The National Weather Service’s active Red Flag Warning count eased to 36 Sunday, down from 44 a day earlier, but the footprint widened — warnings now span 12 states, up from 10, as Nevada, North Dakota and Texas joined the list while New York’s warning cleared.
The center of gravity has shifted. Utah carries the heaviest load, with the NWS Salt Lake City office covering eight fire weather zones including the Wasatch Mountains, Manti National Forest, Central Utah West Desert and Mountains, Color Country West Desert and Mountains, the Mojave Desert and Grand Staircase. Southwest winds of 10 to 20 mph with gusts to 30 mph are forecast there, with relative humidity dropping as low as 8 percent. A separate warning for the San Rafael Swell carries the same wind and humidity profile and runs from noon to 10 p.m. MDT Monday.
In Nevada, Fire Weather Zone 470 covering Eastern Elko County faces sharper winds — west to northwest at 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 40 mph — alongside humidity as low as 6 percent, according to the National Weather Service. That wind-humidity combination is the same one driving critical fire weather across the rest of the warned area.
The Pacific Northwest remains a second hot spot. Eight Oregon counties — Crook, Grant, Jefferson, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wasco and Wheeler — along with Walla Walla County in Washington, are under warnings as dry conditions persist east of the Cascades.
The narrower state count masks a broader shift rather than a retreat: the alert total dropped by eight from Saturday, but three new states entered the warned zone even as coverage in the Northeast ended entirely. California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming remain warned alongside the three newcomers.
The National Weather Service says a Red Flag Warning means critical fire weather conditions are either occurring or imminent — the combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures can turn any new fire start into a fast-moving blaze. Residents in warned zones, including those checking Salt Lake City weather and Reno weather, are advised to avoid outdoor burning, dragging trailer chains or any activity that could throw a spark until conditions ease.
Forecasters expect the pattern to persist into the workweek as dry fuels and gusty afternoon winds continue across the Great Basin and interior Northwest.