Weather Alert in Washington
Red Flag Warning issued August 27 at 9:24PM PDT until August 28 at 9:00PM PDT by NWS Seattle WA
AREAS AFFECTED: West Slopes of the North Cascades Generally above 1500 Feet; West Slopes of the Central Cascades Generally above 1500 Feet; East Portion of the Olympic Mountains
DESCRIPTION: * AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zone 658 West Slopes of the North Cascades Generally above 1500 Feet, Fire Weather Zone 659 West Slopes of the Central Cascades Generally above 1500 Feet and Fire Weather Zone 661 East Portion of the Olympic Mountains. * THUNDERSTORMS...Thunderstorms are favored along the eastern slopes of the Olympic mountains and more so in the Cascades from this afternoon and evening and again Thursday into Thursday night. Some brief heavy rain or isolated wetting rains are possible, but lightning strikes on very dry fuel are capable of new fire starts. * OUTFLOW WINDS...Outflow winds of 25 to 30 mph are possible. Outflow winds can occur ahead of and behind storms and cause erratic wind directions. * IMPACTS...Scattered lightning in dry fuels can cause multiple fire starts. Thunderstorms can also bring sudden sharp wind shifts on existing fires, causing rapid changes in a fire's rate of spread and direction of spread. Thunderstorm outflow winds can be a threat for several hours following the start of a new lightning-caused fire. If a fire were to begin, air quality may diminish in the surrounding area. With lightning occurrences having started Tuesday and thunderstorms expect for two more days, multiple days in a row of lightning strikes on our dry fuels could result in a critical number of new wildfires. * THUNDERSTORMS...Multiple lightning strikes occurred in the higher terrain of the Cascades mountains yesterday afternoon and evening and that will resume this afternoon and evening. Multiple days in a row of lightning strikes on our dry fuels could result in a critical number of new wildfires.
INSTRUCTION: A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either imminent or occurring now. Any fires that develop will likely spread quickly. Outdoor burning is not recommended.
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Weather Topic: What is Condensation?
Home - Education - Precipitation - Condensation
Next Topic: Contrails
Condensation is the process which creates clouds, and therefore
it is a crucial process in the water cycle.
Condensation is the change of matter from a state of gas into a state of liquid,
and it happens because water molecules release heat into the atmosphere and
become organized into a more closely packed structure, what we might see as
water droplets.
Water is always present in the air around us as a vapor, but it's too small for
us to see. When water undergoes the process of condensation it becomes organized
into visible water droplets. You've probably seen condensation happen before on the
surface of a cold drink!
Next Topic: Contrails
Weather Topic: What are Cumulonimbus Clouds?
Home - Education - Cloud Types - Cumulonimbus Clouds
Next Topic: Cumulus Clouds
The final form taken by a growing cumulus cloud is the
cumulonimbus cloud, which is very tall and dense.
The tower of a cumulonimbus cloud can soar 23 km into the atmosphere, although
most commonly they stop growing at an altitude of 6 km.
Even small cumulonimbus clouds appear very large in comparison to other cloud types.
They can signal the approach of stormy weather, such as thunderstorms or blizzards.
Next Topic: Cumulus Clouds
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