136
FNUS21 KWNS 151653
FWDDY1
DAY 1 FIRE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1052 AM CST SUN FEB 15 2026
VALID 151700Z - 161200Z
...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER AREA FOR NORTHWESTERN NEBRASKA AND ADJACENT
BORDER OF SOUTH DAKOTA...
..NORTHERN AND CENTRAL PLAINS
ONLY SLIGHT MODIFICATIONS TO EXISTING CRITICAL AND ELEVATED
HIGHLIGHTS WERE NEEDED FOR PORTIONS OF THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL
PLAINS. CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS INCLUDING SUSTAINED
WEST/SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 15-25 MPH AND RH FALLING TO AROUND 15% ARE
MOST LIKELY ACROSS NORTHWESTERN NE TODAY. ACCELERATING WESTERLY FLOW
ALOFT AND A DEEPENING SURFACE LOW ACROSS THE DAKOTAS WILL BRING DRY
AND BREEZY CONDITIONS TO THE AREA. FARTHER WEST, INCREASING
HIGH-LEVEL CLOUD COVER COULD LIMIT SURFACE RH REDUCTIONS AND ACROSS
SOUTHEASTERN WY, BUT A LOCALLY CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER THREAT STILL
EXISTS IN FAVORABLE DOWNSLOPE AREAS IN THE LEE OF THE LARAMIE
MOUNTAINS WHERE SUSTAINED WINDS OF 20-25 MPH ARE EXPECTED.
..SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS
A MORE TRANSIENT AND LOCALIZED ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER THREAT EXISTS
ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHERN PLAINS TODAY. DRY RETURN FLOW IN
RESPONSE TO A DEEPENING LEE TROUGH ACROSS THE SOUTHERN/CENTRAL HIGH
PLAINS SHOULD BRING ABOUT SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 10-20 MPH AND MINIMUM
RH OF 15-20% ACROSS EASTERN NM AND PORTIONS OF THE TX PANHANDLE.
SHORT DURATION OF THE DRY AND BREEZY CONDITIONS ALONG WITH
MARGINALLY DRY FUELS AND INCREASING UPPER-LEVEL CLOUDS SHOULD LIMIT
A BROADER FIRE WEATHER IMPACT THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS THE SOUTHERN
HIGH PLAINS.
..WILLIAMS.. 02/15/2026
PREV DISCUSSION
/ISSUED 1221 AM CST SUN FEB 15 2026/
..SYNOPSIS
SHORTWAVE RIDGING WILL BE IN PLACE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES
THROUGH THE DAY TODAY WITH A WEAK JET MAX NEAR THE APEX OF THE
RIDGE. THIS WILL PROMOTE A WEAK SURFACE LOW IN THE DAKOTAS, BRINGING
DRY, BREEZY CONDITIONS TO PORTIONS OF THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL HIGH
PLAINS. A CRITICAL AREA HAS BEEN MAINTAINED IN PORTIONS OF
NORTHWESTERN NEBRASKA AND FAR SOUTHWESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA, WHERE WINDS
ARE EXPECTED TO BE 15-25 MPH WITH RH OF 10-15% IN THE PRESENCE OF
DRY FUELS. SURROUNDING THIS IS AN ELEVATED AREA REACHING WESTWARD TO
MOUNTAINS. PORTIONS OF CENTRAL COLORADO NEAR THE FRONT RANGE HAVE
SEEN SOME RAIN IN THE LAST FEW DAYS, HOWEVER, HAVE MAINTAINED AN
ELEVATED AREA HERE DUE TO LOW RH AND ENHANCED FLOW NEAR THE
MOUNTAINS.
IN ADDITION, SOME TRANSIENT ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
POSSIBLE ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST NEW MEXICO DURING THE
AFTERNOON, WITH 15-20 MPH WINDS AND RH NEAR 15-20% IN THE PRESENCE
OF MODESTLY DRY FUELS. HOWEVER, DUE TO THE MARGINAL, LOCALIZED
NATURE, HAVE NOT INTRODUCED AN ELEVATED AREA HERE.
..PLEASE SEE WWW.SPC.NOAA.GOV/FIRE FOR GRAPHIC PRODUCT
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
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