Extremely Critical & Dangerous Fire Weather Day:

Good Morning From KRBC Meteorologist Chris Whited...

RED FLAG WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
218 AM CDT FRI MAR 14 2008

...CRITICAL FIRE CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS WESTCENTRAL TEXAS TODAY...

CRITICAL TO POTENTIALLY EXTREMELY CRITICAL FIRE WEATHERCONDITIONS ARE FORECAST TO SET UP LATER TODAY. A STRONG AREA OF LOW PRESSURE OVER THE TX PANHANDLE WILL PRODUCE STRONG WESTERLY WINDS BEHIND A SURGING DRY LINE. THIS WILL COMBINE WITH VERY DRY RELATIVE HUMIDITIES BELOW 15 PERCENT AS TEMPS SOAR INTO THE UPPER 80S TO LOW 90S. FOR THIS REASON...OUTDOOR BURNING OF ANY KIND IS STRONGLY DISCOURAGED. DO NOT THROW CIGARETTE BUTTS OUT OF YOUR CAR WINDOWS

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO7 PM CDT THIS EVENING...

STRONG WESTERLY WINDS...AT 20 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL...WILLDEVELOP IN THE RANGE OF 20 TO 30 MPH BY THIS AFTERNOON. EXPECT AFTERNOON RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES TO FALL INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS TO LOWER TEENS...AS TEMPERATURES SOAR INTO THE UPPER 80S TO LOW 90S. CRITICAL TO POTENTIALLY EXTREMELY CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL RESULT.

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES...AND WARM TEMPERATURES WILL CREATE THE POTENTIAL FOR EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH.
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URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
340 AM CDT FRI MAR 14 2008

...WIND ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT THIS AFTERNOON FOR MUCH OF WESTCENTRAL TEXAS...

A SURFACE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM INTENSIFYING IN THE TEXAS PANDANDLE WILL BRING STRONG GUSTY WEST WINDS TO WEST CENTRAL TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SAN ANGELO HAS ISSUED A WIND ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING.

WEST WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH WILL GUSTY TO 45 MPH THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE BIG COUNTRY...CONCHO VALLEY AND NORTHERN EDWARDS PLATEAU. THIS AREA IS MAINLY ALONG AND WEST OF AANSON...ABILENE...BALLINGER...SAN ANGELO...SONORA LINE.

A WIND ADVISORY MEANS THAT WINDS OF 35 MPH ARE EXPECTED. WINDS THIS STRONG CAN MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT...ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. USE EXTRA CAUTION.
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A very dangerous weather day across our area as we have prime factors in place for a critical threat for wildfires and grassfires across the Big Counrty, the Northern Concho Valley and the Heartland. The Texas Forest Service officials are alerting residents that this is "the most extreme wildfire conditions this state has seen in recent history." The conditions will be in place throughout the day across the area. A dryline will advance into the area early today and late tonight and early Saturday we will see a cold front drop into the area. It is between the dryline and cold front that the worst conditions are in place for the fire threat. A low pressure area tracking to our north over the Panhandle, South Plains and Texoma regions is strengthening and the pressure gradient is helping pick up the winds today.

Today's Forecast: Sunny and very warm. Very high winds out of the southwest and west of 25-40 miles per hour. There could be wind gusts to 50 miles per hour. Highs: 89-91

Tonight: Mostly clear and still windy. Lows around 50 with west winds at 15-20 miles per hour.

Weekend: Sunny and cooler. Highs in the lower to middle 70s and lows in the lower to middle 50s.

Stay with KRBC throughout the day on any breaking news related to the critical fire threat and of course with the KRBC weather team.

Have a great weekend and stay safe...