Big Wind and Big Fire Danger In Sioux Falls Area
It's going to be another windy day in the Sioux Falls Tri-State area today. The National Weather Service in Sioux Falls has issued a Red Flag Warning, which is in effect from 2 PM this afternoon to 7 PM this evening.
Northwest winds will rapidly increase this morning and become gusty through the remainder of the day. Wind gust up to 40 mph is expected through the afternoon hours.
Lowest afternoon relative humidity values will be between 20 and 25 percent which means fire danger will be high. And any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is not recommended.
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.
Here is the latest forecast from the NWS in Sioux Falls:
Today: Sunny, with a high near 65. Windy, with a northwest wind 15 to 20 mph increasing to 25 to 30 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 41. Breezy, with a northwest wind 15 to 20 mph decreasing to 10 to 15 mph in the evening. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 57. North northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Thursday Night: Areas of frost after 4 am. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 34. North northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light and variable in the evening.
Friday: Areas of frost before 8 am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 59. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 41. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 59.