WWUS83 KUNR 151709 RFWUNR URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Rapid City SD 1109 AM MDT Wed Apr 15 2026 ...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS POSSIBLE THURSDAY ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHEASTERN WYOMING AND SOUTHWESTERN INTO SOUTH CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA... .Anomalously warm (70s and 80s) and dry (relative humidity dropping to 13 percent) Thursday ahead of a cold front. Southwest winds will increase through the day with gusts to 40 mph. The combination of warm, dry, and windy conditions ahead of a cold front may result in critical fire weather conditions Thursday afternoon and evening. SDZ321-322-325-326-332>335-WYZ317-160815- /O.UPG.KUNR.FW.A.0008.260416T1800Z-260417T0100Z/ /O.NEW.KUNR.FW.W.0016.260416T1800Z-260417T0100Z/ Southern Black Hills-Fall River County Area-Custer County Plains- Pine Ridge Area-Badlands Area-Bennett County Area- Mellette and Todd Counties-Tripp County-Weston County Plains- 1109 AM MDT Wed Apr 15 2026 /1209 PM CDT Wed Apr 15 2026/ ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT /1 PM CDT/ TO 7 PM MDT /8 PM CDT/ THURSDAY FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 317, 321, 322, 325, 326, 332, 333, 334, AND 335... The National Weather Service in Rapid City has issued a Red Flag Warning for gusty winds and low relative humidity, which is in effect from noon MDT /1 PM CDT/ to 7 PM MDT /8 PM CDT/ Thursday. The Fire Weather Watch is no longer in effect. * AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zones 317 Weston County Plains, 321 Southern Black Hills, 322 Fall River County Area, 325 Custer County Plains, 326 Pine Ridge Area, 332 Badlands Area, 333 Bennett County Area, 334 Mellette and Todd Counties and 335 Tripp County. * WINDS...West 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 40 mph. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 13 percent. * IMPACTS...The combination of gusty winds and low relative humidity would produce critical fire weather conditions. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... 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 can contribute to extreme fire behavior. && $$