Weather Alert

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 113, 115, 117, AND 118... * AFFECTED AREA...HILL AND BLAINE COUNTIES, CHOUTEAU AND FERGUS COUNTIES, CENTRAL AND EASTERN LEWIS AND CLARK NATIONAL FOREST AREAS AND HELENA AND TOWNSEND RANGER DISTRICTS OF THE HELENA NATIONAL FOREST. * WINDS...WEST 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH. * HUMIDITY: 20 TO 30 PERCENT. * IMPACTS...STRONG WEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE INTO EARLY THIS AFTERNOON BEHIND A PACIFIC COLD FRONT. THE LOWEST HUMIDITY WILL OCCUR ACROSS LOWER ELEVATION GRASSLAND AREAS WHERE VEGETATION IS DRIEST AND COULD CONTRIBUTE TO RAPID SPREAD IF A FIRE DEVELOPS. 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. PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE OFFICIALS OR FIRE CREWS IN THESE AREAS OF THIS RED FLAG WARNING. && MOLDAN