Sunnyside, Washington

... Red flag warning in effect from 1 PM this afternoon to 11 am
PDT Monday for a combination of winds and low humidities this
afternoon followed by thunderstorms producing abundant lightning
tonight...

The National Weather Service in Pendleton has issued a red flag
warning... which is in effect from 1 PM this afternoon to 11 am
PDT Monday. The Fire Weather Watch is no longer in effect.

A cold front will cross the Oregon Cascades this evening and continue
moving northeast across the lower Columbia Basin through the
overnight hours into Monday morning. Winds ahead of the front will
increase this afternoon and evening to around 10 to 20 mph. The
winds in combination with relative humidities ranging from 8 to 15
percent will result in critical fire weather conditions.

Scattered thunderstorms will develop tonight with periods of
enhanced lightning activity across the lower elevation Grasslands.
Rainfall amounts are expected to be relatively light.


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 and low relative humidity will create explosive fire
growth potential. For additional weather information... check our
web site at www.Weather.Gov/Pendleton.

532 am PDT sun Jul 5 2009

... Fire Weather Watch remains in effect from this evening through
Monday morning...

A Fire Weather Watch remains in effect from this evening through
Monday morning.

Starting this evening and continuing into Monday morning... there
will be a potentially significant lightning event over the Cascade
mountains as well as the south central Cascade valleys.

A cold front is forecast to move into the region late today which
will focus thunderstorms and potentially abundant lightning in
these areas with little potential for widespread wetting rain.
Thunderstorms will end in the area early Monday morning as the
cold front moves through with increasing winds into Monday
afternoon.

Precautionary/preparedness actions...

A Fire Weather Watch means that critical fire weather conditions
are forecast to occur. Listen for later forecasts and possible
red flag warnings.