498  
FNUS21 KWNS 160652  
FWDDY1  
 
DAY 1 FIRE WEATHER OUTLOOK  
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK  
0151 AM CDT SUN AUG 16 2026  
 
VALID 161200Z - 171200Z  
   
..NO CRITICAL AREAS
 
 
   
..SYNOPSIS
 
 
THE PROMINENT MID-LEVEL RIDGE OVER THE CENTRAL AND WESTERN US WILL  
BEGIN TO WEAKEN UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF MULTIPLE UPPER-LEVEL TROUGHS  
TODAY AND TONIGHT. THE PRIMARY UPPER TROUGH WILL MOVE EASTWARD  
ACROSS THE NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE RIDGE NEAR THE CANADIAN BORDER.  
THIS WILL FORCE A STALLED FRONT OVER THE PLAINS SOUTHWARD WHILE  
MONSOON MOISTURE IS SHUNTED EASTWARD WITH A SECOND WEAKER TROUGH  
APPROACHING THE WEST COAST. WHILE OVERALL FIRE-WEATHER CONCERNS ARE  
LOW, SOME LIGHTNING AND DRY/BREEZY CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE OVER  
PARTS OF THE SOUTHERN PLAINS AND GREAT BASIN/NORTHERN ROCKIES.  
   
..SOUTHERN PLAINS
 
 
THE COLD FRONT IS FORECAST TO MOVE SOUTH ACROSS PARTS OF THE TX  
PANHANDLE AND OK TODAY SUPPORTING SCATTERED SHOWERS AND  
THUNDERSTORMS. LIKELY HIGHER-BASED OWING TO VERY WARM SURFACE  
TEMPERATURES SOUTH OF THE FRONT, THESE STORMS MAY DEVELOP OVER ARES  
OF VERY DRY FUELS. HOWEVER, SLOW STORM SPEEDS AND INCREASING  
MOISTURE ALONG THE FRONT SUGGEST LIMITED POTENTIAL FOR DRY STORMS.  
GUSTY AND ERRATIC WINDS MAY ACCOMPANY STORM OUTFLOW.  
   
..NORTHERN GREAT BASIN AND NORTHERN ROCKIES
 
 
THE PRIMARY PLUME OF MONSOON MOISTURE IS FORECAST TO SHIFT EASTWARD  
AS THE RIDGE BEGINS TO FLATTEN SOMEWHAT OVER THE NORTHERN ROCKIES IN  
RESPONSE TO THE TROUGHING OVER THE NORTHERN US. THIS WILL SHIFT THE  
PRIMARY AXIS OF DIURNAL THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY FARTHER EAST INTO ID,  
MT AND WY WHERE RECENT WETTING RAINFALL HAS OCCURRED. WHILE  
THUNDERSTORMS AGAIN APPEAR LIKELY, MUCH OF THIS ACTIVITY SHOULD BE  
FAIRLY FAVORABLE FOR WETTING RAINFALL, AND OCCURRING WHERE FUELS ARE  
MUCH LESS RECEPTIVE TO LIGHTNING THAN THE PREVIOUS DAYS.  
 
FARTHER SOUTH INTO PARTS OF SOUTHERN OR, NORTHERN NV AND NORTHEAST  
CA, WEAK TROUGHING IMPINGING ON THE WESTERN FRINGES OF THE UPPER  
RIDGE MAY LOCALLY BOLSTER WESTERLY SURFACE WINDS THIS AFTERNOON.  
WARM AND DRY CONDITIONS, ALONG WITH WIND GUSTS OF 10-15 MPH COULD  
SUPPORT A FEW HOURS OF DRY/BREEZY CONDITIONS WHERE FUELS ARE  
RELATIVELY DRIER. LOCALLY ELEVATED CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE, BUT  
BROADER FIRE-WEATHER CONCERNS ARE UNLIKELY DUE TO THE MODEST WINDS.  
 
..LYONS.. 08/16/2026  
   
..PLEASE SEE WWW.SPC.NOAA.GOV/FIRE FOR GRAPHIC PRODUCT
 
 

 
 
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