Red Flag Warning 1, NWS Spokane, WA

533 
WWUS86 KOTX 151928
RFWOTX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Spokane WA
1228 PM PDT Mon Jun 15 2026

...WARM, DRY, AND WINDY ON TUESDAY WITH COLD FRONT PASSAGE...

WAZ702-160800-
/O.EXA.KOTX.FW.W.0001.260616T1700Z-260617T0600Z/
Colville Reservation (Zone 702)-
1228 PM PDT Mon Jun 15 2026

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 11 PM PDT TUESDAY FOR
WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONE 702...

The National Weather Service in Spokane has issued a Red Flag
Warning for wind and low relative humidity, which is in effect
from 10 AM to 11 PM PDT Tuesday.

* Affected Area: Colville Reservation (Zone 702).

* Winds: West 10 to 20 mph with gusts up to 40 mph.

* Relative Humidities: 13 to 20 percent.

* Impacts: Rapid fire spread is likely with any new or ongoing 
  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.

&&

$$

WAZ703>709-160800-
/O.CON.KOTX.FW.W.0001.260616T1700Z-260617T0600Z/
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)-
1228 PM PDT Mon Jun 15 2026

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 11 PM PDT
TUESDAY FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES
703, 704, 705, 706, 707, 708, AND 709...

* Affected Area: 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 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph, locally up to
  50 MPH.

* Relative Humidities: 12 to 23 percent.

* Impacts: Rapid fire spread is likely with any new or ongoing 
  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.

&&

$$

109 
WWUS86 KOTX 160500
RFWOTX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Spokane WA
1000 PM PDT Mon Jun 15 2026

...WARM, DRY, AND WINDY TUESDAY WITH COLD FRONT PASSAGE...

WAZ702>709-162300-
/O.CON.KOTX.FW.W.0001.260616T1700Z-260617T0600Z/
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)-
1000 PM PDT Mon Jun 15 2026

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 11 PM PDT
TUESDAY FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONE
702...

* Affected Area: 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 30 mph with gusts of 40 to 50 mph.

* Relative Humidities: 12 to 23 percent.

* Impacts: Rapid fire spread is likely with any new or ongoing 
  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.

&&

$$

557 
WWUS86 KOTX 161854
RFWOTX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Spokane WA
1154 AM PDT Tue Jun 16 2026

...WARM, DRY, AND WINDY TODAY WITH COLD FRONT PASSAGE...

WAZ702>709-170600-
/O.CON.KOTX.FW.W.0001.000000T0000Z-260617T0600Z/
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)-
1154 AM PDT Tue Jun 16 2026

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM PDT THIS
EVENING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONE
702...

* Affected Area: 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 30 mph with gusts of 40 to 50 mph.

* Relative Humidities: 12 to 23 percent.

* Impacts: Rapid fire spread is likely with any new or ongoing
  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.

&&

$$

929 
WWUS86 KOTX 170616
RFWOTX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Spokane WA
1116 PM PDT Tue Jun 16 2026

WAZ702>709-170730-
/O.EXP.KOTX.FW.W.0001.000000T0000Z-260617T0600Z/
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)-
1116 PM PDT Tue Jun 16 2026

...RED FLAG WARNING HAS EXPIRED FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY 
FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 702, 703, 704, 705, 706, 707, 708, AND 
709...

Winds will continue to subside and relative humidity values will 
continue to come up. Thus the Red Flag Warning has been allowed to
expire.

$$

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Spokane WA
435 AM PDT Mon Jun 15 2026

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Warmest temperatures occur on Monday, with widespread Moderate
  HeatRisk and pockets of Major HeatRisk in the deep basin.

- Potential for critical fire weather conditions on Tuesday due
  to warm, dry, and gusty conditions.

&&

.SYNOPSIS...
Temperatures will remain above normal through the weekend
into next week, with the highest temperatures expected on
Monday. Fire weather will be a concern Tuesday with warm, dry
conditions and gusty westerly winds with a cold front passage.

&&

.DISCUSSION...

...STRONG DRY COLD FRONT PASSAGE TUESDAY...

Today and tonight: High pressure starts shifting inland as a Gulf
of AK low edges into British Columbia and a dry cold front will
start to push toward the Pacific Northwest coast later tonight. A
broader area of middle to high clouds spreads into the area today.
Winds turn to a west/southwest direction heading into late
morning to afternoon Monday, increasing in strength around central
WA to around 10-20 mph with gusts of 20 to 30 mph by late
afternoon to evening with the tightening cross- Cascade gradient.
This will lead to some elevated fire weather conditions near the
Cascades/Okanogan Valley. Highs are forecast to be in the middle
to upper 80s and 90s, with a few spots that could push 100 in the
deep Columbia Basin. Lows will be in the 50s and 60s. A broad
Moderate HeatRisk comes today, with some localized areas of Major
HeatRisk near the Cascades. A heat advisory is in place in the
Wenatchee and Moses Lake zones.

