945
FNUS21 KWNS 251613
FWDDY1
DAY 1 FIRE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1013 AM CST WED FEB 25 2026
VALID 251700Z - 261200Z
...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER AREA FOR PORTIONS OF EAST-CENTRAL AND
SOUTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO INTO FAR WESTERN TEXAS...
..MORNING UPDATE
NO CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE PREVIOUS FORECAST. AMPLE HIGH CLOUD
COVER IS VISIBLE ON SATELLITE IMAGERY ACROSS EASTERN NM AND WEST TX,
LIKELY TO PERSIST THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. WESTERLY WIND GUSTS OF
25-35 MPH HAVE ALREADY BEEN OBSERVED THIS MORNING IN SOUTHEASTERN NM
WITH RH VALUES HOVERING AT AND BELOW 20%. INCREASING SUSTAINED
DOWNSLOPE WINDS OF 20-30 MPH AND RH BELOW 20% ATOP A DRY FUELSCAPE
WILL SUPPORT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON FOR
THIS AREA. IN THE CO FRONT RANGE, CROSS-TERRAIN SURFACE PRESSURE
GRADIENTS BENEATH AN INCOMING 40-60 KT 700 MB JET WILL SUPPORT GUSTY
DOWNSLOPE WINDS THROUGH THE CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS. IN
CENTRAL-SOUTHEASTERN CO, RH OF 20-25% WILL BE SLIGHTLY DISPLACED
FROM THE STRONGEST SUSTAINED SURFACE WINDS TO THE NORTH, THOUGH
LOCAL TERRAIN-DRIVEN WIND TUNNELING MAY GENERATE ISOLATED AREAS OF
HIGHER WINDS, SO LOCALLY CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS MAY BE
POSSIBLE GIVEN RECEPTIVE FUELS. SEE THE PREVIOUS DISCUSSION FOR MORE
INFORMATION.
..ELIZALDE-GARCIA/THORNTON.. 02/25/2026
PREV DISCUSSION
/ISSUED 0135 AM CST WED FEB 25 2026/
..SYNOPSIS
..CENTRAL/SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS
MODERATELY STRONG NORTHWESTERLY MID-LEVEL FLOW WILL PERSIST ACROSS
THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN ROCKIES TODAY WITH LEE TROUGHING IN PLACE
ACROSS MUCH OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS. THE CROSS
TERRAIN SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL SUPPORT DRY, DOWNSLOPE WINDS
OF 20-30 MPH ACROSS PORTIONS OF EAST-CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST NEW
MEXICO THIS AFTERNOON. A PLUME OF MID-LEVEL MOISTURE WILL NOSE INTO
THE AREA THROUGH THE DAY, FOSTERING SOME HIGH-LEVEL CLOUD COVER AND
A MODEST INCREASE IN SURFACE DEWPOINTS. GIVEN THIS, GUIDANCE IS NOT
OVERLY CONFIDENT IN RH DROPPING BELOW 15% FOR MORE THAN A BRIEF
PERIOD. HOWEVER, THE INCREASED WINDS OVERLAPPING A DRY FUELSCAPE
WILL STILL SUPPORT A PERIOD OF CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
DURING THE AFTERNOON.
RH VALUES OF AROUND 20% WITH SURFACE WINDS OF 15-20 MPH ARE EXPECTED
ELSEWHERE ACROSS THE CENTRAL/SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS, BUT LOCALLY
HIGHER WINDS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN TERRAIN-FAVORED LOCATIONS.
..EDWARDS PLATEAU INTO SOUTH-CENTRAL TEXAS
A MODEST SURFACE LOW WILL GRADUALLY PROGRESS SOUTHEASTWARD ACROSS
PORTIONS OF CENTRAL TEXAS TODAY. WINDS OF 15-20 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE
TO THE SOUTH AND WEST OF THIS FEATURE. COUPLED WITH EXPECTED RH
VALUES OF 15-20%, THIS WILL SUPPORT ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
THIS AFTERNOON.
...NORTHEASTERN COLORADO INTO SOUTHWESTERN NEBRASKA AND NORTHWESTERN
KANSAS...
STRONG NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ACROSS THE CENTRAL ROCKIES WILL ALIGN WITH
A FAVORABLE CROSS-TERRAIN SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT TO SUPPORT A
STRONG DOWNSLOPE WIND EVENT ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL HIGH
PLAINS. SUSTAINED SURFACE WINDS OF 20-30 MPH ARE EXPECTED ALONG WITH
THE POTENTIAL FOR GUSTS UP TO 45-55 MPH. WHILE RH VALUES ARE
FORECAST TO REMAIN MARGINAL (20-25%), THE STRONG DOWNSLOPE WINDS
WILL OVERLAP WITH RECEPTIVE FUELS TO SUPPORT ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER
CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON.
LOCALLY ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE FARTHER NORTH
INTO PORTIONS OF SOUTHEASTERN WYOMING AND THE NEBRASKA PANHANDLE;
HOWEVER, SUCH CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE BRIEF GIVEN ANTICIPATED
RH INCREASES BEHIND AN ADVANCING SURFACE COLD FRONT.
..PLEASE SEE WWW.SPC.NOAA.GOV/FIRE FOR GRAPHIC PRODUCT
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
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