Upper Gila River Valley

Fire Weather Warning  Statement as of 2:54 am MST on May 12, 2008

... Red flag warning in effect from noon today to 8 PM MST this evening for Graham... Greenlee... Santa Cruz and Cochise counties... The National Weather Service in Tucson has issued a red flag warning... which is in effect from noon today to 8 PM MST this evening. The Fire Weather Watch is no longer in effect. A deep low pressure system over the Pacific northwest will drop south into Arizona on Tuesday. This will result in strong and gusty winds in advance of this system which will affect Southeast Arizona during the day today. Though increased winds are expected... the strongest winds... those expected to meet or exceed red flag criteria... will likely be in Graham... Greenlee... Cochise and Santa Cruz counties. While areas in western fire weather zone 148... such as those in eastern Pima County... may see red flag conditions periodically... they are not expected to be long lived nor widespread... thus eastern Pima County is not included in this warning at this time. Locations within the warned area are likely to see 20 foot sustained wind speeds meeting or exceeding criteria by noon today... with the strongest speeds ranging from 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph hitting by mid afternoon. Relative humidity values are expected to fall below 15 percent by mid morning and bottom out in the single digits by afternoon. These factors... coupled with the very high to extreme fire danger over southeastern Arizona have prompted the upgrade of the previous Fire Weather Watch to a red flag warning for Graham... Greenlee... Cochise and Santa Cruz counties. A red flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now... or will shortly. A combination of strong winds... low relative humidity... and warm temperatures will create the potential for rapid and erratic fire growth. Please advise the appropriate officials or fire crews in the field of the red flag warning today for portions of Southeast Arizona.