Fire Weather Watch Issued for Areas of Northern California and Southern Oregon

Medford, Oregon- The National Weather Service in Medford has issued a Fire Weather Watch for Tuesday afternoon through Tuesday evening due to the potential for abundant lightning on dry fuels across portions of Northern California and Southern Oregon.

The advisory, issued Sunday afternoon, affects Fire Weather Zone 285 in California — which includes most of Modoc County except for the Surprise Valley — and the eastern portion of Zone 623 in Oregon’s Klamath County, covering parts of the Southern Oregon Cascades. Additional, the eastern portion of Jackson County will be under the watch.

Forecasters warn that scattered thunderstorms are expected to develop, bringing lightning that could ignite wildfires in extremely dry conditions. While some of the storms may produce precipitation, lightning strikes outside of rainfall cores remain a significant concern.

In addition to lightning, outflow winds from storms could gust between 35 to 50 mph and may extend as far as 25 miles from the storm centers, further increasing fire spread potential.

Officials urge residents in affected areas to follow all fire restrictions, avoid spark-producing activities, and prepare for potential evacuations. “If you have not packed your go kit yet, now is the time to do so,” the alert advises. Essentials include important documents, medications, and other items critical for a quick departure. Residents are also encouraged to keep vehicles fueled and ready.

The Fire Weather Watch indicates conditions may develop into more critical fire weather, with the possibility of an upgrade to a Red Flag Warning. For updates, residents should monitor weather.gov/medford and consult ready.gov/kit for emergency preparedness information.