Fire weather watch for Thursday

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FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
THURSDAY EVENING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE
WEATHER ZONES 697, 698, 703, 704, 705, 706, 707, 708, AND 709...

The National Weather Service in Spokane has issued a Fire Weather
Watch for wind and low relative humidity, which is in effect from
Thursday afternoon through Thursday evening.

* Affected Area: East Portion of North Cascades National
Park/Lake Chelan National Recreation Area (Zone 697), East
Washington North Cascades (Zone 698), Okanogan Valley (Zone
703), Methow Valley (Zone 704), Foothills of Central
Washington Cascades (Zone 705), Waterville Plateau (Zone 706),
Western Columbia Basin (Zone 707), Eastern Columbia Basin -
Palouse -Spokane Area (Zone 708) and Lower Palouse -Snake
River (Zone 709).

* Winds: West 12 to 18 mph with gusts up to 25 to 30 mph. Exposed
ridges along the east slopes of the Cascades to the Waterville
Plateau will see west winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 to
40 mph.

* Relative Humidities: 12 to 19 percent at lower elevations below
3000 feet and 19 to 28 percent in the higher terrain above 3000
feet.

* Impacts: Rapid fire spread for any new or ongoing fires.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Fire Weather Watch means that critical fire weather conditions
are forecast to occur. Listen for later forecasts and possible
Red Flag Warnings.