Community Corner

Update: Red Flag Warning Issued for Sammamish, Issaquah This Weekend

A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will shortly, according to the National Weather Service.

Update 10:40 a.m. Saturday:  Abundant lightning expected for much of western Washington through Sunday. Do you have photos of the lightning from the early Saturday storms? Email them to Sammamish@patch.com.

Original post ---
The National Weather Service Seattle has issued a Red Flag Warning for scattered lightning in Issaquah, Sammamish and much of western Washington from 6 p.m. Friday evening through 11 p.m. Sunday.

Thunderstorms are expected to develop, with the potential for lightning that could cause multiple fire starts, over the Cascades and Eastern Olympic mountains each afternoon and evening beginning Friday, Aug. 9. Some of storms and lightning could move into the Puget Sound area and southwest interior lowlands as well, the NWS said. This includes areas in King and Pierce counties that are east of I-5 and below 1500 feet in elevation.

Watch for gusty and erratic winds with any thunderstorm, and the NWS notes that the strongest winds are typically at the leading edge of a storm.

From the NWS:

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY. SCATTERED LIGHTNING IN DRY FUELS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO MULTIPLE FIRE STARTS...ALONG WITH ERRATIC AND GUSTY WINDS. FIREFIGHTING AGENCIES WILL WANT TO PLAN ACCORDINGLY.

In Issaquah and Sammamish, the forecast for Saturday is scattered showers and thunderstorms, with mostly cloudy skies and a high near 78. Southwest wind will gently blow at around 11 mph, and the chance of precipitation is 50 percent.


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