MOSES LAKE — A fire weather watch has been issued for Saturday for the Columbia Basin and North Central Washington due to the probability of high winds and low humidity. The National Weather Service is advising people to take precautions as a result. 

The very hot temperatures are forecast to start dropping Friday night, and with temperature changes come increased winds, sometimes strong winds. Daniel Butler, meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Spokane, said wind gusts of 25 to 30 miles per hour are forecast for the Moses Lake area on Friday, and gusts of 20 to 25 miles per hour in Ritzville. 

“Friday will feature elevated to critical fire weather conditions due to breezy winds and low relative humidity. And the highest concern for that is going to be in Central Washington,” Butler said.  

Fire weather conditions get even more critical on Saturday. 

“That’s going to be our big day,” Butler said. “We’re expecting critical fire weather conditions regionwide, windy conditions with low humidity. The strongest winds are going to be on Saturday. Just want to stress that.”  

Sustained winds on Saturday are forecast to be about 15 to 30 miles per hour in Moses Lake and Othello, with gusts exceeding 30 mph. There’s a strong possibility of gusts in excess of 40 miles per hour or higher through the Moses Lake-Othello corridor. Relative humidity is forecast to be 15 to 25 percent.  

The wind will be blowing hard throughout the region Saturday, with wind gusts forecast for 35 to 40 mph in Omak and Spokane, and 25 to 30 mph in Wenatchee.  

“Our sustained winds are going to be around 10 to 20 miles per hour out of the west-southwest, gusting up to 35 miles per hour, and those relative humidities are going to be pretty dry, around 12 to 21 percent. Definitely want to urge folks to avoid any activities that could cause a spark,” he said. 

The concern is that fires that start small won’t stay small, he said.  

“Any fire that’s starts Saturday will likely get out of hand fairly quickly,” Butler said.   

Friday’s high is forecast to be about 98 degrees, with temperatures dropping after that. Saturday’s high in Moses Lake is forecast to be 92 degrees, and 88 on Saturday.  

The Columbia Basin isn’t at much risk for thunderstorms, Butler said, but lightning and high winds in the Cascades, Okanogan and Chelan counties have the potential not only for additional fires, but for pumping more wildfire smoke into the region.  

Grant County and its municipalities have bans on outdoor burning in place, and Derek Beach, assistant fire marshal for Grant County, said citations have been issued for illegal burning. The ban went into effect June 1. 

People cited for burning ban violations can be subject to fines, he said.  

“It’s super-hot and dry. Granted, it gets hot and dry every year, but this year just happens to be one of the more extreme summers for us,” Beach said. “It definitely has been an extremely busy year for the firefighters.”