The National Weather Service in Pleasant Hill has issued a FIRE WEATHER WARNING effective from 12:00 PM July 25, 2012 through 7:00 PM July 25, 2012.
Burn Bans remain in effect for much of Northwest Missouri including Clinton, Dekalb, Daviess, and Caldwell Counties. Please report any outdoor fires or smoke by calling 911 immediately.
Text of the Fire Weather Warning follows:
URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO 504 AM CDT WED JUL 25 2012
...CRITICAL FIRE DANGER EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON... .INCREASING SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL BECOME STRONG AND GUSTY THIS AFTERNOON IN CONJUNCTION WITH A VERY HOT AND DRY AIR MASS ALREADY IN PLACE. AS TEMPERATURES CLIMB TO BETWEEN 100 AND 105...AFTERNOON RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL DROP TO BETWEEN 20 AND 25 PERCENT... WITH WIND GUSTS EXCEEDING 25 MPH AT TIMES. CRITICAL CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH 7 PM. IN ADDITION...ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP ACROSS NORTHWEST MISSOURI AND NORTHEAST KANSAS LATE THIS AFTERNOON. GIVEN THE VERY DRY AIR IN PLACE BELOW 10000 FEET...LOCALIZED POCKETS OF DRY LIGHTNING MAY OCCUR. CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE THIS EVENING WITH INCREASING RAIN CHANCES AND AN APPROACHING COOL FRONT.
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG WARNING FOR ALL OF NORTHERN MISSOURI...AS WELL AS MUCH OF MID MISSOURI AND ADJACENT FAR EASTERN KANSAS. THIS WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING. * AFFECTED AREA...THIS WARNING AFFECTS ALL AREAS FROM BLUE MOUND KANSAS TO CLINTON TO SEDALIA TO BOONVILLE MISSOURI...NORTHWARD TO THE IOWA AND NEBRASKA BORDERS. * WINDS...SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH ARE EXPECTED AFTER 10 AM...CONTINUING UNTIL 7 PM.
* TIMING...PEAK FIRE DANGER WILL OCCUR BETWEEN NOON AND 7 PM THIS EVENING. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...MINIMUM VALUES OF 20 TO 25 PERCENT. * TEMPERATURES...100 TO 105. * LIGHTNING...LOCALIZED AREAS OF DRY LIGHTNING MAY OCCUR BETWEEN 5 AND 7 PM ACROSS FAR NORTHWEST MISSOURI AND EXTREME NORTHEAST KANSAS. * IMPACTS...ANY FIRES..PARTICULARLY OVER GRASSY AREAS...WILL LIKELY SPREAD RAPIDLY TO THE NORTHEAST. OUTDOOR BURNING SHOULD BE AVOIDED. 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 WILL CREATE EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL. OUTDOOR BURNING SHOULD BE AVOIDED. DO NOT LEAVE GRILLS UNATTENDED. DO NOT DRIVE OR PARK VEHICLES IN GRASSY AREAS.