUGH THURSDAY PEAKING ON WEDNESDAY AND FOCUSING OVER LOS ANGELES AND VENTURA COUNTIES AS WELL AS INTERIOR SAN LUIS OBISPO AND SANTA BARBARA COUNTIES.

WINDS: SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS TO AROUND 40 MPH AND GUSTS TO AROUND 65 MPH ARE LIKELY DURING THE PEAK IN THE WINDIEST LOCATIONS.

HUMIDITY: HUMIDITIES WILL INCREASE SOME TONIGHT ESPECIALLY IN THE MOUNTAINS THEY WILL GRADUALLY LOWER TO BELOW 15 PERCENT THROUGH THE DAY ON WEDNESDAY FIRST NEAR THE COAST EARLY WEDNESDAY

MORNING THEN UP THROUGH THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS IN THE AFTERNOON.

FIRE DANGER: DESPITE THE INITIALLY HIGHER HUMIDITIES THE STRONG WIND POTENTIAL WILL BRING A POTENTIAL FOR EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR IF A FIRE STARTED. WHILE NOT PART OF THE WATCH TODAY AND THURSDAY ARE PERIODS OF HIGH FIRE WEATHER CONCERN. WITH A FEW HOURS OF WIDESPREAD RED FLAG CONDITIONS EXPECTED.

RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM TO 6 PM PDT WEDNESDAY FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR THE INTERIOR PORTIONS OF SAN LUIS OBISPO AND SANTA BARBARA COUNTY... ...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM TO 6 PM PDT WEDNESDAY.

*WINDS: NORTHEAST WINDS 15 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH WILL OCCUR ON WEDNESDAY. THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED WEDNESDAY MORNING.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY: 25 TO 45 PERCENT WEDNESDAY MORNING LOWERING QUICKLY TO 8 TO 15 PERCENT BY AROUND NOON.

* IMPACTS: EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR IS POSSIBLE IF FIRE IGNITION OCCURS. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS

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 WILL CREATE EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR. PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE OFFICIALS OR FIRE CREWS IN THE FIELD OF THIS RED FLAG WARNING.

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CFN - California Fire News 2013

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CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS

Tuesday, March 11, 2014