Fire Weather Advisory issued for Lake Tahoe Thursday-Friday

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The National Weather Service (NWS) in Reno has issued a Fire Weather Watch to be in effect for Lake Tahoe and Western Nevada for Thursday at 11:00 a.m. through Friday at 8:00 p.m.

Winds will be from the southwest on Thursday, shifting to west on Friday. Sustained winds 15 to 20 mph with gusts up to 40 mph possible for both days. Strongest gusts Thursday could be US Highway 50 north and on Friday could be US Highway 50 south. Winds in valleys should weaken late Thursday evening, while Sierra ridges continue to gust in the 70-90 mph range overnight.

Humidity is expected to be 10 to 20 percent Thursday, with some locations in western Nevada in the single digits. Humidity may increase Friday, especially across northeast California.

Critical conditions will last three to six hours each afternoon. Winds could remain gusty throughout most of Thursday and Friday.

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

Watch for gusty winds and low humidity in the following fire zones: Fire Zone 270 Surprise Valley California, Fire Zone 271 Western Lassen, Eastern Plumas, Eastern Sierra, and Eastern Nevada Counties, Fire Zone 272 Greater Lake Tahoe Area, Fire Zone 274 Southern Mono County, Fire Zone 278 Eastern Lassen County, Fire Zone 420 Northern Sierra Front including Carson City, Douglas, Storey, Southern Washoe, Western Lyon, and Far Southern Lassen Counties, Fire Zone 421 Southern Sierra Front including Alpine, Northern Mono, Southern Lyon, and Western Mineral Counties, Fire Zone 423 West Humboldt Basin in Pershing County, Fire Zone 429 Lahontan Basin including Churchill and Eastern Mineral Counties and Fire Zone 458 Northern Washoe County.