Red Flag Warning and Lake Wind Advisory in place for Lake Tahoe Tuesday

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The National Weather Service (NWS) in Reno has changed their previous Fire Weather Watch to a Red Flag Warning for Tuesday, September 8 from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

They have also issued a Special Weather Statement and a Lake Wind Advisory for Tuesday from 3:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Red Flag Warning

This warning is in place due to gusty winds and low humidity for the Lake Tahoe Basin, Western Lassen, Eastern Plumas, Eastern Sierrs, and Eastern Nevada Counites. Fire Zone 271 and Fire Zone 272.

All outside sources of flame including gas and propane grills are banned during the Red Flag Warning.

Winds will increase by early Tuesday morning on mid and upper slopes and remain gusty much of the day. Winds will be east to northeast 10 to 20 mph with gusts to 35 mph. Sierra ridge gusts over 40 mph possible.

Humidity - 10 to 15 percent during the afternoon with limited humidity recovery during the overnight hours.

The combination of recent hot temperatures, gusty winds, and low humidity can cause fire to rapidly grow in size and intensity before first responders can contain them.

Avoid outdoor activities that can cause a spark near dry vegetation, such as yard work, target shooting. Campfires and outdoor fires of any type are already banned in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Check weather.gov/reno for updates and livingwithfire.info for preparedness tips.

Lake Wind Advisory

The Lake Wind Advisory is in effect from 3:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Tuesday for Lake Tahoe. On the lake Monday there are west to northwest winds 10 to 20 mph with gusts up to 35 mph expected. Winds may decrease this evening but will likely pick back up again from the north and northeast after midnight as a strong cold front moves through.

Small boats, kayaks and paddle boards will be prone to capsizing and should remain off lake waters until conditions improve.

Be prepared. Check lake conditions before heading out and be prepared for a
sudden increase in winds and wave heights. Consider postponing boating activities on the lake until a day with less wind.

Special Weather Statement

NWS Reno is warning a cold front is en route with winds, blowing dust, and a significant cooldown.

* FIRE CONCERNS: A cold front will be ushering in a very dry air mass along with gusty winds, so unfortunately, no relief is in sight for ongoing wildfires. With high fire danger the next several days, avoid any activities that could start a fire, and follow all area restrictions for campfires and use of outdoor grills.

* SMOKE: Smoke from ongoing wildfires continues to impact the region through Tuesday. Some locations will see degraded air quality, while smoke will remain aloft for others. The worst conditions will be downwind of ongoing wildfires, such as Quincy toward the Sierra Valley, and the Walker/Coleville/Topaz Lake areas. The most abundant smoke producer is currently the Creek Fire, however, much of this smoke is remaining elevated outside of Mono County. East winds tonight into Tuesday should allow smoke to clear from most areas by Tuesday morning. Please check fire.airnow.gov for current air quality information.

* BLOWING DUST: Gusty northwest to northeast winds today will produce areas of blowing dust tonight across the Basin and Range. Large area of dust off the Carson Sink between 8pm- midnight may bring visibility below 1 mile for areas in Churchill, Mineral and Lyon counties. It will be nearly impossible to identify blowing dust at night so take caution if you must travel in western Nevada late tonight into early Tuesday.

* COOLING OFF: A big cooldown is on tap for Tuesday, with high temperatures easily 15-25 degrees cooler than we have experienced recently. Overnight temperatures for Wednesday and Thursday mornings may be in the low 30s in the Sierra valleys.