Des Moines, IOWA — A Fire Weather Watch is in effect for Northwest Iowa on Wednesday. This is issued when the area has dry conditions, warm temperatures, and a gusty wind. The winds will gust close to 40 MPH out of the south on Wednesday. Please don’t burn anything. Any fire that develops will spread rapidly.

A ‘Fire Weather Watch’ is a potential precursor to a ‘Red Flag Warning’. A ‘Watch’ is issued 72 hours beforehand, while a ‘Warning’ can be issued 24 hours beforehand.