Red Flag Warning issued for Lake Tahoe Tuesday

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The National Weather Service (NWS) in Reno has upgraded the Fire Weather Watch to a Red Flag Warning for thunderstorms and strong outflow winds during a heatwave, which is in effect from 2:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Tuesday, June 29.

The Red Flag Warning is for a wide area including the greater Lake Tahoe and Truckee Area, the Northern Sierra Front including Carson City, Douglas, Storey, Southern Washoe, Western Lyon, and Far Southern Lassen Counties- Lahontan Basin including Churchill and Eastern Mineral Counties.

No sources of fire are allowed in the Lake Tahoe Basin including gas and charcoal barbeques and gas fire pits.

Thunderstorms are forecast to develop by late afternoon with storms and strong outflow winds persisting into the evening. Minimal rainfall is likely to occur allowing for higher risk of dry lightning strikes.

Outflow winds will likely exceed 40 mph.

Impacts...Lightning can create new fire starts and may combine with strong outflow winds to cause a fire to rapidly grow in size and intensity before first responders can contain them.