Lightning to bring critical fire danger to Lake Tahoe

As another round of thunderstorms heads for for the Reno-Tahoe area, forecasters are warning of lightning strikes that could start dangerous wildfires.

The National Weather Service has issued a fire weather watch for the greater Lake Tahoe Basin and California’s Mono and Alpine counties from late Thursday afternoon through late Thursday night as an area of low pressure approaches that could bring dry thunderstorms.

Spikes of lightning could spark wildfires across a drought-dried landscape. Strong outflow winds – with gusts up to 45 mph – could “produce rapid fire growth” of any fires that are sparked by lightning, the weather service warns.

“There is a threat (thunderstorms) could put down some dry lightning strikes,” said meteorologist Tony Fuentes. “If they do start, fires could spread fairly quickly.”

The fire danger should lessen in the predawn hours Friday as the low pressure passes directly over the Reno-Tahoe area and increasing moisture produces storms with locally heavy rain. Rain is expected in the Sierra and the Reno-Carson area.

“Friday is more a day when things will transition to wetter storms,” Fuentes said. Severe thunderstorms are possible Friday afternoon, but cloud cover is expected to limit chances of heating that would allow severe storms to build up, the weather service said.

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