Red flag warning for Fresno-area mountains as lightning strikes hit Sierra Nevada

Cloud-to-ground dry lightning was hitting throughout the Sierra Nevada on Tuesday afternoon, from Yosemite National Park to Giant Sequoia National Monument.

Andy Bollenbacher, the National Weather Service meteorologist in Hanford, said the mostly dry conditions will continue for “several more hours,” and that the lightning has been widespread and intensifying since 3 p.m.

The weather service issued a red flag warning until 8 p.m. Tuesday.

“We have really dry fuel right now, so these storms can be prolific fire starters,” Bollenbacher said.

Thunderstorms will continue in the mountains Wednesday, but Bollenbacher said those thunderstorms will have showers. Some storms could drift over the foothills, he said.

This story was originally published June 29, 2021 at 4:16 PM.

Anthony Galaviz

The Fresno Bee

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Anthony Galaviz writes about sports for The Fresno Bee. He covers the Las Vegas Raiders, high schools, boxing, MMA and junior colleges. He’s been with The Bee since 1997 and attended Fresno City College before graduating from Fresno State with a major in journalism and a minor in criminology. Support my work with a digital subscription