Red Flag Warning

...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS CANCELLED FOR FLATHEAD RESERVATION AND EAST BEAVERHEAD...

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 5 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 6 AM MDT SUNDAY DUE TO LIGHTNING FOR KOOTENAI AND WEST LOLO...

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM TO 8 PM MDT SUNDAY DUE TO WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR DEERLODGE/WEST BEAVERHEAD...

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.Antecedent conditions have been very dry and warm. The Kootenai Forest especially has received well below normal precipitation since early July. Thunderstorms with little to no precipitation Saturday evening and overnight will be followed Sunday with a dry cold front. Increased winds and lowering relative humidities behind the front on Sunday will bring critical fire weather conditions to southwest Montana across Fire Weather Zone 110.

The National Weather Service in Missoula MT has issued a Red Flag Warning in effect from 5 PM this afternoon to 6 AM MDT Sunday.

* AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zones 104 and 106.

* TIMING...From 5 PM this afternoon to 6 AM MDT Sunday.

* LIGHTNING...Multiple rounds of thunderstorms expected this afternoon, evening, and overnight into early Sunday morning. Little to any precipitation is expected with dry thunderstorms.

* OUTFLOW WINDS...Through 10 pm thunderstorms will bring outflow winds up to 50 mph. 5% chance for isolated wind gusts near 60 mph for any given location.

* IMPACTS...Lightning strikes will have the potential to start new fires, and gusty outflow winds could cause rapid spread of new and existing wildfires.