Update: Red Flag Warning Issued For Mother Lode

Update at 6:20am: Lightning was reported in the region overnight. CAL Fire reports that there are no known lightning caused fire’s in Tuolumne or Calaveras County at this time.

Original Story: The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for the Mother Lode and the Stanislaus National Forest until 5 PM this afternoon for thunderstorms with little rainfall.

A low pressure system moving eastward over the area will continue to bring showers and thunderstorms over the Sierra Nevada, including the Mother Lode.

Very dry fuels and spotty rainfall will increase the threat of fire starts. Gusty and erratic thunderstorm winds could affect fire behavior.

Regular wind speeds of ten mph are likely throughout the day.

A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures will create explosive fire growth potential.