PHOTOS: A Red Flag Warning will soon be in effect on Thursday for parts of Oregon and Washington, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). The Red Flag Warning will go into effect at 1 p.m. and end at 11 p.m. Thursday, impacting areas of the lower Columbia River Basin in Oregon and Washington, as well as the Eastern Columbia River Gorge in Oregon and the Warm Springs Reservation, NWS said.
A mid-level jet stream will move over the region on Thursday, bringing dry high winds aloft out of the southwest. This will result in dry and gusty downslope winds over eastern portions of the Cascades. Combined with low humidity around 10% or less, these are the exact conditions that can spark new wildfires along the Lower Columbia Basin of Oregon, the Columbia Gorge, Warm Springs, and Umatilla Valley.
Thursdayโs surface winds will come from the northwest at 20-25 MPH, gusting as high as 35 MPH. Maximum winds are expected to peak on Thursday around 2 p.m. and diminish by 8 p.m. An Air quality alert is in effect for Wednesday until midnight. Fire season in the Pacific Northwest runs from May through September, with more severe threats in July and August.
