Red flag warning for Monday; fire danger elevated

Red flag warnings have been issued for a large portion of Minnesota. Gusty winds and dry air will create critical fire weather conditions Monday afternoon. Critical fire weather conditions will create an environment where any sparks or flames can rapidly escalate out of control.

When low humidity, high temperatures, and strong winds combine, it creates a dangerous recipe for fire weather concerns.

Portions of northern Minnesota have been elevated to extreme levels for fire danger, meaning the fire situation is explosive and can result in extensive property damage.

Since the 1960s, the National Weather Service has issued red flag warnings to alert people about an ongoing or imminent critical fire weather pattern.

Three criteria must be met for a red flag warning to be issued:

• Expected wind speeds exceeding 20 mph

• Relative humidity at 15 percent or lower

• Fire danger rating of high, very high, or extreme

Smokey the Bear says it best: “Only you can prevent forest fires.”

Cold front ushers in dry air and breezy winds

A dry but strong cold front is pushing through the eastern Dakotas and into Minnesota on Monday. Winds will be breezy out of the south ahead of the front, shifting to the northwest after it passes.

Expect sustained winds around 20 mph, with gusts reaching up to 40 mph behind the front.

Our dew points will drop into the 30s with the arrival of the latest system.

Continued dry spell through early October

I’m starting to run out of ways to say “dry” in the forecast. Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport recorded just 0.06 of an inch of rain for the month, which is 2.87 inches below the monthly average.

There’s still no sight of precipitation in the long-range forecast. Our extended outlook for early to mid-October continues to trend above average in temperatures and below average in precipitation.