004
FNUS22 KWNS 231910
FWDDY2
DAY 2 FIRE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
0209 PM CDT THU APR 23 2026
VALID 241200Z - 251200Z
...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER AREA FOR PORTIONS OF COLORADO FRONT RANGE
AND ADJACENT HIGH PLAINS...
..AFTERNOON UPDATE
CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED TO PORTIONS OF
THE CO ROCKIES AND ADJACENT HIGH PLAINS WHERE FORECAST GUIDANCE HAS
TRENDED TOWARDS INCREASED PROBABILITIES OF VERY LOW RH AND STRONG
WINDS. BENEATH THE UPPER TROUGH, A SURFACE LOW WILL EMERGE OVER
EASTERN CO PROMOTING WESTERLY DOWNSLOPE WINDS ALONG THE FRONT RANGE
AND SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS OVER EASTERN CO. DEEPER MIXING WILL
ENCOURAGE SUSTAINED WINDS OF 15-25 MPH AND CRITICALLY LOW RH OF
10-15 PERCENT (LOCALLY BELOW 10 PERCENT) AT PEAK HEATING,
OVERLAPPING VERY DRY FUELS IN A REGION WHERE MULTIPLE PRECEDING DAYS
OF CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS HAVE FURTHER EXACERBATED THE
FIRE ENVIRONMENT. ELEVATED HIGHLIGHTS HAVE BEEN EXPANDED FURTHER
WEST TO ENCOMPASS THE FOUR CORNERS INTO NORTHWESTERN CO WHERE
WESTERLY WINDS OF 15-20 MPH AND LESS THAN 20 PERCENT RH WILL OVERLAP
ERCS APPROACHING THE 75TH-90TH PERCENTILE.
..ELIZALDE-GARCIA.. 04/23/2026
PREV DISCUSSION
/ISSUED 1257 AM CDT THU APR 23 2026/
..SYNOPSIS
ON DAY 2/FRIDAY, UPPER LEVEL RIDGING ACROSS THE EASTERN U.S. WILL
BEGIN TO FLATTEN, TRANSITIONING TO A FAIRLY ZONAL FLOW REGIME OVER
MUCH OF THE SOUTHERN CONUS. MEANWHILE, A LARGE-SCALE UPPER TROUGH
WILL PERSIST OVER THE NORTH-CENTRAL U.S. ALONG THE CANADIAN BORDER.
EXPECT VERY BREEZY AND CONTINUED DRY CONDITIONS THROUGH THE END OF
THE WORK WEEK OVER THE SOUTHWEST AND SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL HIGH
PLAINS.
..SOUTHWEST AND SOUTHERN PLAINS
THE AFOREMENTIONED WESTERLY WINDS ALOFT WILL MIX DOWN TO THE SURFACE
DURING PEAK HEATING, LEADING TO STRONG WESTERLY DOWNSLOPE FLOW
(SUSTAINED AT 15-20 MPH) AND CRITICALLY LOW RH (10-15%) THAT WILL
OVERLAP VERY DRY FUELS ON DAY 2/FRIDAY. FOLLOWING SEVERAL PRECEDING
DAYS OF HEIGHTENED FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE ENVIRONMENT WILL BE
FURTHER EXACERBATED ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHWEST AND SOUTHERN
PLAINS. WINDS LOOK TO BE PARTICULARLY STRONG NEAR THE PALMER DIVIDE
IN EAST-CENTRAL CO; THIS AREA WILL BE MONITORED FOR MEETING CRITICAL
THRESHOLDS IF TRENDS IN FORECAST GUIDANCE CONTINUE. INCREASING
CLOUDS COVER LATER IN THE DAY ON DAY 2/FRIDAY IS EXPECTED OVER MUCH
OF THE REGION, WHICH WILL LIKELY WORK TO MITIGATE SOME OF THE FIRE
WEATHER THREAT BEFORE SUNSET.
..PLEASE SEE WWW.SPC.NOAA.GOV/FIRE FOR GRAPHIC PRODUCT
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