Spokane Braces for a Calmer Sunday After Saturday’s Extreme Fire Weather
Spokane is headed for a less punishing fire-weather day Sunday after a brutal Saturday that fed three separate blazes around the city, but forecasters warned
Spokane is headed for a less punishing fire-weather day Sunday after a brutal Saturday that fed three separate blazes around the city, but forecasters warned the danger has not passed. Winds are easing, temperatures are milder and humidity should climb with an incoming cold front. Still, the region is not in the clear.
Saturday brought the area’s first-ever “particularly dangerous” weather warning. Winds peaked at 44 mph and helped drive fires that sparked in and around Spokane. Meteorologist Joey Clevenger said gusts began building late in the morning at the National Weather Service station at Spokane International Airport, then climbed to 30 mph just before noon before hitting the day’s high point at 4:30 p.m.
A sharp drop, but not a reset
Sustained winds stayed between 20 and 30 mph for much of the day and started to ease by 8 p.m., Clevenger said. The “particularly dangerous situation” red flag warning expired at 8 p.m. Saturday, with the broader red flag warning set to end at 11 p.m.
The humidity sat around 20%, which Clevenger described as typical for this time of year. The approaching cold front should add moisture. Good news. But not enough to relax completely.
Why Sunday still matters
For Sunday, forecasters expect slower winds and cooler conditions. Wind gusts are forecast to top out around 20 mph, below the threshold that would trigger a red flag warning. Clevenger said that makes the day “less touch and go” than Saturday.
That said, the ingredients that feed wildfire risk are still on the table across the wider West. Hot, dry and breezy weather has already raised wildfire fears across the Northwest this weekend, while other parts of the West have faced dangerous fire weather tied to cold fronts, strong winds and lightning. In California, high winds have already driven small fires and prompted utility monitoring for possible power shutoffs. In Colorado, smoke from wildfires has pushed air quality into unhealthy territory for some residents.
For Spokane, the immediate focus remains the same: watch the wind, watch the dry brush and watch the sky. “We’re not out of the woods yet,” Clevenger said.
