Red Flag Warning 9, NWS Missoula, MT

Issued

Aug 22, 2026, 9:08 AM MDT (15:08 UTC)

In effect from

Aug 22, 2026, 5:00 PM MDT

Expired

Aug 23, 2026, 6:00 AM MDT

In force

13 hr

Issued by

NWS Missoula, MT

Counties Flathead County, MT, Lincoln County, MT, Mineral County, MT, Missoula County, MT, Sanders County, MT

The Missoula radar (KMSX), 95 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 15:10 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.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

040 
WWUS85 KMSO 221508
RFWMSO

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Missoula MT
908 AM MDT Sat Aug 22 2026

...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS CANCELLED FOR FLATHEAD RESERVATION AND EAST
BEAVERHEAD...

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 5 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 6 AM MDT
SUNDAY DUE TO LIGHTNING FOR KOOTENAI AND WEST LOLO...

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM TO 8 PM MDT SUNDAY DUE TO
WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR DEERLODGE/WEST BEAVERHEAD...

...

.Antecedent conditions have been very dry and warm. The Kootenai
Forest especially has received well below normal precipitation since
early July. Thunderstorms with little to no precipitation Saturday
evening and overnight will be followed Sunday with a dry cold front.
Increased winds and lowering relative humidities behind the front on
Sunday will bring critical fire weather conditions to southwest
Montana across Fire Weather Zone 110.

MTZ107-221615-
/O.CAN.KMSO.FW.A.0006.260822T2300Z-260823T1800Z/
Flathead Reservation-
908 AM MDT Sat Aug 22 2026

...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS CANCELLED...

The threat of widespread lightning has decreased since yesterday.
Hence, the Fire Weather Watch has been cancelled. Isolated
thunderstorms are expected this afternoon with a 15 to 20 percent
chance of lightning for any given location.

$$

MTZ111-221615-
/O.CAN.KMSO.FW.A.0006.260823T1800Z-260824T0300Z/
East Beaverhead-
908 AM MDT Sat Aug 22 2026

...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS CANCELLED...

The relative humidity has increased above critical levels. Hence, the
Fire Weather Watch has been cancelled.

$$

MTZ104-106-231200-
/O.UPG.KMSO.FW.A.0006.260822T2300Z-260823T1800Z/
/O.NEW.KMSO.FW.W.0009.260822T2300Z-260823T1200Z/
Kootenai-West Lolo-
908 AM MDT Sat Aug 22 2026

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 5 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 6 AM MDT
SUNDAY...

The National Weather Service in Missoula MT has issued a Red Flag
Warning in effect from 5 PM this afternoon to 6 AM MDT Sunday.

* AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zones 104 and 106.

* TIMING...From 5 PM this afternoon to 6 AM MDT Sunday.

* LIGHTNING...Multiple rounds of thunderstorms expected this
  afternoon, evening, and overnight into early Sunday morning. Little
  to any precipitation is expected with dry thunderstorms.

* OUTFLOW WINDS...Through 10 pm thunderstorms will bring outflow
  winds up to 50 mph. 5% chance for isolated wind gusts near 60 mph
  for any given location.

* IMPACTS...Lightning strikes will have the potential to start new
  fires, and gusty outflow winds could cause rapid spread of new and
  existing wildfires.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Please advise the appropriate officials or fire crews in the field of
this Red Flag Warning.

Make and maintain your go kit. Is it ready to go? Are there any
materials you need to refresh? Visit ready.gov/kit.

A Red Flag Warning is issued when we identify weather conditions that
promote rapid spread of fire which may become life-threatening. This
does not mean there is a fire. These conditions are either occurring
now or will begin soon. It is important to have multiple ways to
receive information from authorities.

&&

$$

MTZ110-240200-
/O.UPG.KMSO.FW.A.0006.260823T1800Z-260824T0300Z/
/O.NEW.KMSO.FW.W.0010.260823T1900Z-260824T0200Z/
Deerlodge/West Beaverhead-
908 AM MDT Sat Aug 22 2026

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM TO 8 PM MDT SUNDAY...

The National Weather Service in Missoula MT has issued a Red Flag
Warning in effect from 1 PM to 8 PM MDT Sunday.

* AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zone 110.

* TIMING...From 1 PM to 8 PM MDT Sunday.

* WINDS...Southwest winds 15 to 20 mph with gusts of 25 to 40 mph.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...Relative Humidity between 15 to 25 percent.

* IMPACTS...Any fires that develop will spread rapidly. Outdoor
  burning is not recommended.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Please advise the appropriate officials or fire crews in the field of
this Red Flag Warning.

Make and maintain your go kit. Is it ready to go? Are there any
materials you need to refresh? Visit ready.gov/kit.

A Red Flag Warning is issued when we identify weather conditions that
promote rapid spread of fire which may become life-threatening. This
does not mean there is a fire. These conditions are either occurring
now or will begin soon. It is important to have multiple ways to
receive information from authorities.

&&

$$

AL

NWS Missoula, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before this red flag warning went out at Aug 22, 4:00 AM MDT, 5 hours 8 minutes earlier.

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Missoula MT
400 AM MDT Sat Aug 22 2026

.DISCUSSION...

KEY MESSAGES:

-  Strong to severe thunderstorms today through the afternoon and
   evening.

-  Cold front Sunday brings cooler temperatures but strong
   westerly winds and very dry air.

-  Ridge rebuilds into next week.

Light rain showers this morning depicted on radar continue to
expand northward. The main convective event develops this
afternoon around and after 2pm MDT. Storms will generally track
from southwest to northeast. A marginal risk for severe
thunderstorms covers the region, with damaging wind gusts toward
60 mph remaining the primary hazard of concern alongside small
hail and frequent lightning. High precipitable water values
entering the region under monsoonal flow will support brief heavy
rainfall under stronger showers and storms bringing localized
threats for excessive runoff and flash flooding over urban areas
and within steep terrain and burn scars. Lingering showers and
isolated convection will persist through the overnight as the
strong to severe thunderstorm threat begins to diminish.

A cold front crossed the Northern Rockies late tonight into
Sunday, ushering in a brief temperature respite with daytime highs
dropping 10 to 15 degrees to near seasonal averages. Deep
boundary-layer mixing behind the front will drive strong westerly
winds within the very dry post-frontal airmass. Elevated to
critical fire weather conditions are anticipated across the region
on Sunday.

High pressure rebuilds early next week marking the return of hot
daytime temperatures and generally dry conditions. Near-daily
afternoon showers and thunderstorms will remain possible in
southwestern Montana and Lemhi County.

Ensemble cluster analysis shows moderately high confidence (70%)
in a progressive pattern returning to the region by mid-to-late
next week, though details about timing and strength of any
inbound troughing remain uncertain at this time.

&&

.AVIATION...Morning light rain showers will yield to strong
afternoon and evening thunderstorms tracking southwest to
northeast between 22/2000Z and 23/0400Z. Localized direct impacts
from convection will bring erratic outflow wind gusts of 30 to 50
knots, small hail, brief heavy rainfall causing localized
MVFR/IFR visibility, along with LLWS and turbulence near storm
cores. Strong westerly winds develop post-frontally on Sunday on
an otherwise dry and less-problematic day for aviation.

&&

.MSO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...Fire Weather Watch from this afternoon through Sunday morning
     for Flathead Reservation...Kootenai...West Lolo.

     Fire Weather Watch from Sunday afternoon through Sunday evening
     for Deerlodge/West Beaverhead...East Beaverhead.

ID...None.
&&

Red Flag Warnings in Montana, 2026Every red flag warning in 2026

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.