Red Flag Warning Issued for Southwestern Iowa Due to Critical Fire Weather Conditions

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Des Moines has issued a Red Flag Warning for critical fire weather conditions. The alert is officially in effect for Thursday, March 12, from 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM CDT.

Affected Areas

The warning covers much of southwestern into west-central Iowa. The specific counties included in the alert area are:

• Crawford
• Carroll
• Audubon
• Guthrie
• Cass
• Adair
• Adams
• Union
• Taylor
• Ringgold

What You Should Do

Residents in the affected areas are strongly discouraged from engaging in outdoor burning. A Red Flag Warning indicates that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior. Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly, and residents should prepare accordingly.

Expected Conditions

Critical fire weather conditions will be driven by a combination of strong winds, low humidity, and cured fuels:

• Winds: South to southwest winds sustained at 20 to 25 MPH, with gusts reaching up to 40 MPH possible.
• Humidity: Relative humidity is expected to fall to approximately 25% during the afternoon and evening.
• Impacts: The environment will be conducive to the rapid spread of any fires that develop.

Timeline

The Red Flag Warning is scheduled to begin at 12:00 PM CDT on Thursday, March 12, and is expected to expire at 9:00 PM CDT that same evening.