Tuesday: A cold front pushes across the area in the later morning
to early afternoon. Any precipitaiton potential stays north of the
border, leading to a dry cold front passage. Behind the cold
front, PWATs drop to 45-75% of normal, bringing afternoon RH
levels into the mid-teens to lower 20s. It is possible those RH
values could even drop to the lower teens to near 10 percent in
the lee of the Cascades/Okanogan Valley. Temperatures, while a bit
cooler than Monday, will see be very warm in the mid-80s to
mid-90s. Winds will breezy to windy near the Cascade gaps in the
morning, then increase throughout the area in the afternoon and
evening before decreasing in the late evening into overnight. Peak
speeds of 20 to 30 mph are possible, with gusts 30 to 50 mph.
There is still 5-10% chance of exceeding 60 mph over the
Waterville Plateau to Upper Columbia Basin. This will be due to a
140kt+ jet dropping south along the US/Canadian border into
eastern Montana and almost a 10-15 mb gradient between Seattle and
Wenatchee.

The hot, dry and windy set-up will bring elevated to possibly
critical fire weather conditions. The HDWI (Hot-Dry-Windy-Index)
reaches toward the 95th percentile of parts of basin. Fire Weather
Watches remain in place and will be looked at for possible
upgrades. Additionally, we will have to keep an eye toward
blowing dust, choppy waters, difficulty for high- profile
vehicles, maybe even some localized power outages and minor tree
damage.

Wednesday to Monday: The Inland NW will remain in a progressive, dry
pattern. The northwest flow turns more westerly in the latter part
of the week as a weak offshore trough approaches. Some cumulus
build-ups are expected in the upslope flow into the eastern
mountains each afternoon, with periodic middle to high clouds.
Some limited shower chances skim along the Canadian border toward
the the weekend, but the risk is low. Wind remain breezy
Wednesday from the west to northwest. Speeds of 7 to 15 mph with
gusts of 15 to 25 mph are possible, stronger near the lee of the
Cascades. Afternoon minimum RH values will still be in the mid-
teens to low 20s and fire weather conditions will still be
elevated, but not at much as Tuesday. Winds will be occasionally
breezy near the Cascades/Okanogan Valley the remainder of the
week, but nothing as strong as Tuesday or Wednesday. Temperatures
will be above normal through the period, though relatively cooler
on Wednesday with upper 70s and 80s and warming up toward the mid
80s to mid 90s Friday and Saturday /Solveig

&&

.AVIATION...
12Z TAFs: A weak disturbance will pass across the Inland
Northwest and spread mid to high clouds across the region today.
Low levels of the atmosphere will remain dry with conditions
remaining VFR. Southwest winds will increase a bit in the
afternoon during peak mixing with gusts up to 18-22 kts at KMWH-
KGEG/KSFF. Winds become gusty and switch out of the northwest at
KEAT after 23Z late this afternoon into this evening with gusts
up to 25 kts for a few hours before gusts relax later in the
evening after 04Z. A strong cold front sweeps through after this
TAF period for Tuesday with strong westerly winds that will
bring the potential for smoke impacts from and new fire starts or
ongoing fires, and the potential for blowing dust over the
Columbia Basin.

FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: High confidence
in VFR conditions Monday through Monday night. /SVH

-----------------------

Confidence descriptors:
Low - Less than a 30 percent chance
Moderate - 30 to 70 percent chance
High - Greater than a 70 percent chance

For additional probabilistic information for NWS Spokane
airports, please refer to the Aviation Dashboard on our
webpage: https:/www.weather.gov/otx/avndashboard

&&

.Preliminary Point Temps/PoPs...
Spokane        90  61  87  54  82  52 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Coeur d'Alene  86  59  86  52  80  52 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Pullman        84  55  85  50  77  49 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Lewiston       91  60  93  58  84  55 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Colville       90  56  87  50  81  48 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Sandpoint      83  56  85  51  78  49 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Kellogg        84  56  83  51  76  51 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Moses Lake     96  63  90  52  86  53 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Wenatchee      96  68  84  58  84  58 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Omak           96  63  88  53  84  55 /   0   0   0   0   0   0

&&

.OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WA...Fire Weather Watch from Tuesday morning through Tuesday
     evening for Eastern Columbia Basin  -Palouse  -Spokane
     Area (Zone 708)-Foothills of Central Washington Cascades
     (Zone 705)-Lower Palouse  -Snake River (Zone 709)-Methow
     Valley (Zone 704)-Okanogan Valley (Zone 703)-Waterville
     Plateau (Zone 706)-Western Columbia Basin (Zone 707).
     Heat Advisory from 10 AM this morning to 10 PM PDT this
     evening for Moses Lake Area-Wenatchee Area.
ID...None.

&&