Rapid City

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY EVENING ACROSS THE WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA PLAINS... .Hot, dry, and windy conditions on Monday will support widespread critical fire weather conditions across the western South Dakota plains. Temperatures tomorrow will be in the upper 80s to mid 90s with humidities dropping to 10-20 percent. Gusts of 25 to 40 mph are also expected. A dry cold front will cross western South Dakota in the afternoon and early evening, bringing quickly- changing wind shifts and continued higher gusts. In this environment, any new fires could spread rapidly and be difficult to control. * AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zones 322 Fall River County Area, 323 Northern Foot Hills, 324 Eastern Foot Hills, 325 Custer County Plains, 326 Pine Ridge Area, 329 West Central Plains, 331 Haakon County Area, 332 Badlands Area, 333 Bennett County Area, 334 Mellette and Todd Counties and 335 Tripp County. * WINDS...Southwest 10 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 10 percent. * IMPACTS...The combination of hot temperatures, gusty winds, and low relative humidity would produce critical fire weather conditions. In addition, a dry cold front will cross the region from northwest to southeast between 2 PM and 8 PM Monday, resulting in a sudden wind shift from south to northwest and an increase in wind gusts. In this environment, any new fires could spread rapidly and be difficult to control.

...HOT, DRY, AND BREEZY WEEK AHEAD, WITH NEAR-CRITICAL TO CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS BEGINNING TODAY... .A near-critical to critical fire weather pattern is forecast to develop across much of western South Dakota starting today, and continue through much of the week. The most critical days at this time appear to be today, Wednesday, and Thursday. A RED FLAG WARNING has been issued for the western South Dakota plains today...the first day of this pattern...due to a combination of hot afternoon temperatures of 85 to 95 degrees, low minimum afternoon relative humidities of 10 to 20 percent, and winds gusting as high as 30 to 40 MPH with a sudden shift from south to northwest winds during the afternoon and evening due to passage of a dry cold front. In this environment, any new fires could spread rapidly and be difficult to control. * AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zones 322 Fall River County Area, 323 Northern Foot Hills, 324 Eastern Foot Hills, 325 Custer County Plains, 326 Pine Ridge Area, 327 Butte County Area, 328 Perkins County, 329 West Central Plains, 330 Ziebach County, 331 Haakon County Area, 332 Badlands Area, 333 Bennett County Area, 334 Mellette and Todd Counties, and 335 Tripp County. * WINDS...South southwest 15 to 20 MPH with gusts up to 30 MPH, then switching to northwest 15 to 25 MPH with gusts up 40 MPH. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 10 percent. * IMPACTS...The combination of hot temperatures, gusty winds, and low relative humidities will produce critical fire weather conditions. In addition, a dry cold front will cross the region from northwest to southeast between 2 PM and 9 PM today, resulting in a sudden shift from south to northwest winds and an increase in wind gusts. In this environment, any new fires could spread rapidly and be difficult to control.