746
FNUS22 KWNS 181936
FWDDY2
DAY 2 FIRE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
0135 PM CST WED FEB 18 2026
VALID 191200Z - 201200Z
..CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER AREA FOR PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHERN PLAINS
..SOUTHERN PLAINS
INCREASING WEST-SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT AHEAD OF ANOTHER MID-LEVEL
SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL OVERSPREAD MUCH OF THE SOUTHERN PLAINS
THURSDAY. AT THE SURFACE, LOW PRESSURE STEADILY MOVES NORTHEASTWARD
FROM KS INTO THE LOWER MO VALLEY BY LATE AFTERNOON. VERY DRY
WESTERLY TO NORTHWESTERLY FLOW SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF THE LOW AND SOUTH
OF AN ADVANCING COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED ACROSS MUCH OF THE SOUTHERN
PLAINS. 20+ MPH WEST-NORTHWESTERLY WINDS ACCOMPANYING A VERY DRY,
WELL-MIXED BOUNDARY LAYER YIELDING DAYTIME RH AROUND 15 PERCENT WILL
SUPPORT A CORRIDOR OF CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS FROM
SOUTHEASTERN CO, THE TX/OK PANHANDLES, EASTWARD INTO MUCH OF OK AND
FAR SOUTHWESTERN MO. IN ADDITION, THE INITIAL COLD FRONT PASSAGE AND
ASSOCIATED NORTH-NORTHWEST WIND SHIFT INTO NORTHERN TX/OK COULD
BRIEFLY IMPACT ACTIVE FIRES BEFORE COOLER TEMPERATURES, LIGHTER
WINDS AND HIGHER RH MOVE INTO THE REGION THURSDAY NIGHT. BREEZY AND
DRY DOWNSLOPE FLOW WITH WEST WINDS OF AROUND 15 MPH AND RELATIVE
HUMIDITY OF 15-20 PERCENT WILL COMBINE WITH DRY FUELS TO PROMOTE AN
ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER THREAT ACROSS MUCH OF NORTHWESTERN AND FAR
WEST TX THURSDAY.
..WILLIAMS.. 02/18/2026
PREV DISCUSSION
/ISSUED 0124 AM CST WED FEB 18 2026/
..SYNOPSIS
ANOTHER PRONOUNCED MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVE IMPULSE, EMBEDDED IN BROADER
UPPER TROUGHING OVER THE WESTERN U.S., WILL EJECT INTO THE SOUTHERN
PLAINS TOMORROW (THURSDAY). A SURFACE LOW OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS
WILL APPROACH THE OZARKS DURING THE AFTERNOON, WITH DRY DOWNSLOPE
FLOW EXPECTED OVER THE SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS INTO THE SOUTHERN
PLAINS, WEST OF THE SURFACE LOW AND AHEAD OF A SOUTHWARD SAGGING
SURFACE COLD FRONT. THE DOWNSLOPE FLOW WILL PROMOTE DRY AND WINDY
CONDITIONS CAPABLE OF SUPPORTING SIGNIFICANT WILDFIRE SPREAD. BY
AFTERNOON, A BELT OF 20+ MPH SUSTAINED WEST-NORTHWESTERLY SURFACE
WINDS WILL OVERLAP WITH 15 PERCENT RH ACROSS THE TEXAS PANHANDLE
INTO CENTRAL AND NORTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA. CRITICAL HIGHLIGHTS HAVE
BEEN ADDED WHERE THESE AFOREMENTIONED SURFACE METEOROLOGICAL
CONDITIONS WILL OVERLAP WITH RECEPTIVE FUELS THAT HAVE NOT RECEIVED
MEANINGFUL PRECIPITATION ACCUMULATIONS IN RECENT WEEKS.
..PLEASE SEE WWW.SPC.NOAA.GOV/FIRE FOR GRAPHIC PRODUCT
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