Red flag warning issued for Columbia Basin

By Terry Murry on Wednesday, June 30th, 2021 in Columbia Basin News Columbia Basin Top Stories

PENDLETON – The National Weather Service is placing a red flag warning for the lower Columbia Basin of Oregon and Washington from 11 a.m. today (Wednesday) through 10 p.m. Thursday. While there will be a very slight cooling in temperatures, the atmosphere will become more unstable, heightening fire danger.

Moisture from the southwest will cause isolated thunderstorms over central and northeastern Oregon. In addition, winds will increase through the Columbia River Gorge and portions of the lower Columbia Basin.

The red flag warning also includes the eastern slopes of the northern Cascades in Oregon and the southern Cascades in Washington. Winds could gust as high as 30 miles per hour and relative humidity will be as low as 12 percent. Rapid fire spread is likely under gusty winds. In addition, the unstable atmosphere could lead to extreme fire behavior.