URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR

824 AM PDT WED AUG 17 2016

....CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP

THURSDAY AND CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST FRIDAY NIGHT...

.DRY NORTHERLY LOW-LEVEL FLOW THURSDAY AFTERNOON WILL LEAD TO

POTENTIALLY CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR THE WILLAMETTE

VALLEY...ESPECIALLY THE CENTRAL AND SOUTH PORTIONS. A BROADER

OFFSHORE WIND PATTERN THEN BEGINS TO SET UP THURSDAY NIGHT.

INITIALLY...THE EAST WIND WILL IMPACT THE SOUTH WASHINGTON AND

NORTH OREGON CASCADES AND FOOTHILLS...THE NORTH OREGON COAST RANGE

AND THE WILLAPA HILLS OF SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON. THE OFFSHORE WIND

PATTERN IS FORECAST TO STRENGTHEN LATE THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH

FRIDAY MORNING...LIKELY AFFECTING MUCH OF NORTHWEST OREGON AND

SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON. THE WIND WILL START TO DIMINISH FRIDAY

EVENING...BUT SATURDAY WILL REMAIN HOT...DRY...AND UNSTABLE AS A

THERMAL TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE LINGERS NEARBY.

ORZ604-180030-

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WILLAMETTE VALLEY-

824 AM PDT WED AUG 17 2016

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM TO 8 PM PDT THURSDAY FOR

WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR OREGON FIRE WEATHER ZONE 604...

...FIRE WEATHER WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT THURSDAY

NIGHT THROUGH LATE FRIDAY NIGHT FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE

HUMIDITY FOR OREGON FIRE WEATHER ZONE 604...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PORTLAND HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG

WARNING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT

FROM 1 PM TO 8 PM PDT THURSDAY. ALSO...A FIRE WEATHER WATCH

REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH LATE FRIDAY

NIGHT FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY.

* AFFECTED AREA...OREGON FIRE WEATHER ZONE 604. THIS INCLUDES THE

WILLAMETTE AND TUALATIN VALLEYS.

* WIND THURSDAY...NORTH TO NORTHEAST 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO

25 MPH THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THE EVENING. MOST SUSCEPTIBLE

AREAS WILL BE THE CENTRAL AND SOUTH WILLAMETTE VALLEY.

* WIND FRIDAY...NORTHEAST 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 25 MPH...BUT

EAST 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 35 MPH ACROSS EASTERN PARTS OF

THE PORTLAND METRO AREA AND NEAR THE COLUMBIA GORGE.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 15 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS...DUE TO DRY FUEL CONDITIONS...ANY FIRE START HAS THE

POTENTIAL FOR RAPID SPREAD.

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 CAN

CONTRIBUTE TO EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR.

A FIRE WEATHER WATCH MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS

ARE FORECAST TO OCCUR. LISTEN FOR LATER FORECASTS AND POSSIBLE

RED FLAG WARNINGS.