616
FNUS22 KWNS 131911
FWDDY2
DAY 2 FIRE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
0210 PM CDT FRI MAR 13 2026
VALID 141200Z - 151200Z
..CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER AREA FOR MUCH OF NEW MEXICO
EASTERN
COLORADO...PORTIONS OF WESTERN NEBRASKA...WESTERN KANSAS...AND WEST
TEXAS...
THE CRITICAL AREA OVER NEW MEXICO WAS SIGNIFICANTLY EXPANDED TO
INCLUDE MUCH OF THE EASTERN COLORADO PLAINS, THE SOUTHWESTERN HALF
OF NEBRASKA, AND THE NORTHWEST THIRD OF KANSAS. SIMILARLY, THE
ELEVATED AREA WAS EXPANDED TO INCLUDE THE MUCH OF THE WESTERN HALVES
OF TEXAS, OKLAHOMA, KANSAS AND NEBRASKA, AND FAR SOUTHEASTERN
WYOMING, PORTIONS OF SOUTH-CENTRAL COLORADO, AND NEARLY ALL OF NEW
MEXICO. THE EXPANSION OF THE RISK AREAS ARE NOTABLE GIVEN THE
ONGOING VERY LARGE FIRES IN CENTRAL/WESTERN NEBRASKA.
THE LATEST FORECAST GUIDANCE SHOWS CRITICALLY WINDY AND DRY SURFACE
CONDITIONS DEVELOPING OVER MUCH OF THE FRONT RANGE AND PUSHING MUCH
FARTHER EAST ACROSS MUCH OF THE CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS. SUSTAINED
WESTERLY WINDS OF 20-30 WITH WIDESPREAD RHS OF 10-15% CAN BE
ANTICIPATED ACROSS MUCH OF THIS AREA. LOCALLY EXTREMELY CRITICAL
CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE LEE OF THE COLORADO ROCKIES DURING
THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS. ELEVATED TO CRITICAL
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO PERSIST THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS ON
PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS.
..STEARNS/NAUSLAR.. 03/13/2026
PREV DISCUSSION
/ISSUED 0151 AM CDT FRI MAR 13 2026/
..SYNOPSIS
A SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL MOVE SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
INTO THE NORTHERN ROCKIES ON D2/SATURDAY. AS WESTERLY FLOW DEVELOPS
ACROSS THE ROCKIES, STRONG LEE CYCLONE DEVELOPMENT IS LIKELY ON
D2/SATURDAY ACROSS THE NEBRASKA PANHANDLE. AS A RESULT, WESTERLY
SURFACE GRADIENTS WILL STRENGTHEN ACROSS THE CENTRAL/SOUTHERN HIGH
PLAINS. VERY STRONG/DRY DOWNSLOPE FLOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP,
PARTICULARLY ACROSS EASTERN NEW MEXICO INTO FAR WESTERN TEXAS. IN
THIS REGION, SUSTAINED WESTERLY SURFACE WINDS 15-20 MPH WILL OVERLAP
RELATIVE HUMIDITY REDUCTIONS TO 10-15 PERCENT. THIS IN COMBINATION
WITH DRY FUELS WILL SUPPORT MAINTAINING CRITICAL FIRE AREAS FOR
SATURDAY. BROADER ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS ARE EXPECTED TO
EXTEND INTO EASTERN COLORADO AND FAR SOUTHEASTERN WYOMING/WESTERN
NEBRASKA. THE IMMEDIATE AREA IN THE LEE OF THE HIGHER TERRAIN IN
EASTERN COLORADO MAY SEE LOCALLY CRITICAL CONDITIONS. THIS AREA MAY
NEED TO BE INCLUDED IN FURTHER OUTLOOKS IF TRENDS INCREASE OR
CONFIDENCE IN MOUNTAIN WAVE ACTIVITY INCREASES. ELEVATED TO LOCALLY
CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY TO PERSIST OVERNIGHT ON
PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS.
ELEVATED TO CRITICAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WILL EXTEND INTO
PORTIONS OF WESTERN NEW MEXICO AND ARIZONA. FOR NOW, FUELS IN THIS
REGION ARE NOT SUPPORTIVE BUT THIS EVENT WILL WORK TO PRECONDITION
FUELS AMID TEMPERATURES WELL ABOVE NORMAL.
..PLEASE SEE WWW.SPC.NOAA.GOV/FIRE FOR GRAPHIC PRODUCT
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page