Rangeland Fire Danger Forecast
Issued by NWS Sioux Falls, SD
Issued by NWS Sioux Falls, SD
631 FNUS63 KFSD 300851 RFDFSD Rangeland Fire Danger Statement National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD 351 AM CDT Mon Sep 30 2024 .DISCUSSION... Issued at 346 AM CDT Mon Sep 30 2024 Today will see two periods of breezy winds as a cold front approaches and moves through the area from the west-northwest. First, southwesterly winds out ahead of the front will likely produce winds gusting 35-40 mph for an hour or so around 9 am, though briefly hitting 45 mph is not out of the question along our more elevated areas. However, relative humidity values look to remain above 30%, so only expect elevated fire weather conditions from the southwesterly winds. The second round of winds comes behind the cold front for areas west of I-29 throughout the morning hours, where winds will be out of the northwest sustained roughly 20-25 mph gusting up to 30 to 40 mph. Very dry air filters in throughout the morning hours, with relative humidity values in the 20 to 25 percent range. As the front moves into areas east of I-29, sustained winds drop into the 15-20 mph range and gusts up to 30 mph, with dry air continuing to move into the region resulting in relative humidity values as low as 10 percent. Due to the combination of very dry air and breezy winds, have issued a Red Flag Warning for areas west of a line from Windom, MN to Sioux City, IA starting this morning into the early evening hours. There remains uncertainty on the speed the front moves through, thus decreasing confidence in wind speeds for areas along and east of the aforementioned line. If wind gusts are able to remain strong then the Red Flag Warning may need to be expanded, but most guidance is indicating wind speeds decrease after the front moves east of the I- 29 corridor. The other piece of uncertainty comes from the conditions of the native grasslands, which are currently assumed to be 20 to 30 percent cured, so if that is wildly incorrect please reach out to the office to let us know. Minimum relative humidity values on Tuesday and Wednesday look to drop below 25 percent across the area, but without breezy winds the fire danger looks to remain below critical values. Debris burning is the number one cause of wildfires...so please be careful with any use of fire. NEZ013-SDZ038-050-052-053-057>060-063>066-068>070-301200- Dixon-Beadle-Gregory-Jerauld-Sanborn-Brule-Aurora-Davison-Hanson- Charles Mix-Douglas-Hutchinson-Turner-Bon Homme-Yankton-Clay- ...VERY HIGH FIRE DANGER... The Grassland Fire Danger Index will reach the very high category this afternoon. Very poor weather conditions and very low moisture content of grasses, and other dry organic material on the ground, indicate that dangerous burning conditions exist. Fires will spread rapidly and show erratic behavior. Outdoor burning is not recommended. OUTLOOK FOR TUESDAY AFTERNOON...The Grassland Fire Danger Index will reach the moderate category. The grassland fire danger product reflects fire danger for native grasses. It is not intended for cured agricultural crops, nor will it reflect conditions in road ditches which have been mowed. $$ IAZ001>003-012>014-020>022-031-032-MNZ071-072-080-081-089-090-097- 098-NEZ014-SDZ039-040-054>056-061-062-067-071-301200- Lyon-Osceola-Dickinson-Sioux-O`Brien-Clay-Plymouth-Cherokee- Buena Vista-Woodbury-Ida-Lincoln-Murray-Cottonwood-Nobles-Jackson- Pipestone-Rock-Dakota-Kingsbury-Brookings-Miner-Lake-Moody-McCook- Minnehaha-Union- ...HIGH FIRE DANGER... The Grassland Fire Danger Index will reach the high category this afternoon. Unfavorable weather conditions and low moisture content of grasses, and other dry organic material on the ground, indicate that there is a high potential for a fire to spread.. Outdoor burning should be restricted to early morning or evening hours, when wind speeds are usually lower and the relative humidity is higher. OUTLOOK FOR TUESDAY AFTERNOON...The Grassland Fire Danger Index will reach the low category. The grassland fire danger product reflects fire danger for native grasses. It is not intended for cured agricultural crops, nor will it reflect conditions in road ditches which have been mowed. $$