957
WWUS86 KOTX 160823
RFWOTX
URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
123 AM PDT THU JUL 16 2026
...ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH
THURSDAY EVENING...
.TWO ROUNDS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT CENTRAL AND
EASTERN WASHINGTON BETWEEN WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY EVENING.
THE FIRST ROUND WILL TRACK SOUTH TO NORTH THROUGH CENTRAL
WASHINGTON WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING AND WILL CONSIST
OF A MIX OF WET AND DRY THUNDERSTORMS WITH SCATTERED LIGHTNING
STRIKES. RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL GENERALLY RANGE FROM A TRACE TO A
TENTH OF AN INCH, BUT MAY BE HIGHER IF MULTIPLE STORMS MOVE OVER
THE SAME AREA. AS THIS ACTIVITY DRIFTS NORTH OF HIGHWAY
2 THURSDAY MORNING, LIGHTNING ACTIVITY WILL BECOME ISOLATED. A
SECOND ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL TRACK SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST
LATE THURSDAY MORNING INTO THURSDAY EVENING. A FEW STORMS COULD
BE STRONG DURING THIS TIME WITH FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND HAIL.
GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS AND NEW FIRE STARTS WILL BE A CONCERN WITH
ANY THUNDERSTORMS FROM WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING.
WAZ699-702-703-161800-
/O.EXT.KOTX.FW.W.0008.260716T0823Z-260717T0600Z/
OKANOGAN HIGHLANDS AND KETTLE MOUNTAINS (ZONE 699)-
COLVILLE RESERVATION (ZONE 702)-OKANOGAN VALLEY (ZONE 703)-
123 AM PDT THU JUL 16 2026
...RED FLAG WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM PDT THIS EVENING
FOR THUNDERSTORMS FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 699, 702, AND 703...
* AFFECTED AREA: OKANOGAN HIGHLANDS AND KETTLE MOUNTAINS (ZONE
699), COLVILLE RESERVATION (ZONE 702) AND OKANOGAN VALLEY
(ZONE 703).
* THUNDERSTORMS: ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS THURSDAY
MORNING WITH A SECOND ROUND OF STORMS THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND
EVENING. A MIX OF WET AND DRY THUNDERSTORMS WITH RAINFALL
AMOUNTS LESS THAN A TENTH OF AN INCH. LOCALLY HIGHER RAINFALL
AMOUNTS POSSIBLE WHERE MULTIPLE STORMS MOVE OVER THE SAME AREA.
* OUTFLOW WINDS: ERRATIC OUTFLOW WIND GUSTS THURSDAY MORNING UP
TO 30 MPH. OUTFLOW WIND GUSTS THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING UP
TO 50 MPH.
* IMPACTS: NEW FIRE STARTS FROM LIGHTNING. NEW FIRES COULD BE
IMPACTED BY GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS.
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.
WAZ696>698-704>707-161800-
/O.CON.KOTX.FW.W.0008.000000T0000Z-260716T1800Z/
EAST WASHINGTON CENTRAL CASCADES (ZONE 696)-
EAST PORTION OF NORTH CASCADES NATIONAL PARK/LAKE CHELAN NATIONAL
RECREATION AREA (ZONE 697)-
EAST WASHINGTON NORTH CASCADES (ZONE 698)-
METHOW VALLEY (ZONE 704)-
FOOTHILLS OF CENTRAL WASHINGTON CASCADES (ZONE 705)-
WATERVILLE PLATEAU (ZONE 706)-WESTERN COLUMBIA BASIN (ZONE 707)-
123 AM PDT THU JUL 16 2026
...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM PDT THIS
MORNING FOR THUNDERSTORMS FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 696, 705, 706,
AND 707...
* AFFECTED AREA: EAST WASHINGTON CENTRAL CASCADES (ZONE 696),
EAST PORTION OF NORTH CASCADES NATIONAL PARK/LAKE CHELAN
NATIONAL RECREATION AREA (ZONE 697), EAST WASHINGTON NORTH
CASCADES (ZONE 698), METHOW VALLEY (ZONE 704), FOOTHILLS OF
CENTRAL WASHINGTON CASCADES (ZONE 705), WATERVILLE PLATEAU
(ZONE 706) AND WESTERN COLUMBIA BASIN (ZONE 707).
* THUNDERSTORMS: ISOLATED TO SCATTERED COVERAGE. A MIX OF WET AND
DRY THUNDERSTORMS WITH RAINFALL AMOUNTS LESS THAN A TENTH OF AN
INCH. LOCALLY HIGHER RAINFALL AMOUNTS POSSIBLE WHERE MULTIPLE
STORMS MOVE OVER THE SAME AREA.
* OUTFLOW WINDS: ERRATIC OUTFLOW WINDS RANGING FROM 20 TO 40 MPH.
* PREVAILING WINDS: BREEZY NORTH WINDS THURSDAY MORNING BECOMING
BREEZY SOUTHEAST WINDS THURSDAY AFTERNOON WITH SUSTAINED SPEEDS
AROUND 10 MPH AND GUSTS TO 25 MPH.
* IMPACTS: NEW FIRE STARTS FROM LIGHTNING. NEW FIRES COULD BE
IMPACTED BY GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS.
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.
WAZ701-708-161800-
/O.CON.KOTX.FW.W.0008.260716T1800Z-260717T0600Z/
FOOTHILLS OF NORTHEAST WASHINGTON (ZONE 701)-
EASTERN COLUMBIA BASIN - PALOUSE - SPOKANE AREA (ZONE 708)-
123 AM PDT THU JUL 16 2026
...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO
11 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR THUNDERSTORMS FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONE
701...
* AFFECTED AREA: FOOTHILLS OF NORTHEAST WASHINGTON (ZONE 701)
AND EASTERN COLUMBIA BASIN -PALOUSE -SPOKANE AREA (ZONE 708).
* THUNDERSTORMS: ISOLATED COVERAGE IN THE LATE MORNING AND EARLY
AFTERNOON BECOMING ISOLATED TO SCATTERED IN THE LATE AFTERNOON
AND EVENING. A MIX OF WET AND DRY THUNDERSTORMS WITH RAINFALL
AMOUNTS LESS THAN A TENTH OF AN INCH. LOCALLY HIGHER RAINFALL
AMOUNTS POSSIBLE WHERE MULTIPLE STORMS MOVE OVER THE SAME AREA.
* OUTFLOW WINDS: ERRATIC OUTFLOW WIND GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH.
* IMPACTS: NEW FIRE STARTS FROM LIGHTNING. NEW FIRES COULD BE
IMPACTED BY GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS.
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.
WAZ709-161800-
/O.CON.KOTX.FW.W.0009.260716T2000Z-260717T0600Z/
LOWER PALOUSE - SNAKE RIVER (ZONE 709)-
123 AM PDT THU JUL 16 2026
...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO
11 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR THUNDERSTORMS FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONE
709...
* AFFECTED AREA: LOWER PALOUSE -SNAKE RIVER (ZONE 709).
* THUNDERSTORMS: ISOLATED TO SCATTERED COVERAGE. A MIX OF WET AND
DRY THUNDERSTORMS WITH RAINFALL AMOUNTS LESS THAN A TENTH OF AN
INCH. LOCALLY HIGHER RAINFALL AMOUNTS POSSIBLE WHERE MULTIPLE
STORMS MOVE OVER THE SAME AREA.
* OUTFLOW WINDS: ERRATIC OUTFLOW WIND GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH.
* IMPACTS: NEW FIRE STARTS FROM LIGHTNING. NEW FIRES COULD BE
IMPACTED BY GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS.
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.
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