Red Flag Warning issued for North Central Washington due to thunderstorm risk

SPOKANE — The National Weather Service in Spokane has issued a Red Flag Warning for North Central Washington, effective from 11 a.m. Wednesday to midnight Wednesday night, due to the risk of scattered thunderstorms with abundant lightning.

The warning covers several fire weather zones, including the East Washington Central Cascades, the East Portion of North Cascades National Park/Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, the East Washington North Cascades, the Okanogan Highlands and Kettle Mountains, the Colville Reservation, the Okanogan Valley, the Methow Valley, the Foothills of Central Washington Cascades, and the Waterville Plateau.

According to the weather service, the thunderstorms are expected to contain little to no rainfall and could produce gusty, erratic outflow winds that may travel a considerable distance from the storm's core. The combination of dry thunderstorms and dry fuels has the potential to spark new wildfires that could overwhelm initial attack capabilities. Additionally, gusty winds associated with the thunderstorms could cause rapid fire spread for both new and existing fires.

A Red Flag Warning indicates that critical fire weather conditions are either currently occurring or will occur shortly. The weather service advises that the mentioned conditions can contribute to extreme fire behavior and urges residents to take necessary precautions and preparedness actions.