Kansas sees red flag warning issued Monday and winter storm watch for Wednesday

The National Weather Service Monday morning issued a red flag warning regarding potential extreme fire danger lasting from noon to 8 p.m. Monday for areas that include northeast, north-central and east-central Kansas.

The weather service also issued a winter storm watch lasting from late Tuesday through Wednesday afternoon for an area that included Marshall, Washington, Cloud and Republic counties in northeast and north-central Kansas.

Wednesday's winter storm watch didn't include any other counties in the 23-county area covered by the weather service's Topeka office, which said no snow was expected in the Topeka area.

Winds could gust at up to 45 mph

Monday's anticipated high winds would continue a trend much of Kansas has seen in recent days.

The area under the red flag warning included all 23 counties the weather service's Topeka office covers in northeast, north-central and east-central Kansas.

Forecasters predicted that area would see see a double whammy of low humidity and winds coming from the south at 15 to 25 mph while gusting at up to 45 mph.

"Any fire that develops will catch and spread quickly," the warning said. "Outdoor burning is not recommended."

Temperatures were expected to rise to as high as 84 degrees Monday in the area involved, forecasters said.

The weather service also issued a fire weather watch lasting from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday for northeast, north-central and east-central Kansas, which forecasters said would see low humidity and gusty winds coming from the southwest.

Winter storm watch issued

In putting out the winter storm watch that lasts from late Tuesday through Wednesday afternoon, forecasters said blizzard conditions would be possible in the area involved due to total snowfall accumulations of up to 3 inches and winds from the north gusting as high as 60 mph.

Forecasters predicted chances for 2 inches or more of snow would be 50% at Concordia, 38% at Marysville, 6% at Hiawatha, 4% at Salina and 1% at Manhattan.

Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@gannett.com of 785-213-5934.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Forecasters issue red flag warning for Topeka area, winter storm watch