YAKIMA, WASHINGTON — Dry lightning and gusty winds are set to rapidly increase the wildfire threat across the Pacific Northwest today, Saturday, August 22, as fast-moving thunderstorms track across northern Washington and the Idaho panhandle, while separate downslope winds raise fire danger across a much broader region.
Dry Lightning Threat From Fast-Moving Storms
Fast-moving thunderstorms are expected to track across northern Washington and the Idaho panhandle this afternoon and evening, producing abundant amounts of dry lightning.
This poses a serious risk for new fire ignitions in areas already dealing with extremely dry vegetation, since lightning without accompanying rainfall can spark fires that then spread rapidly under dry conditions.
Critical Fire Weather Zones
The SPC Wind/RH Outlook for Saturday highlights Critical fire weather conditions, shown in red, across two separate zones: one centered on Yakima, Kennewick, and stretching toward Spokane in central and eastern Washington, and a second zone covering Burns and extending toward Alturas in northeastern California and southeastern Oregon.
A much broader Elevated fire weather zone, shown in orange, surrounds both Critical areas, extending from eastern Washington through Oregon, into northeastern California, and across northwestern Nevada, reaching communities including Bend, John Day, Boise, and Winnemucca.
Downslope Winds Add to the Threat
At the same time, strong downslope winds off the Cascades and Sierra Nevada will combine with relative humidity dropping below 20 percent, creating conditions favorable for rapid fire spread…