777
FNUS21 KWNS 281643
FWDDY1
DAY 1 FIRE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1142 AM CDT SAT MAR 28 2026
VALID 281700Z - 291200Z
..CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER AREA FOR SOUTHEASTERN WYOMING
...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER AREA FOR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER AREA FOR
PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL/NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS...
...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER AREA FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN SOUTH
CAROLINA...SOUTHERN GEORGIA...AND THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE...
..SOUTHEAST
A COOLER, BUT VERY DRY CONTINENTAL AIR MASS CONTINUES TO FILTER INTO
MUCH OF THE EASTERN U.S. AS HIGH PRESSURE SETTLES INTO THE OHIO
RIVER VALLEY AS AN UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH DEPARTS THE EASTERN SEABOARD.
SUSTAINED NORTHEASTERLY POST-FRONTAL WINDS AT 10-15 MPH WITH HIGHER
GUSTS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY ALREADY IN THE 20-30% RANGE WILL
AFFECT A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION THE SOUTHEAST FROM THE CAROLINAS, GA,
AL AND INTO THE LOWER MS RIVER VALLEY. THE STRONGEST CORRIDOR OF
NORTHEASTERLY WINDS, REACHING 20 MPH AT TIMES, WILL BE ACROSS THE
COASTAL PLAINS OF SC, GA AND INTO THE FL PANHANDLE, SUPPORTING
CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WITHIN DRY FUELS AND EXTREME
DROUGHT. A SLIGHT NORTHEASTWARD EXPANSION OF CRITICAL HIGHLIGHTS
WERE MADE INTO CENTRAL SC BASED ON CURRENT OBSERVATIONS AND SHORT
TERM GUIDANCE TRENDS.
..CENTRAL/NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS
NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WERE NECESSARY FROM PREVIOUS OUTLOOK. AN
EXPANSIVE REGION OF DRY RETURN FLOW COMMENCING BETWEEN SURFACE HIGH
PRESSURE ACROSS THE OH RIVER VALLEY AND NASCENT LEE TROUGHING ACROSS
THE CENTRAL/NORTHERN HIGH PLAINS, WILL PERSIST THROUGH TODAY UNDER A
REINFORCING SOUTHERLY LOW-LEVEL JET. SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS OF
20-30 MPH WITH RELATIVE HUMIDITY OF 15-20% WILL BRING CRITICAL FIRE
WEATHER CONDITIONS TO MUCH OF WESTERN/NORTHERN KS, EASTERN NE INTO
PORTIONS OF THE UPPER MIDWEST. MARGINALLY LOWER WIND SPEEDS AND
SLIGHTLY HIGHER RH WILL STILL SUPPORT AND ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER
THREAT ADJACENT TO THIS CRITICAL AREA.
..SOUTHEASTERN WYOMING
DRY AND BREEZY CONDITIONS DEVELOPING UNDER MODEST MID-LEVEL FLOW
SUPPORTED BY A WELL-MIXED BOUNDARY LAYER ARE EXPECTED ACROSS MUCH OF
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN WY TODAY. THE STRONGEST CORRIDOR OF WEST WINDS
BETWEEN 20-25 MPH COUPLED WITH MINIMUM RH OF 10-15% WILL BRING
CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS TO SOUTHEASTERN WY TODAY. NO
SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE CRITICAL AND SURROUNDING ELEVATED
HIGHLIGHTS WERE NECESSARY WITH PREVIOUS FORECAST ON TRACK.
..SOUTHERN GREAT BASIN AND ARIZONA STRIP
DRY CONDITIONS WITH RH AROUND 10-15% AND SOUTHWEST WINDS OF AROUND
15 MPH, LOCALLY 20-25 MPH UNDER A PASSING MID-LEVEL SHORT WAVE WILL
BRING AN ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER THREAT TO PORTIONS OF SOUTHEASTERN
NV, SOUTHWEST UT AND NORTHWESTERN AZ THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON.
..WILLIAMS.. 03/28/2026
PREV DISCUSSION
/ISSUED 0104 AM CDT SAT MAR 28 2026/
..SYNOPSIS
ENHANCED, ZONAL MID-LEVEL FLOW ACROSS THE CENTRAL/NORTHERN ROCKIES
WILL SUPPORT LEE TROUGHING OVER PORTIONS OF THE HIGH PLAINS TODAY.
FARTHER EAST, SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL SHIFT FROM THE MIDWEST TO
THE EAST COAST IN THE WAKE OF A MID-LEVEL TROUGH MOVING ACROSS THE
NORTHEAST, WITH A TIGHTENED PRESSURE GRADIENT AND STRONG LOW-LEVEL
JET DEVELOPING BETWEEN THE SURFACE HIGH AND LEE TROUGHING.
