Published Aug 13, 2026 7:43 am
Red Flag Fire Warning
Tuolumne County, CA — The National Weather Service is warning about the possibility of thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds in the higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada.
A Red Flag Warning is in effect this morning (started at 5 am) through 9 pm today for elevations above 5,000 feet.
The National Weather Service lists the chance of severe thunderstorms at 15-30%. The area impacted includes parts of Tuolumne, Calaveras, Amador, and El Dorado counties.
The warning notes, “Lightning can create new fire starts and may combine with strong outflow winds to cause a fire to rapidly grow in size and intensity.”
It adds, “Isolated to scattered coverage of a mix of wet and dry thunderstorms is expected. Lightning strikes may also occur outside of main precipitation cores.”
Residents and visitors to the higher elevations should be prepared for the potential of thunderstorms.
Written by BJ Hansen.
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