Red Flag Warning Issued for Southern Black Hills Due to Critical Fire Weather Conditions
This alert is no longer in effect.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 in Rapid City has issued a Red Flag Warning for the Southern Black Hills through Friday evening, warning of low humidity and gusty winds.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Red Flag Warning
- Affected area
- Southern Black Hills, South Dakota
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Rapid City SD
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 Southern Black Hills, South Dakota.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Rapid City SD has issued a Red Flag Warning for critical fire weather conditions. The alert was issued on February 27 at 1:56 PM MST and remains in effect until 6:00 PM MST this evening.
Affected Areas
The primary area affected by this warning is Fire Weather Zone 321, which encompasses the Southern Black Hills region.
What You Should Do
Residents and visitors in the affected area should prepare for critical fire weather conditions. A Red Flag Warning indicates that a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior. Exercise extreme caution with any potential ignition sources as conditions are favorable for rapid fire spread.
Expected Conditions
- Winds: Northwest winds between 10 to 15 mph are expected, with gusts reaching up to 25 mph.
- Humidity: Relative humidity levels are forecast to drop as low as 15 percent.
- Impacts: The combination of gusty winds and low relative humidity would produce critical fire weather conditions. Antecedent D1 to D2 drought conditions in the region will further exacerbate the fire potential.
Timeline
The Red Flag Warning is currently in effect and is scheduled to expire at 6:00 PM MST (7:00 PM CST) this evening, Friday, February 27, 2026.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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