FRIDAY AM UPDATE:

Despite lower wind gusts, the fire danger lingers across much of the KAKEland for Friday.

 

Wind gusts, Friday, will be around 35mph for all of KAKEland with a few isolated gusts possibly touching the 40mph mark.

With relative humidity values still below 20%, fires remains a real concern for nearly all of KAKEland. 

 A Red Flag Warning remains in place for much of the state! Avoid burning and any outdoor activities that could spark a wildfire. 

 

THURSDAY AM UPDATE:

Thursday's weather situation looks very similar to what the state experienced on Wednesday and that means the return of more high wind, blowing dust and wildfires!

By the lunch hour, wind gusts across KAKEland are expected to be in the 40 to 60mph range. This will likely create blowing dust from the northwest and could make travel on east-west roads very treacherous for high profile vehicles. 

 Along with the high wind gusts out of the northwest, the relative humidity will once again drop below 20% in many locations. When relative humidity drops below 20%, fires have the ability to spread incredibly fast, especially in environments with high wind gusts. 

The dangerous combination of high wind gusts and low relative humidity has once again prompted the National Weather Service to issue a Red Flag Warning for nearly all of KAKEland. No burning should be attempted today, and extreme cautions should be exercised if heat sources like welders or grinders are used outdoors. Drivers pulling trailers should avoid dragging safety chains, as this has been known to create enough sparks to ignite roadside fires. Lastly, drivers should responsibly discard of cigarettes and they should never be tossed out the window!

Stay tuned for updates and alerts as this multi-day high wind and fire danger event unfolds. Residents in areas with high amounts of dry fuel should stay vigilant for fast moving and very large wildfires. 

We’ll keep you up to date with our Interactive Radar and LIVE weather coverage. Get those features and more on the free First Alert Weather App. With the app you can track storms in your area, stream the latest forecast videos and live severe weather coverage, and set customized alerts to keep you and your family informed and safe.

In the event of severe weather, click here to follow KAKE First Alert Storm Trackers in the field.

WEDNESDAY AM UPDATE:

High wind gusts will bring multiple threats to KAKEland Wednesday and Thursday including wildfires, blowing dust, treacherous driving and tree and power pole damage!

Wind gusts will pick up dramatically Wednesday morning with gusts by early afternoon in the 50-60mph range with locally higher gusts possible in Northwest Kansas!

In addition to big, uncontrollable wildfires, this wind could create blowing dust that could obscure visibility. High profile vehicles should use extreme caution, especially on east-west roads. The wind could also damage trees and power lines and poles. This damage to power infrastructure could create wildfires that spread rapidly because of low humidity values.

 During the afternoon, Wednesday, relative humidity values could dip below 20%! This dangerous combo of high wind gusts and low relative humidity has prompted the National Weather Service to issue a Red Flag Warning for just about the entire state of Kansas.

The fire and wind threat will decrease slightly Wednesday night but the high wind gusts will return on Thursday!

Wind gusts Thursday could once again be in the 50-60mph range. Unfortunately the relative humidity will once again be low and this will lead to another very dangerous day when it comes to wildfire potential.

Much of KAKEland will be under the threat of fires Thursday and another very large Red Flag Warning is anticipated. 

Stay tuned for updates and alerts as this multi-day high wind and fire danger event unfolds. Residents in areas with high amounts of dry fuel should stay vigilant for fast moving and very large wildfires. 

We’ll keep you up to date with our Interactive Radar and LIVE weather coverage. Get those features and more on the free First Alert Weather App. With the app you can track storms in your area, stream the latest forecast videos and live severe weather coverage, and set customized alerts to keep you and your family informed and safe.

In the event of severe weather, click here to follow KAKE First Alert Storm Trackers in the field.

TUESDAY AM UPDATE

A strengthening area of low pressure in the Northern Plains will swing a powerful cold front across KAKEland Tuesday. This will shift the wind from the south to the north and northwest. In addition to the wind direction change, it will also open the door for drier air to flow into the state. This combo of drier air and very high wind gusts will lead to several days of high fire danger!

The wind will shift on Tuesday and by the early afternoon wind gusts across Western Kansas will be in the 40 to 50mph range!

 As the drier air slides into KAKEland, the relative humidity will slip into the 15-25% range. When the relative humidity is this low, fires can spread very rapidly!

 Because of this combo of high wind and low relative humidity, the National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for Northwest and Southwest Kansas. 

 When a Red Flag Warning is in effect, extreme caution should be taken to avoid fires. Controlled burns should not be attempted, heat sources like welders and grinders should not be used outside and smokers should always dispose of smoking materials responsibly!

Unfortunately, this pattern is expected to play out again on Wednesday, though the wind gusts are expected to be higher. Wind gusts on Wednesday will be in the 50 to 70mph range for Western Kansas while the eastern half of the state should generally stay in the 40-50mph zone.

 High wind gusts in excess of 60mph will likely make travel very treacherous for high profile vehicles and could greatly reduce visibility because of blowing dust. Tree and power line damage is likely, and this could also contribute to wildfires. Once again, the relative humidity will be very low, allowing fires to spread rapidly!

 The National Weather Service has already issued a Red Flag Warning for the western half of the state with a Fire Weather Watch issued for North and South Central Kansas. This Fire Weather Watch will likely be upgraded to a Red Flag Warning.

Wind gusts will dip a bit on Thursday but relatively speaking they will still be high and could still create problems, especially if fires persist.

Generally speaking, it appears that the wind gusts Thursday will be in the 40-50mph range. No fire weather products have been issued for Thursday at this point, thanks to, what is expected to be slightly higher relative humidity values.

Stay tuned for updates and alerts as this multi-day high wind and fire danger event unfolds. Residents in areas with high amounts of dry fuel should stay vigilant for fast moving and very large wildfires. 

We’ll keep you up to date with our Interactive Radar and LIVE weather coverage. Get those features and more on the free First Alert Weather App. With the app you can track storms in your area, stream the latest forecast videos and live severe weather coverage, and set customized alerts to keep you and your family informed and safe.

In the event of severe weather, click here to follow KAKE First Alert Storm Trackers in the field.