A Reg Flag Warning has been issued by the National Weather Service for most of North Dakota today, with extreme fire risk increasing over the next few days.
The NWS says they’ve upgraded the Red Flag Warning this morning to include Stutsman, Foster, Pierce, and Wells counties. That warning now stretches west through the rest of the state and into Montana.
Wind gusts could approach 40 mph in Jamestown and 45 mph in Carrington by Monday afternoon. Winds could also be especially strong around the Ashley area, with 45 mph gusts forecast this afternoon. Sustained wind speeds approaching or over 20 miles per hour are expected throughout central and western North Dakota throughout the day.
Meteorologists at the NWS expect wind impacts to be more severe on Tuesday, with sustained wind speeds over 30 mph and gusts approaching 50 mph in the Carrington and Ashley areas. Fire danger will be most critical in the James River Valley at tat point, with extremely low humidity also expected.
Minimum humidity in the teens to 20s will exacerbate dangerous fire conditions throughout the week, leading the NOAA to also issue critical fire risks across the region throughout the week.
Sustained periods wind speeds over 20 mph and gusts reaching into upper-30s to lower 40s are expected to continue through Thursday, with forecasts less confident into the weekend. The NWS is expecting the first heat wave of spring to hit later this week, with temperatures possibly rising into the low-90s in parts of eastern North Dakota.
Officials are reminding residents that any fires will spread rapidly and become difficult to control, and burns are not advised at this time.
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