Red Flag Warning Issued For 4th Of July In NCW, Columbia Basin

The National Weather Service Office in Spokane has issued a Red Flag Warning for parts of North Central Washington during Fourth of July Weekend.

Meteorologists say the Warning is being issued due a forecasted combination of hot temperatures, low relative humidity, and gusty winds.

The Weather Service says sustained westerly winds of 10-20 mph are expected, along with gusts as high as 35 mph, with relative humidities of 13%-23% and afternoon highs in the upper 80s and low 90s.

Officials add some areas will see a shift from westerly to northwesterly winds during the Warning.

Some of the impacted areas include the Foothills of the Central Washington Cascade Mountains; the Methow, Okanogan, and Wenatchee Valleys; the Waterville Plateau; and portions of the Western Columbia Basin.

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Some of the populated areas within the Warning zone include Brewster; Bridgeport; Cashmere; Chelan; Coulee City; East Wenatchee; Entiat; Ephrata; George; Grand Coulee; Lind; Manson; Mattawa; Moses Lake; Omak; Oroville; Othello; Quincy; Riverside; Royal City; Soap Lake; Tonasket; Warden; Waterville; and Wenatchee.

During the Warning, these areas will experience an elevated risk of wildfire hazard, due to the forecasted elemental combinations and the region's tinder dry conditions.

Citizens should exercise extreme caution when using fire or anything which could create heat or sparks, obey all current local fire restrictions, and think twice before lighting fireworks - even in the limited areas within the Warning zone where they are legal for discharge during the Independence Day holiday.

The Warning is currently scheduled to go into effect at 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 4, and stretch until 9 p.m. the same day, but could be extended or contracted based on updated forecast information.