310  
FNUS21 KWNS 190453  
FWDDY1  
 
DAY 1 FIRE WEATHER OUTLOOK  
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK  
1153 PM CDT MON MAY 18 2026  
 
VALID 191200Z - 201200Z  
   
..SYNOPSIS
 
 
A BROAD MID-LEVEL TROUGH WILL CONTINUE TO MEANDER OVER THE  
INTERMOUNTAIN WEST TODAY, MAINTAINING A TIGHT SURFACE PRESSURE  
GRADIENT OVER THE SOUTHWEST. DEEP BOUNDARY-LAYER MIXING DURING THE  
AFTERNOON WILL ALLOW STRONGER MID-LEVEL FLOW TO TRANSFER TO THE  
SURFACE, RESULTING IN WIDESPREAD BREEZY CONDITIONS. MEANWHILE, A DRY  
AIR MASS WILL REMAIN ENTRENCHED OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN NEVADA AND  
THE MOJAVE DESERT, DRIVING MINIMUM RH VALUES INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS  
AND TEENS WITH LOCALIZED AREAS OF ELEVATED WIND GUSTS OVER  
RECEPTIVE, BUT SUB-CRITICALLY DRY FUELS.  
   
..SOUTHWEST
 
 
AS DAYTIME HEATING MAXIMIZES THIS AFTERNOON, DEEP SURFACE MIXING  
WILL YIELD SUSTAINED SOUTH/SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS OF 15-20 MPH. GIVEN  
THE DRY ANTECEDENT CONDITIONS, SURFACE RH WILL QUICKLY DROP TO  
10-15% ACROSS CENTRAL/SOUTHERN NM AND PORTIONS OF EASTERN AZ.  
CHANNELING EFFECTS WITHIN TERRAIN-FAVORED AREAS, SPECIFICALLY THE  
MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY, WILL LIKELY PRODUCE LOCALIZED CRITICAL  
FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS, WHERE SUSTAINED WINDS MAY BRIEFLY EXCEED 20  
MPH ALONGSIDE RH VALUES NEAR 10-15%.  
 
..STEARNS.. 05/19/2026  
   
..PLEASE SEE WWW.SPC.NOAA.GOV/FIRE FOR GRAPHIC PRODUCT
 
 

 
 
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