Just in from National Weather Service (and the ever active Bill Westphal just sent it in to us, too:
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LOS ANGELES/OXNARD HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG WARNING... WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 12 PM PDT FRIDAY. THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. NORTHWEST TO NORTH WINDS 20 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP TONIGHT THROUGH PASSES AND CANYONS... WITH GUSTY WINDS PERSISTING THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING. THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO OCCUR NEAR THE INTERSTATE 5 CORRIDOR.
IN ADDITION...RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES ARE EXPECTED TO DROP TO 15 PERCENT OR LESS FOR SEVERAL HOURS DURING THE PEAK OF THE EVENT... WITH THE STRONG LIKELIHOOD FOR SINGLE DIGIT READINGS AT TIMES TONIGHT. 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 EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL. PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE OFFICIALS OR FIRE CREWS IN THE FIELD OF THIS RED FLAG WARNING.
