Fire weather watch issued for southwest Utah, parts of Arizona, Nevada

Stock image | Photo courtesy of Pixabay, St. George News

ST. GEORGE – The National Weather Service has issued a fire weather watch for southwest Utah, southeastern Nevada and northwestern Arizona.

The fire weather watch goes into effect Thursday afternoon for southwest Utah and Friday morning for the neighboring areas of Arizona and Nevada and warn of windy conditions and low relative humidity.

The watch stays in effect through Saturday evening for southeastern Nevada and northwestern Arizona, while remaining in effect in Southwest Utah until Sunday evening.

Read more: ‘If it can spark, it can cause a fire’: Tips on preventing human-caused wildfires

A fire weather watch has been issued for portions of Southern Utah | Click to enlarge | Image courtesy of National Weather Service, St. George News

Southwest Utah

Affected areas

Washington, Kane, Iron, Beaver counties and parts of Garfield and San Juan counties (refer to the maps in this article for details).

Winds

Southwest winds 15-25 mph with gusts near 30 mph Thursday afternoon. Southwest winds 20-30 mph with gusts near 40 mph Friday afternoon through Sunday evening.

Winds will be strongest during the afternoon through early evening hours for Washington and Kane counties and parts of Garfield and San Juan counties.

A fire weather watch has been issued for portions of Southern Utah | Click to enlarge | Image courtesy of National Weather Service, St. George News

Southwest winds 15 to 25 with gusts near 30 mph Thursday afternoon, increasing to 20 to 30 mph with gusts near 40 mph Friday afternoon through Saturday.

Winds will be strongest during the late morning through early evening hours for parts of Iron and Beaver counties and the northwest part of Washington County.

Relative humidity

Minimum values around 10-15 percent with fair to poor recovery at night.

Impacts

Gusty winds and low humidity will combine to cause critical fire weather conditions, especially Friday afternoon through early Sunday evening.

Precautionary/preparedness actions

A Fire Weather Watch means that there is a potential for critical fire weather conditions. Continue to monitor for the latest forecasts and for possible Red Flag Warnings.

Nevada and Arizona

Affected area

Parts of Lincoln and Clark Counties in Nevada and Mohave County in Arizona reaching into the southeastern part of California (refer to the maps in this article for details).

A fire weather watch has been issued for portions of Arizona and Nevade | Click to enlarge | Image courtesy of National Weather Service, St. George News

Timing

The winds will increase and combine with dry air by late Friday morning and persist through Saturday.

Winds

South to southwest winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts 35 to 40 mph.

Humidity

Afternoon humidity falling near or below 10 percent with only modest recovery overnight.

Impacts

Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is not recommended.

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.

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