891
FNUS21 KWNS 041650
FWDDY1
DAY 1 FIRE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1149 AM CDT FRI SEP 04 2026
VALID 041700Z - 051200Z
NO CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE ONGOING FORECAST. ELEVATED TO
LOCALLY CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TODAY ACROSS
PORTIONS OF THE NORTHERN PLAINS WHERE FUELS REMAIN RECEPTIVE. POOR
OVERNIGHT RH RECOVERIES WERE OBSERVED IN MUCH OF CENTRAL-NORTHERN
WYOMING, WHILE MODEST TO GOOD RECOVERIES OCCURRED IN THE WESTERN
DAKOTAS AND EASTERN MONTANA. 16Z SATELLITE IMAGERY DEPICTS
DISSIPATING FOG OVER WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND CLEAR SKIES BEYOND THE
POWDER RIVER BASIN, ALLOWING RH VALUES TO DECLINE AS DAYTIME HEATING
ENSUES. HIGH TEMPERATURES OF 90-100 F AND SOUTH-SOUTHWESTERLY
SUSTAINED WINDS OF 15-20 MPH AMID 10-15% RH WILL MAINTAIN AN
ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER THREAT ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON.
PLEASE SEE THE PREVIOUS DISCUSSION FOR MORE INFORMATION.
..ELIZALDE-GARCIA.. 09/04/2026
PREV DISCUSSION
/ISSUED 1255 AM CDT FRI SEP 04 2026/
..SYNOPSIS
AN UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH WILL REMAIN IN PLACE OVER THE PACIFIC
NORTHWEST TODAY, WITH UPPER-LEVEL RIDGING LOCATED ACROSS THE
SOUTHERN GREAT PLAINS. THIS WILL SUPPORT THE PERSISTENCE OF MODEST
SOUTHWESTERLY, MID-LEVEL FLOW ACROSS THE NORTHERN ROCKIES AND
NORTHERN HIGH PLAINS WHILE A SURFACE LOW MIGRATES SLOWLY EASTWARD
ACROSS CENTRAL MONTANA. THIS WILL PROMOTE ANOTHER DAY OF ELEVATED
FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE NORTHERN HIGH PLAINS
TODAY.
..PORTIONS OF THE NORTHERN ROCKIES AND NORTHERN HIGH PLAINS
ELEVATED SURFACE WINDS OF 5-10 MPH IN CONJUNCTION WITH A MODEST
STRENGTHENING OF SOUTHEASTERLY 850 MB FLOW OWING TO A DEEPENING
SURFACE LOW OVER WESTERN/CENTRAL MONTANA WILL GENERALLY LIMIT
OVERNIGHT HUMIDITY RECOVERIES INTO THIS MORNING, WITH RH OF 15-30%
NOTED ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA AS OF 0500 UTC. A VERY DRY BOUNDARY
LAYER WILL PERSIST ACROSS THE REGION TODAY, WITH MINIMUM RH VALUES
OF 10-15% LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS SOUTH-CENTRAL/SOUTHEASTERN
MONTANA, CENTRAL WYOMING, AND ADJACENT AREAS OF THE NORTHERN GREAT
PLAINS. SOUTH-SOUTHWESTERLY SURFACE WINDS OF 15-20 MPH ALIGNED WITH
LOW RH AND RECEPTIVE FUELS WILL PROMOTE ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER
CONCERNS ACROSS THIS AREA TODAY.
THE ELEVATED HIGHLIGHTS WERE EXPANDED SLIGHTLY ACROSS PORTIONS OF
CENTRAL MONTANA WITH THIS OUTLOOK BASED ON THE LATEST GUIDANCE AND
HREF WIND/RH PROBABILITIES. BRIEF PERIODS OF LOCALLY CRITICAL
CONDITIONS MAY BE POSSIBLE IN THE LEE OF THE BIG HORN MOUNTAINS
WHERE THE LATEST GUIDANCE DEPICTS THE GREATEST POTENTIAL FOR
STRONGER SUSTAINED SURFACE WINDS. HOWEVER, CONFIDENCE IN A SUSTAINED
PERIOD OF 20+ MPH WINDS IS LOW AT THIS TIME.
..GREAT BASIN
SIMILARLY DRY, SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW IS FORECAST TODAY ACROSS THE
SOUTHEASTERN PORTIONS OF THE GREAT BASIN. WHILE LOCALIZED ELEVATED
FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS MAY IMPACT LOCATIONS WHERE RECENT RAINFALL
WAS MINIMAL AND/OR WHERE POCKETS OF DRY FUELS REMAIN, GENERALLY
MARGINAL FUELS ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN NV AND SOUTHWESTERN UT SHOULD
MITIGATE A BROADER FIRE WEATHER THREAT.
..PLEASE SEE WWW.SPC.NOAA.GOV/FIRE FOR GRAPHIC PRODUCT
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
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