Alert archive / Washington / Red Flag Warnings in 2025
Red Flag Warning 13, NWS Spokane, WA
NWS Spokane, WA issued this red flag warning at Aug 12, 2025, 2:25 PM PDT for 14 counties in Washington. It took effect at Aug 13, 2025, 12:00 PM PDT. It was in force for 9 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Aug 12, 2025, 2:25 PM PDT (21:25 UTC)
- In effect from
- Aug 13, 2025, 12:00 PM PDT
- Expired
- Aug 13, 2025, 9:00 PM PDT
- In force
- 9 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Spokane, WA
Counties Adams County, WA, Asotin County, WA, Chelan County, WA, Columbia County, WA, Douglas County, WA, Ferry County, WA, Garfield County, WA, Grant County, WA, Lincoln County, WA, Okanogan County, WA, Pend Oreille County, WA, Spokane County, WA, Stevens County, WA, Whitman County, WA
The radar
The Spokane radar (KOTX), 63 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:29 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.
Open the radar archive at this moment
The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.
The nearest sounding before it
Salem/Mcnary, OR (KSLE), launched 12:00Z, 9.4 hours before the alert went out and 454 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 2012 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 14 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 8 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 28 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted.
414 WWUS86 KOTX 122125 RFWOTX URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Spokane WA 225 PM PDT Tue Aug 12 2025 WAZ701>709-131300- /O.UPG.KOTX.FW.A.0009.250813T1800Z-250814T0600Z/ /O.NEW.KOTX.FW.W.0013.250813T1900Z-250814T0400Z/ Foothills of Northeast Washington (Zone 701)- Colville Reservation (Zone 702)-Okanogan Valley (Zone 703)- Methow Valley (Zone 704)- Foothills of Central Washington Cascades (Zone 705)- Waterville Plateau (Zone 706)-Western Columbia Basin (Zone 707)- Eastern Columbia Basin - Palouse - Spokane Area (Zone 708)- Lower Palouse - Snake River (Zone 709)- 225 PM PDT Tue Aug 12 2025 ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TO 9 PM PDT WEDNESDAY FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 701, 702, 703, 704, 705, 706, 707, 708, AND 709... The National Weather Service in Spokane has issued a Red Flag Warning for wind and low relative humidity, which is in effect from noon to 9 PM PDT Wednesday. The Fire Weather Watch is no longer in effect. * Affected Area: Foothills of Northeast Washington (Zone 701), Colville Reservation (Zone 702), Okanogan Valley (Zone 703), Methow Valley (Zone 704), Foothills of Central Washington Cascades (Zone 705), Waterville Plateau (Zone 706), Western Columbia Basin (Zone 707), Eastern Columbia Basin -Palouse - Spokane Area (Zone 708) and Lower Palouse -Snake River (Zone 709). * Winds: West 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph. * Relative Humidities: 13 to 25 percent. * Impacts: Rapid fire spread is likely with any new or existing fires. 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. && $$
2 follow-up statements
860 WWUS86 KOTX 131115 RFWOTX URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Spokane WA 415 AM PDT Wed Aug 13 2025 WAZ701>709-140400- /O.CON.KOTX.FW.W.0013.250813T1900Z-250814T0400Z/ Foothills of Northeast Washington (Zone 701)- Colville Reservation (Zone 702)-Okanogan Valley (Zone 703)- Methow Valley (Zone 704)- Foothills of Central Washington Cascades (Zone 705)- Waterville Plateau (Zone 706)-Western Columbia Basin (Zone 707)- Eastern Columbia Basin - Palouse - Spokane Area (Zone 708)- Lower Palouse - Snake River (Zone 709)- 415 AM PDT Wed Aug 13 2025 ...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 701, 702, 703, 704, 705, 706, 707, 708, AND 709... * Affected Area: Foothills of Northeast Washington (Zone 701), Colville Reservation (Zone 702), Okanogan Valley (Zone 703), Methow Valley (Zone 704), Foothills of Central Washington Cascades (Zone 705), Waterville Plateau (Zone 706), Western Columbia Basin (Zone 707), Eastern Columbia Basin -Palouse - Spokane Area (Zone 708) and Lower Palouse -Snake River (Zone 709). * Winds: West 15 to 25 mph with gusts 30 to 40 mph. * Relative Humidities: 13 to 24 percent. * Impacts: Rapid fire spread is likely with any new or existing fires. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now....or will shortly. A combination of strong winds...low relative humidity...and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior. && $$
338 WWUS86 KOTX 140354 RFWOTX URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Spokane WA 854 PM PDT Wed Aug 13 2025 WAZ701>709-140500- /O.EXP.KOTX.FW.W.0013.000000T0000Z-250814T0400Z/ Foothills of Northeast Washington (Zone 701)- Colville Reservation (Zone 702)-Okanogan Valley (Zone 703)- Methow Valley (Zone 704)- Foothills of Central Washington Cascades (Zone 705)- Waterville Plateau (Zone 706)-Western Columbia Basin (Zone 707)- Eastern Columbia Basin - Palouse - Spokane Area (Zone 708)- Lower Palouse - Snake River (Zone 709)- 854 PM PDT Wed Aug 13 2025 ...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 701, 702, 703, 704, 705, 706, 707, 708, AND 709... Wind gusts have decreased throughout the area and red flag conditions are no longer a concern. Please continue following burn bans and local guidance. $$
The office that day
Everything else NWS Spokane, WA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 12, 2:55 AM PDT | Extreme Heat Warning | OTX | Adams, Asotin, Chelan, Douglas, Garfield, Grant | 17 hr |
Nearby
Red Flag Warnings in Washington, 2025Every red flag warning in 2025
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.