By SALINA POST
The National Weather Service (NWS) in Wichita has issued a Wind Advisory and a Red Flag Warning for several counties in central and south-central Kansas due to hazardous weather conditions expected throughout Friday.
The Wind Advisory, in effect from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., warns of southwest winds of 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 55 mph. The affected counties include Barton, Ellsworth, Saline, Rice, McPherson, Marion, Reno, Harvey, Kingman, and Harper. The following towns are within the advisory area:
Ellsworth, McPherson, Newton, Wilson, Marion, Peabody, Anthony, Salina, Kingman, Harper, Attica, Hillsboro, Hutchinson, Sterling, Great Bend, and Lyons.
The NWS cautions that the strong winds could blow around unsecured objects, down tree limbs, and cause scattered power outages. High-profile vehicles, such as trucks and RVs, may experience difficult driving conditions.
Simultaneously, a Red Flag Warning has been issued for the same time frame, covering an expanded area that includes Russell and Lincoln counties in addition to those under the wind advisory. The warning signifies extreme grassland fire danger, with low humidity levels dropping to 20% combined with strong winds. These conditions make any outdoor burning highly dangerous, as fires can spread rapidly and become difficult to contain.
Counties included in the Red Flag Warning are Russell, Lincoln, Barton, Ellsworth, Saline, Rice, McPherson, Marion, Reno, Harvey, Kingman, and Harper. Towns within the warning area include:
Russell, Lincoln, Ellsworth, McPherson, Newton, Wilson, Marion, Peabody, Anthony, Salina, Kingman, Harper, Attica, Hillsboro, Hutchinson, Sterling, Great Bend, and Lyons.
The NWS strongly advises against any open burning and urges officials and fire crews to remain on high alert. Residents are encouraged to secure loose objects, exercise caution while driving, and avoid any activities that could ignite fires.
Saline County is under Extreme Fire Volatility on Friday, March 14, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. due to low humidity (20-30%) and strong southwest winds (30-40 mph, gusting 45-55 mph).
According to Saline County residents are urged to take precautions:
⦁ Check past burns to ensure no smoldering embers remain
⦁ Secure trailer chains to prevent sparks from dragging metal
⦁ Do not discard cigarettes out of vehicle windows
⦁ Avoid any outdoor burning
⦁ A single spark can start a wildfire. Stay alert and help prevent fires.
Vanessa Pearce, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Wichita, explained that Salina’s fire risk level was upgraded from "very high" to "extreme" due to a combination of factors, including dry conditions, intensifying strong winds, and low humidity.
The Grassland Fire Danger Index assesses wildfire risk by evaluating factors such as dry vegetation, wind speed, humidity, and temperature to classify areas into different wildfire severity levels. Temperatures are expected to reach 80 degrees today, with Friday’s highs in the lower 70s.
“We’ll see sustained winds of 25 to 30 miles per hour, with gusts reaching up to 45 to 50 miles per hour. The strongest winds will likely peak around the noon hour and continue through the afternoon," Pearce said. "Later in the day, we’ll have a cold front moving in from the northwest, which will bring even drier air and a shift in wind direction.”
Pearce emphasized fire prevention, advising farmers, ranchers, and travelers to avoid activities that could cause sparks, such as welding near dry grass or dragging chains.
Winds will shift with the passing cold front in the evening, around 6-7 p.m., but fire risks will remain throughout the day due to dry conditions and high winds.