Red Flag Warning Issued for Tripp County and South-Central South Dakota
This alert is no longer in effect.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 Tripp County and surrounding areas due to critical fire weather conditions expected Friday afternoon.
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- Record type
- Red Flag Warning
- Affected area
- South-Central South Dakota and Northeastern Wyoming
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Rapid City
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 South-Central South Dakota and Northeastern Wyoming.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Rapid City SD has issued a Red Flag Warning for gusty winds and low relative humidity. This alert replaces the previous Fire Weather Watch and indicates that critical fire weather conditions are imminent or occurring.
Affected Areas
The primary affected area is Fire Weather Zone 335, specifically Tripp County in South Dakota. The warning also encompasses Fire Weather Zones 315, 317, 322, 326, 333, and 334, covering parts of northeastern Wyoming and southwestern into south-central South Dakota.
What You Should Do
Residents in the warning area should prepare for extreme fire behavior. A Red Flag Warning means that a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to rapid fire spread. Outdoor burning is highly discouraged, and residents should exercise extreme caution with any potential ignition sources.
Expected Conditions
- Winds: Northwest winds between 20 to 30 mph are expected, with gusts reaching up to 40 mph. The strongest gusts are anticipated over south-central South Dakota.
- Humidity: Minimum relative humidity values will drop to between 15 and 20 percent.
- Drought Context: Existing D1 to D2 drought conditions in the region are expected to exacerbate the fire potential.
- Impacts: The combination of very dry air and high winds will create critical fire weather conditions.
Timeline
The Red Flag Warning is in effect from 1:00 PM to 7:00 PM CST (Noon to 6:00 PM MST) on Friday, February 27. The alert was issued on the evening of February 26 and is set to expire at the conclusion of the Friday evening window.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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