Red Flag Warning Issued for Western North Dakota Due to High Winds and Low Humidity

Source: NOAA · Western North 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This alert is no longer in effect.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).

Areazine synthesizes this NWS weather alert directly from NOAA's official public data feed. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.

The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for western North Dakota as extreme winds up to 70 mph and low humidity create critical fire conditions.

Read this weather record in 30 seconds

Record type
Red Flag Warning
Affected area
Western North Dakota
Issued
April 6, 2026
Issuing authority
NWS Bismarck

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 Western North Dakota.

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Bismarck has issued a Red Flag Warning for portions of western North Dakota. This alert signifies that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or are imminent due to a combination of strong winds and low relative humidity.

Affected Areas

The warning impacts several counties across western North Dakota, including:

  • McKenzie
  • Dunn
  • Golden Valley
  • Billings
  • Stark
  • Slope
  • Hettinger
  • Bowman
  • Adams

What You Should Do

Residents in the affected areas should prepare for extreme fire behavior. Any fires that ignite could spread rapidly and become difficult to control or suppress. It is advised to avoid any activities that could cause sparks or open flames during this period of critical weather.

Expected Conditions

  • Winds: West-northwesterly winds are expected to be sustained at around 40 mph, with peak gusts reaching as high as 70 mph.
  • Humidity: Minimum relative humidity levels are forecast to drop as low as 20 percent during the mid to late afternoon.
  • Fire Behavior: The combination of high wind speeds and dry air will contribute to rapid fire growth and difficult suppression efforts.

Timeline

The Red Flag Warning is in effect from noon CDT (11 AM MDT) today, March 12, 2026, through 8 PM CDT (7 PM MDT) this evening.

Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about this NWS weather alert.

What is this NWS weather alert about?
The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for western North Dakota as extreme winds up to 70 mph and low humidity create critical fire conditions.
Which agency issued this alert?
This alert was issued by NOAA. The original notice is available at the source link at the bottom of this article.
How severe is this alert?
This alert is classified as "high" severity. Take precautions and monitor for updates.
What area is affected?
This alert affects Western North Dakota. Check with NOAA for the most current geographic scope.
Where can I find more Weather Alerts updates?
Browse the full Weather Alerts feed on Areazine at areazine.com/weather/ for the latest updates from NOAA and other agencies.