Lightning could lead to ‘numerous fire starts,’ gusts up to 60 mph possible with 1/2- to 1-inch-diameter hail
Rogue Valley Times staff report
The National Weather Service in Medford has issued a red flag warning for 1 to 9 p.m. Saturday and warns that “abundant lightning on dry fuels could lead to numerous new fire starts.”
Affected areas include the Siskiyou Mountains, the west Rogue Basin including the Illinois Valley, the eastern Rogue Valley, Southern Oregon Cascades, western Klamath National Forest, and central Siskiyou County and the Shasta Valley Basin in Northern California.
“Gusty, shifting outflow winds could also result in changing fire behavior and spread,” NWS-Medford said in a post to its website. “These winds could also present a danger to aircraft and ground personnel.”
Scattered to numerous thunderstorms are expected to develop Saturday afternoon and move from south to north through the area into Saturday evening, the post said.
“The storms will contain frequent and abundant cloud-to-ground lightning,” it read. “Some of the stronger thunderstorms may contain strong to severe wind gusts and hail. Rainfall is expected with these storms and could be heavy at times.”
The post warned of gusts up to 60 mph and a 5% to 15% chance of hail ½ to 1 inch in diameter.
Ashland’s forecast calls for light and variable wind becoming west northwest 5 to 8 mph in the afternoon, with the chance of precipitation at 80%. New rainfall amounts expected to be between a quarter and half of an inch.
In the evening, showers and thunderstorms are likely before 8 p.m., then showers likely between 8 and 11 p.m.
To view the hazard area in detail, see wrh.noaa.gov/map/?wfo=mfr
This story first appeared in the Rogue Valley Times.
