Red Flag Warning Issued for Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles Due to Strong Winds and Low Humidity

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Amarillo has issued a Red Flag Warning for the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles. This alert replaces the previous Fire Weather Watch and indicates that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring or imminent due to a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures.

Affected Areas

The warning covers the following geographic regions:

• Oklahoma Panhandle: Cimarron, Texas, and Beaver counties.
• Texas Panhandle: Dallam, Sherman, Hansford, Hartley, and Moore counties.

What You Should Do

Residents in the affected areas are advised to:

• Avoid all outdoor burning.
• Refrain from activities that promote open flames or sparks.
• Be prepared for rapid fire growth and spread if a fire develops.
• Monitor local conditions closely, especially during the sudden wind shift expected Sunday morning.

Expected Conditions

Weather conditions are expected to transition from near-critical today to critical on Sunday:

• Winds: Today, southwest winds of 15 to 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph. On Sunday, north winds will increase to 30 to 40 mph with gusts reaching up to 65 mph.
• Relative Humidity: Levels will drop as low as 8 percent today and 16 percent on Sunday.
• Temperatures: Highs in the lower 80s are expected today, dropping significantly into the 40s on Sunday.
• Fire Environment: Fuels are rated in the 70th to 89th percentile for volatility. The fire environment is rated 5 out of 10 today, increasing to 7 out of 10 on Sunday.

Timeline

The Red Flag Warning is currently in effect. The period of highest concern for critical fire weather begins at 6:00 AM CDT on Sunday, March 15, and is scheduled to expire at 8:00 PM CDT on Sunday evening.