840  
FNUS21 KWNS 270603  
FWDDY1  
 
DAY 1 FIRE WEATHER OUTLOOK  
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK  
0103 AM CDT THU AUG 27 2026  
 
VALID 271200Z - 281200Z  
 
...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER AREA FOR FAR NORTHEASTERN  
CALIFORNIA...NORTHWESTERN NEVADA...SOUTHEASTERN OREGON...  
   
..SYNOPSIS
 
 
AN UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH WILL CONTINUE TO PROMOTE FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS  
ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE NORTHWESTERN CONUS, NORTHERN GREAT BASIN AND  
NORTHERN ROCKIES TODAY. ENHANCED SOUTHWEST WINDS AND DRY CONDITIONS  
WILL BRING ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ACROSS THE COLUMBIA  
BASIN WITH A MORE PRONOUNCED CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER THREAT FROM FAR  
NORTHEASTERN CA INTO SOUTHEASTERN OR. FARTHER EAST, SUFFICIENT  
MID-LEVEL MOISTURE, UPPER DIFFLUENCE AHEAD OF THE AFOREMENTIONED  
TROUGH AND DAYTIME INSTABILITY, WILL AID IN DEVELOPMENT IN  
HIGH-BASED THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE NORTHERN ROCKIES AND  
ADJACENT MT HIGH PLAINS. BREEZY OFFSHORE WINDS ACROSS SOUTHERN  
CALIFORNIA WILL PRESENT AN ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER THREAT THIS EVENING  
AND TONIGHT AFTER WELL-ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES THIS AFTERNOON.  
 
...PACIFIC NORTHWEST INTO OREGON HIGH DESERT AND NORTHEASTERN  
CALIFORNIA...  
DRY, DOWNSLOPE FLOW INTO THE COLUMBIA BASIN IS EXPECTED TODAY AS  
UPPER TROUGH PUSHES FARTHER INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. AS THE  
ONSHORE PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENS, WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS OF  
AROUND 15 MPH (LOCALLY 20 MPH IN AREAS JUST EAST AND ADJACENT TO THE  
CASCADES) WILL DEVELOP AND COUPLE WITH RH AS LOW AS 15% BY  
MID-AFTERNOON. THESE ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS ALONG WITH RECEPTIVE  
FUELS WILL PROMOTE AN ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER THREAT ACROSS THE  
COLUMBIA BASIN. FARTHER SOUTH, A 50-60 KNOT MID-LEVEL JET WILL  
STRETCH FROM NORTHEASTERN CA INTO CENTRAL ID. DIMINISHING CLOUD  
COVER FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST WILL ENHANCE BOUNDARY LAYER MIXING  
MOST ACROSS FAR NORTHEASTERN CA, FAR NORTHWESTERN NV AND  
SOUTHEASTERN OR WHERE SUSTAINED SURFACE WINDS OF 15-25 MPH ARE  
EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON. WITHIN THIS CORRIDOR OF STRONGER WINDS, RH  
SHOULD FALL TO BELOW 10% AT TIMES BY PEAK HEATING. FUELS REMAIN  
QUITE DRY WITH FORECAST ERCS NEAR THE 95TH PERCENTILE. THIS  
METEOROLOGICAL SETUP ALONG WITH A RECEPTIVE FUELSCAPE (AS EVIDENCED  
BY RECENT FIRE ACTIVITY) SUPPORTS CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS  
FROM FAR NORTHEASTERN CA INTO SOUTHEASTERN OR.  
   
..NORTHERN ROCKIES
 
 
A SUPPORTIVE THUNDERSTORM ENVIRONMENT WILL EXIST OVER PORTIONS OF  
THE NORTHERN ROCKIES AS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TROUGH TRANSLATES  
EASTWARD. FORCING FOR ASCENT AHEAD OF THE TROUGH, ALIGNING WITH  
MID/UPPER LEVEL MOISTURE AND DAYTIME INSTABILITY, WILL BRING MAINLY  
HIGH-BASED THUNDERSTORMS TO PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ID INTO MUCH OF  
WESTERN MT. INCREASING THUNDERSTORM MOTIONS TO THE EAST-NORTHEAST  
WILL BE BOLSTERED BY STRENGTHENING VERTICAL WIND SHEAR AS THE UPPER  
TROUGH PUSHES EAST, FURTHER LIMITING RAINFALL ACCUMULATION IN LOWER  
ELEVATIONS. ISOLATED DRY THUNDERSTORM HIGHLIGHTS REMAIN OVER THIS  
REGION WITH ONLY MINOR CHANGES.  
   
..SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
 
 
A NORTHERLY WIND COMPONENT WILL INCREASE AGAIN THIS EVENING AND  
TONIGHT ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN CA AS THE OFFSHORE PRESSURE  
GRADIENT TIGHTENS. HOT AND DRY CONDITIONS DURING THE DAY WITH NEAR  
RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE 90S AND 100S AWAY FROM THE COAST ARE  
SUPPORTING INCREASINGLY DRY FUELS ACROSS THE REGION. WIND SPEEDS OF  
10-20 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS ARE POSSIBLE IN WIND PRONE AREAS AND  
TERRAIN GAP FEATURES ACROSS LA/VENTURA/SANTA BARBARA COUNTIES. THESE  
WINDS COUPLED WITH RH AROUND 20% WILL PRESENT AN ELEVATED FIRE  
WEATHER THREAT.  
 
..WILLIAMS.. 08/27/2026  
   
..PLEASE SEE WWW.SPC.NOAA.GOV/FIRE FOR GRAPHIC PRODUCT
 
 

 
 
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