ST. LOUIS — Saturday will be mostly sunny with a south wind 20-25 miles per hour and gusts up to 45 mph with highs in the 70s, critical fire weather conditions are expected across the St. Louis area Saturday.
With the lack of rain recently, low relative humidity as low as 15% during the afternoon and those high wind gusts, fire danger becomes a concern.
The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for much of Missouri into parts of Illinois Saturday from 1p.m. til 6 p.m. This includes the entire St. Louis metro area.
An upgrade to a Fire Weather Watch is a Red Flag Warning. A Red Flag Warning includes the red shaded counties.
A Red Flag Warning means critical fire weather conditions are forecast.
An approaching cold front is responsible for the gusty winds.
Afternoon temperatures will climb into the lower, perhaps mid 70s. The relative humidity levels will drop to around 15% during the afternoon.
These conditions are conducive for the rapid spread and growth of uncontrolled wildfires. Check for later forecasts and possible Red Flag Warnings.
