Fire Warning Issued With Scott County Forecast in 90s

Winter's barely over, but temperatures in Dakota and Scott counties are expected to reach into the 90s on Tuesday, and the National Weather Service has issued a fire weather watch.

Dry winds will whip through the area at speeds up to 25 miles per hour with gusts up to 40 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service in Chanhassen.

The fire warning is in effect from noon through 8 p.m. Tuesday.

"Wildfires could become fast moving in a short period of time due to the strong winds," the service wrote.

Here's the full text of the warning:

... RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TO 8 PM CDT TUESDAY FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR MOST OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG WARNING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY... WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TO 8 PM CDT TUESDAY. THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* AFFECTED AREA... FIRE WEATHER ZONE 047 STEVENS... FIRE WEATHER ZONE 048 POPE... FIRE WEATHER ZONE 049 STEARNS... FIRE WEATHER ZONE 050 BENTON... FIRE WEATHER ZONE 051 SHERBURNE... FIRE WEATHER ZONE 054 LAC QUI PARLE... FIRE WEATHER ZONE 055 SWIFT... FIRE WEATHER ZONE 056 CHIPPEWA... FIRE WEATHER ZONE 057 KANDIYOHI... FIRE WEATHER ZONE 058 MEEKER... FIRE WEATHER ZONE 059 WRIGHT... FIRE WEATHER ZONE 060 HENNEPIN... FIRE WEATHER ZONE 061 ANOKA... FIRE WEATHER ZONE 062 RAMSEY... FIRE WEATHER ZONE 063 WASHINGTON... FIRE WEATHER ZONE 064 YELLOW MEDICINE... FIRE WEATHER ZONE 065 RENVILLE... FIRE WEATHER ZONE 066 MCLEOD... FIRE WEATHER ZONE 067 SIBLEY... FIRE WEATHER ZONE 068 CARVER... FIRE WEATHER ZONE 069 SCOTT... FIRE WEATHER ZONE 070 DAKOTA... FIRE WEATHER ZONE 073 REDWOOD... FIRE WEATHER ZONE 074 BROWN... FIRE WEATHER ZONE 075 NICOLLET... FIRE WEATHER ZONE 076 LE SUEUR... FIRE WEATHER ZONE 077 RICE... FIRE WEATHER ZONE 082 WATONWAN... FIRE WEATHER ZONE 083 BLUE EARTH... FIRE WEATHER ZONE 084 WASECA... FIRE WEATHER ZONE 085 STEELE... FIRE WEATHER ZONE 091 MARTIN... FIRE WEATHER ZONE 092 FARIBAULT AND FIRE WEATHER ZONE 093 FREEBORN.

* WINDS... SOUTH 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH... SHIFTING WEST.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY... AS LOW AS 20 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS... WILDFIRES COULD BECOME FAST MOVING IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME DUE TO THE STRONG WINDS... LOW HUMIDITY AND DRY FUELS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS 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.

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More Information

... RED FLAG WARNING FOR SOUTHERN AND PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA TUESDAY AFTERNOON INTO TUESDAY EVENING... ... FIRE WEATHER WATCH CONTINUES FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA TUESDAY AFTERNOON INTO TUESDAY EVENING...

.HOT AND WINDY CONDITIONS WILL ARRIVE ON TUESDAY WITH TEMPERATURES EXPECTED TO REACH THE MIDDLE 80S TO MIDDLE 90S. SOUTHWEST TO WEST WINDS FROM 15 TO 25 MPH AND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE FORECAST ALONG WITH MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES NEAR 20 PERCENT. THIS CAN RESULT IN DANGEROUS WILDFIRE CONDITIONS TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA.