...Showers and thunderstorms with gusty winds will impact portions of northwestern Latah, Benewah, southern Kootenai, northeastern Whitman and eastern Spokane Counties through 1245 PM PDT... At 1213 PM PDT, Doppler radar was tracking thunderstorms with gusty winds along a line extending from near Spokane to 15 miles southwest of Plummer to 9 miles southeast of St. Maries. Movement was north at 35 mph. HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Locations impacted include... Spokane, Spokane Valley, Coeur d'Alene, Post Falls, St. Maries, Liberty Lake, Millwood, Plummer, Harrison, Otis Orchards-East Farms, Parkline, Fairwood, Otis Orchards, Green Acres, Trentwood, Country Homes, Town And Country, Dishman, Fourth Of July Pass, and Mead. This includes the following highways... Interstate 90 in Washington between mile markers 280 and 299. Interstate 90 in Idaho between mile markers 0 and 39. U.S. Highway 95 in Idaho between mile markers 377 and 431. U.S. Highway 2 in Washington between mile markers 287 and 303. U.S. Highway 195 in Washington between mile markers 63 and 95. U.S. Highway 395 in Washington between mile markers 165 and 171. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. && MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN; MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
...ABUNDANT LIGHTNING THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON... .Widely scattered thunderstorms this morning into this afternoon will produce abundant lightning. A cold front passage this afternoon will also produce gusty westerly winds. Lightning will result in new fire starts that may be fanned by winds that pick up in the afternoon today. A mix of dry and wet thunderstorms is expected into the afternoon becoming wetter into the evening. ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR THUNDERSTORMS WITH ABUNDANT LIGHTNING FOR THE CENTRAL CASCADE MOUNTAINS INTO THE UPPER COLUMBIA BASIN, SPOKANE AREA, PALOUSE, AND SNAKE RIVER... The National Weather Service in Spokane has issued a Red Flag Warning for thunderstorms, which is in effect until 6 PM PDT this evening. * Affected Area: Fire Weather Zone 696 East Washington Central Cascades (Zone 696), Fire Weather Zone 705 Foothills of Central Washington Cascades (Zone 705), Fire Weather Zone 706 Waterville Plateau (Zone 706), Fire Weather Zone 707 Western Columbia Basin (Zone 707), Fire Weather Zone 708 Eastern Columbia Basin -Palouse -Spokane Area (Zone 708) and Fire Weather Zone 709 Lower Palouse -Snake River (Zone 709). * Thunderstorms: A mix of dry and wet thunderstorms will result in scattered to numerous cloud to ground lightning strikes. * Winds: Increasing westerly winds of 10 to 20 mph with gusts of up to 30 mph this afternoon except gusts of up to 30 to 40 in the Wenatchee Area and Waterville Plateau. Thunderstorms will also be capable of gusty outflow winds of up to 40 mph. * Impacts: New fire starts will be possible followed by gusty winds that will be capable of rapid fire spread. 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. &&
