861
FNUS21 KWNS 140601
FWDDY1
DAY 1 FIRE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
0100 AM CDT SAT MAR 14 2026
VALID 141200Z - 151200Z
..CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER AREA FOR MUCH OF NEW MEXICO
EASTERN
COLORADO...PORTIONS OF WESTERN NEBRASKA...WESTERN KANSAS...AND WEST
TEXAS...
..SYNOPSIS
A SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL MOVE OUT OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST INTO THE
NORTHERN ROCKIES TODAY, WITH STRONG WESTERLY FLOW OVERSPREADING THE
ROCKIES INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS. A LEE CYCLONE IS EXPECTED TO
DEVELOP ACROSS EASTERN WY/CO AND SHIFT INTO NEBRASKA DEEPENING
RAPIDLY. MASS RESPONSE WITH THE DEEPENING CYCLONE WILL RESULT IN
TIGHTENING OF WESTERLY SURFACE GRADIENTS ACROSS THE CENTRAL/SOUTHERN
HIGH PLAINS AND AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF ELEVATED TO CRITICAL (AND
LOCALLY EXTREMELY CRITICAL) FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS.
ACROSS THE FRONT RANGE IN COLORADO AND IN THE LEE OF THE HIGH
TERRAIN IN NEW MEXICO, SURFACE WINDS WILL BE FURTHER ENHANCED IN THE
DOWNSLOPE REGIMES. WITHIN THESE REGIONS, RELATIVE HUMIDITY
REDUCTIONS 10-15% WILL OVERLAP SUSTAINED WEST TO SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS
20-30 MPH. LOCALLY EXTREMELY CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL
BE POSSIBLE IN MORE FAVORED DOWNSLOPE REGIONS IN THE LEE OF THE
COLORADO ROCKIES, WHERE WINDS MAY APPROACH 40-50 MPH AT TIMES.
GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO SUPPORT THE NOTION THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER
CONDITIONS WILL SPREAD FURTHER EAST INTO WESTERN NEBRASKA AND
NORTHWESTERN KANSAS, WHERE SEVERAL FIRES ARE ONGOING. AS SUCH A
BROAD CRITICAL AREA WAS MAINTAINED FROM FAR WESTERN TEXAS INTO
WESTERN NEW MEXICO/WESTERN COLORADO TO SOUTHWESTERN WYOMING AND
EASTWARD INTO WESTERN NEBRASKA AND NORTHWESTERN KANSAS. WITHIN THESE
REGIONS, THERE WILL BE POTENTIAL FOR RAPID FIRE SPREAD WITH ELEVATED
TO CRITICAL CONDITIONS EXTENDING INTO THE EVENING HOURS.
BROADER ELEVATED CONCERNS WILL EXTEND INTO CENTRAL NE/KS/OK AND
SOUTHWEST TEXAS WHERE SURFACE WINDS 10-20 MPH WILL OVERLAP RELATIVE
HUMIDITY REDUCTIONS TO AROUND 15-25%.
..THORNTON.. 03/14/2026
..PLEASE SEE WWW.SPC.NOAA.GOV/FIRE FOR GRAPHIC PRODUCT
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