High winds cause problems
A Moses Lake firefighter extinguishes a brush fire Monday. Juveniles are believed to have started the fire and high winds fanned it out of control.
Winds ranged from 24-37 mph throughout Monday at the Grant County International Airport.
MOSES LAKE — High winds and limited visibility closed roads and helped fan a few small fires in the Columbia Basin.
Winds ranged from 24-37 mph throughout Monday at the Grant County International Airport, according to the National Weather Service.
The weather service issued a red flag warning for the day, indicating that strong winds of up to 40 mph and low humidity were expected across central and Eastern Washington as a strong cold front moved across the state.
Temperatures dropped from roughly 96 degrees on Sunday to 82 degrees on Monday in Moses Lake. The weather service predicts the high temperature for today should reach 78.
With wind reducing visibility, Grant County Emergency Management closed Stratford Road northbound at the intersection of Road 18 Northeast.
A vehicle collision was reported at the intersection of Road 20 Northeast and Stratford Road, according to Kyle Foreman, Grant County Emergency Management public information officer. Further details were not available.
Road 20 Northeast, five miles east of Soap Lake, was also closed at the intersection with Road I Northeast because of limited visibility.
A two-car collision was reported three miles south of Ritzville on state Route 261 due to dust causing zero visibility, according to Sue Bula of the Washington State Patrol. The wreck caused the section of highway to be closed last night.
Winds near Vantage gusted and blew a small camper off the back of a pickup truck, according to the state patrol. The debris blocked the east end of the Vantage Bridge for a short time.
The closures were temporary, depending on when the subsided.
A dust storm warning was in effect until 11 p.m., according to the Weather Service.
A few small fires were reported with the high winds, but fire crews were able to extinguish them without any turning into large wildland fires.
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