634
FNUS21 KWNS 191529
FWDDY1
DAY 1 FIRE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
0928 AM CST FRI DEC 19 2025
VALID 191700Z - 201200Z
...EXTREMELY CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER AREA FOR FOR PORTIONS OF THE
COLORADO FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS AND FAR SOUTHEAST WYOMING...
...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER AREA FOR ALONG/EAST OF THE COLORADO ROCKIES
INTO NEBRASKA PANHANDLE...
THE CRITICAL AREA WAS EXPANDED SOUTH ALONG THE COLORADO ROCKIES WITH
A SLIGHT EXPANSION OF THE ELEVATED IN PORTIONS OF CENTRAL COLORADO
AND SOUTHWEST TEXAS BASED ON THE LATEST OBSERVATIONS AND
HIGH-RESOLUTION FORECAST GUIDANCE. WESTERLY WIND GUSTS OF 40-70 MPH
WITH RH OF 15-30% ARE ALREADY BEING OBSERVED IN SOUTHEAST WYOMING,
ALONG PORTIONS OF THE FRONT RANGE, AND INTO THE WESTERN NEBRASKA
PANHANDLE. CLOUD COVER IS OVER MUCH OF THE SOUTHERN/CENTRAL HIGH
PLAINS, AND PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY TO
CONTINUE TODAY. HOWEVER, GIVEN THE STRONG BACKGROUND FLOW AND DRY
AIRMASS, ELEVATED TO LOCALLY CRITICAL CONDITIONS REMAIN EXPECTED
ACROSS MUCH OF THE SOUTHERN/CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS, WITH CRITICAL TO
EXTREMELY CRITICAL CONDITIONS ALONG/EAST THE FRONT RANGE INTO
SOUTHEAST WYOMING AND THE WESTERN NEBRASKA PANHANDLE. THIS INCLUDES
WIND GUSTS UP TO 100 MPH AND MINIMUM RH AROUND 10%. A PARTICULARLY
DANGEROUS SITUATION (PDS) RED FLAG WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED BY THE
NWS BOULDER WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE FOR ALONG/WEST OF THE HIGHWAY 93
CORRIDOR INTO THE FOOTHILLS FROM NEAR GOLDEN, CO EXTENDING NORTH TO
NEAR LYONS, CO.
..NAUSLAR.. 12/19/2025
PREV DISCUSSION
/ISSUED 0121 AM CST FRI DEC 19 2025/
..SYNOPSIS
A PRONOUNCED MID-LEVEL TROUGH WILL EJECT INTO THE ATLANTIC WHILE A
LOW-AMPLITUDE UPPER TROUGH IMPINGES ON THE CENTRAL/NORTHERN ROCKIES
INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS TODAY. 50-70 KT 700-500 MB
WEST-NORTHWESTERLY FLOW WILL ACCOMPANY THE CENTRAL CONUS UPPER
TROUGH, AND OVERSPREAD A DEEP AND DRY BOUNDARY LAYER THROUGH THE
DAY. THE COMBINATION OF DRY DOWNSLOPE FLOW AND SURFACE LEE TROUGHING
WILL SUPPORT WIDESPREAD 15+ MPH SUSTAINED WESTERLY SURFACE WINDS
AMID 15-25 PERCENT RH ACROSS MUCH OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN HIGH
PLAINS INTO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS FOR MUCH OF THE AFTERNOON,
WARRANTING ELEVATED HIGHLIGHTS.
CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS ARE IN PLACE ACROSS PORTIONS OF
CENTRAL CO INTO SOUTHEASTERN WY AND THE NE PANHANDLE. HERE THE
STRONGEST MID-LEVEL FLOW WILL OVERSPREAD A BOUNDARY LAYER EXTENDING
TO OVER 500 MB, WHICH SHOULD SUPPORT EFFICIENT DOWNWARD MOMENTUM
TRANSPORT TO THE SURFACE. SUSTAINED SURFACE WINDS SHOULD EXCEED 20
MPH (PERHAPS 30 MPH IN SOME SPOTS) AMID 15-20 PERCENT RH. OF
PARTICULAR CONCERN IS THE IMMEDIATE FOOTHILLS ACROSS NORTH-CENTRAL
CO TOWARD THE CHEYENNE WY AREA, WHERE CHANNELED FLOW WITHIN COMPLEX
TERRAIN MAY SUPPORT 50 MPH SUSTAINED WINDS IN LOCALIZED SPOTS, WITH
GUSTS UP TO 90 MPH POSSIBLE. GIVEN DRY FUELS AND 10-20 PERCENT RH
ALONG THE FOOTHILLS, A VOLATILE ENVIRONMENT MAY DEVELOP AND SUPPORT
RAPID WILDFIRE SPREAD/EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR FOR ANY POTENTIAL
IGNITIONS IN THE AREA, WARRANTING EXTREMELY CRITICAL HIGHLIGHTS.
..PLEASE SEE WWW.SPC.NOAA.GOV/FIRE FOR GRAPHIC PRODUCT
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