899
FNUS21 KWNS 180616
FWDDY1
DAY 1 FIRE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
0116 AM CDT WED MAR 18 2026
VALID 181200Z - 191200Z
...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER AREA FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEASTERN
WYOMING...EXTREME WESTERN NEBRASKA...AND EXTREME NORTHERN
COLORADO...
..SYNOPSIS
A NORTHWESTERLY UPPER-LEVEL FLOW REGIME WILL BECOME ESTABLISHED OVER
THE NORTHERN ROCKIES AND CENTRAL CONUS TODAY DOWNSTREAM OF AN
ANOMALOUSLY STRONG UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE CENTERED OVER THE SOUTHWEST.
THIS SETUP WILL FAVOR STRONG DOWNSLOPE FLOW IN THE LEE OF THE
CENTRAL ROCKIES, WITH WESTERLY TO NORTHWESTERLY SURFACE WINDS AND
VERY LOW RH VALUES SUPPORTING ELEVATED TO CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS.
..PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS
NORTHWESTERLY UPPER-LEVEL FLOW WILL STRENGTHEN ACROSS THE NORTHERN
ROCKIES AND CENTRAL CONUS TODAY DOWNSTREAM OF AN ANOMALOUSLY STRONG
UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE CENTERED OVER THE SOUTHWEST. WITH STRONGER
MID-LEVEL FLOW DISPLACED TOWARD THE NORTHERN ROCKIES, SURFACE LEE
TROUGHING WILL BECOME MOST PRONOUNCED ACROSS CENTRAL MONTANA TO
EASTERN WYOMING THIS MORNING INTO THIS AFTERNOON. WHEN COUPLED WITH
SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE ESTABLISHED ACROSS THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST,
THIS WILL SUPPORT STRONG DOWNSLOPE FLOW IN THE LEE OF THE CENTRAL
ROCKIES, WITH FORECAST GUIDANCE INDICATING SUSTAINED WESTERLY TO
NORTHWESTERLY SURFACE WINDS OF 20-25 MPH OVERLAPPING VERY LOW RH OF
10-15%. WITH ANTECEDENT DROUGHT CONDITIONS AND PRECEDING DRY/WINDY
CONDITIONS MAINTAINING DRY FUELS AND HELPING CURE FINE FUELS IN
AREAS THAT RECENTLY RECEIVED PRECIPITATION, THIS WILL SUPPORT
CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHEASTERN
WYOMING, THE WESTERN NEBRASKA PANHANDLE, AND EXTREME NORTHERN
COLORADO. THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE FORECAST NEAR AND EAST OF THE
LEEWARD SLOPES OF THE LARAMIE RANGE, WHERE DEEP BOUNDARY LAYER
MIXING COUPLED WITH STRONG MID-LEVEL FLOW WILL ALSO SUPPORT THE
POTENTIAL FOR WIND GUSTS OF 30-35 MPH. LATEST HIGH RESOLUTION
GUIDANCE ALSO INDICATES SLIGHTLY ENHANCED POTENTIAL FOR CRITICAL
CONDITIONS WITHIN THE NORTH PLATTE RIVER VALLEY FROM EASTERN WYOMING
INTO WESTERN NEBRASKA WHERE TOPOGRAPHICAL INFLUENCES MAY LOCALLY
ENHANCE DOWNSLOPING EFFECTS.
ELSEWHERE ACROSS THE CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS, WESTERLY TO NORTHWESTERLY
DOWNSLOPE WINDS OF 15-25 MPH WILL OVERLAP REDUCED RH VALUES OF
15-25% TO SUPPORT ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ACROSS MUCH OF
EASTERN WYOMING, EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA, THE NEBRASKA
PANHANDLE, NORTHEASTERN COLORADO, AND EXTREME NORTHWESTERN KANSAS.
MARGINAL FUEL RECEPTIVENESS IS EXPECTED TO LIMIT WIDESPREAD ELEVATED
FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS FOR AREAS FARTHER NORTH AND WEST AT THIS TIME.
..CHALMERS.. 03/18/2026
..PLEASE SEE WWW.SPC.NOAA.GOV/FIRE FOR GRAPHIC PRODUCT
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page