Red Flag Warning Issued for Portions of Central Missouri and Southwest Illinois
This alert is no longer in effect.
NOAA issued it on April 6, 2026, 4 months ago. Warnings of this kind stay in effect for hours to a few days, so this page is a historical record of what was issued, not a current warning. For conditions where you are right now, check weather.gov (US), weather.gc.ca (Canada), the Met Office (UK), or the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia).
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The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for central Missouri and southwest Illinois due to high winds and low humidity, effective from noon to 6 PM CST today.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Red Flag Warning
- Affected area
- Central Missouri and Southwest Illinois
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS St Louis
Fire-weather notices describe conditions that can support rapid fire spread; they do not report that a fire is present. Check local emergency sources for any active incident.
Record status: historical. It was issued 4 months ago; use the issuing agency's live warning service for current conditions in Central Missouri and Southwest Illinois.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in St. Louis has issued a Red Flag Warning for portions of southwest Illinois and central and east-central Missouri. This alert signifies that critical fire weather conditions are expected, creating a high risk for rapid fire spread.
Affected Areas
The warning impacts the following geographic regions:
- Illinois Counties: Greene, Macoupin, Calhoun, Jersey, and Madison.
- Missouri Counties: Boone, Moniteau, Cole, Osage, Callaway, Montgomery, Lincoln, Gasconade, Warren, St. Charles, Franklin, St. Louis, and St. Louis City.
What You Should Do
Residents are strongly advised that outdoor burning is not recommended during this period. Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly due to the combination of dry air and strong winds. Local officials and fire crews in the field should be notified of these conditions to ensure immediate response capabilities.
Expected Conditions
- Winds: Southwest winds between 15 to 20 mph, with gusts reaching up to 30 mph.
- Relative Humidity: Levels are expected to drop to between 20 and 25 percent.
- Temperatures: Warm conditions are forecast, with highs in the upper 60s to low 70s.
Timeline
The Red Flag Warning is effective starting at 12:00 PM CST today, February 27, 2026. The alert is currently scheduled to expire at 6:00 PM CST this evening.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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