National Weather Service issues fire weather alerts
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 years, 1 month AGO
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | July 9, 2024 1:35 AM
MOSES LAKE — Hot weather and windy conditions will lead to an increased potential for wildfires at least through Thursday, according to information from the National Weather Service on Monday.
Charlotte Dewey, warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Spokane, said in a Monday briefing that temperatures through Wednesday are expected to be about 20 degrees above normal for this time of year. Moses Lake, Wenatchee and Ritzville all are forecast to break records for high temperatures today and Wednesday.
“We’re expecting (hot weather) to continue through midweek before we do expect some level of cooling. Not very much, but there will be a little bit of cooling,” Dewey said.
Temperatures in the Columbia Basin are expected to drop into the high 90s Thursday and Friday before increasing back to 100 degrees or more over the weekend.
“With this also comes critical fire weather conditions,” she said.
Windy conditions are in the forecast for Wednesday night and Thursday in the Columbia Basin.
The ridge of high pressure that is contributing to the hot weather is projected to start moving further east by late Wednesday and Thursday, kicking up winds in its wake. For Moses Lake, winds are forecast to be blowing 10 to 15 miles per hour late Wednesday, with gusts 25 to 35 miles per hour.
“Wednesday and Thursday we’re starting to see these sustained wind speeds greater than 20 miles an hour across the Columbia Basin,” she said. “The winds do back off a little bit Friday (and) Saturday.”
It will remain very dry, with 5-15% humidity Wednesday.
“We’re starting to see these conditions that are conducive to the elevated fire weather pattern,” she said.
The fire weather watch is projected to extend from the Okanogan Valley to the Washington-Oregon border.
“The fuels this time of year (are) more cured and ready to go,” she said.
Grant County has an outdoor burn ban in effect, but people should also pay attention to other activities that can start a fire in very dry conditions, she said. Loose towing chains can throw sparks if they drag along the road surface, and a car or truck exhaust system can start a fire if it’s driven over dry grass.
ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER
Road projects on hold for Labor Day weekend
MOSES LAKE — With Labor Day weekend dead ahead, drivers will be able to move freely about the state. Most road projects are on hold for the holiday weekend. Nobody will be working on the Hansen Road overpass on Interstate 90, but the lane restrictions that are in effect will continue through the end of the project.
Cost estimates for water source alternatives given to Moses Lake City Council
Protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, efforts are ongoing to keep it self-sufficient
MOSES LAKE — It’s going to cost a lot of money to provide alternative water sources for the city of Moses Lake, but some of the possible alternatives will cost more than others. City officials provided the Moses Lake City Council with costs for various alternatives Tuesday.
Dryer vent cleaning is important -- but often overlooked
MOSES LAKE — Not all the maintenance a house needs is visible. Sometimes a potential problem just goes unnoticed until it causes trouble, sometimes serious trouble. But a lot of potential problems give off warning signs. Clothes dryers often do when they need a good cleaning.