..CENTRAL/NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS
THE AFOREMENTIONED SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT AND LOW-LEVEL JET
ACROSS THE GREAT PLAINS WILL SUPPORT STRONG SOUTHERLY FLOW OF 20-30
MPH ACROSS MUCH OF THE CENTRAL/NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS. WITH DRY,
RECEPTIVE FUELS AND RH VALUES FORECAST TO FALL TO 15-20%, WIDESPREAD
CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST FROM PORTIONS OF THE
OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE NORTHEASTWARD INTO PORTIONS OF SOUTHEASTERN SOUTH
DAKOTA, SOUTHWESTERN MINNESOTA, AND WESTERN IOWA. STRONG 850 MB FLOW
OF 30-40+ KTS COUPLED WITH BOUNDARY LAYER MIXING WILL PROMOTE
OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO 35-45 MPH. SUSTAINED SOUTHERLY SURFACE WINDS OF
15-25 MPH AND REDUCED RH VALUES OF 20-25% WILL BRING ELEVATED FIRE
WEATHER CONCERNS TO ADJACENT AREAS OF THE CENTRAL/NORTHERN GREAT
PLAINS AND WESTERN CORN BELT, EXCEPT FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH-CENTRAL
AND SOUTHEASTERN KANSAS THAT SAW APPRECIABLE RAINFALL THURSDAY
EVENING.
..SOUTHEAST
A DRY AND BREEZY POST-FRONTAL REGIME WILL BRING WIDESPREAD FIRE
WEATHER CONCERNS TO MUCH OF THE SOUTHEAST TODAY, WITH SUSTAINED
NORTHEASTERLY SURFACE WINDS OF 10-15 MPH, LOW RH OF 25-35%, AND DRY,
ANTECEDENT CONDITIONS SUPPORTING ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS
ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION. ELEVATED CONDITIONS MAY BE LOCALLY
TEMPERED ACROSS PORTIONS OF NC THAT SAW MORE APPRECIABLE RAINFALL ON
FRIDAY. CRITICAL CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN
SC INTO SOUTHERN GA AND THE CENTRAL FLORIDA PANHANDLE WHERE A
CORRIDOR OF ENHANCED NORTHEASTERLY WINDS OF 15-20 MPH AND RH VALUES
AS LOW AS 20% ARE FORECAST.
..CENTRAL/NORTHERN HIGH PLAINS
MODEST MID-LEVEL FLOW ACROSS THE CENTRAL/NORTHERN ROCKIES WILL
SUPPORT A DRY, DOWNSLOPE REGIME ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL AND
NORTHERN HIGH PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON. THE RETURN OF ABOVE NORMAL
TEMPERATURES COUPLED WITH SUSTAINED WESTERLY WINDS OF 20-25 MPH AMID
RH VALUES OF 10-15% WILL BRING AT LEAST A FEW HOURS OF CRITICAL FIRE
WEATHER CONDITIONS TO PORTIONS OF SOUTHEASTERN WYOMING, ESPECIALLY
IN THE LEE OF THE LARAMIE MOUNTAINS. DEEP BOUNDARY LAYER MIXING AND
THE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED MID-LEVEL FLOW WILL ALSO SUPPORT PERIODIC
GUSTS OF 30-35 MPH ACROSS THIS REGION. ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED FARTHER WEST ACROSS MUCH OF WESTERN WYOMING
AND IN THE LEE OF THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS IN SOUTHEASTERN
COLORADO WHERE SUSTAINED WINDS OF 15-25 MPH ARE FORECAST TO OVERLAP
RECEPTIVE FUELS AND REDUCED RH OF 15-20%.
..SOUTHERN GREAT BASIN AND ARIZONA STRIP
A SUBTLE, MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL MOVE NORTHEASTWARD ALONG
THE NORTHWESTERN PERIPHERY OF A BUILDING RIDGE. THIS FEATURE WILL
SUPPORT DRY AND BREEZY SOUTHWEST FLOW ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE
SOUTHERN GREAT BASIN AND NORTHWESTERN ARIZONA. SOUTHWEST WINDS OF
15-25 MPH AND RH VALUES OF 10-15% (LOCALLY LOWER) WILL BRING
ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON AMID INCREASINGLY
DRY FUELS.
..PLEASE SEE WWW.SPC.NOAA.GOV/FIRE FOR GRAPHIC PRODUCT
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