140
FNUS22 KWNS 171901
FWDDY2
DAY 2 FIRE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
0200 PM CDT FRI APR 17 2026
VALID 181200Z - 191200Z
...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER AREA FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL
NEBRASKA...
...SOUTHERN/CENTRAL PLAINS
A CRITICAL AREA WAS ADDED FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN/CENTRAL NEBRASKA
AS WEST-NORTHWEST SUSTAINED WINDS OF 20-25 MPH AMID MINIMUM RH OF
15-20% ARE EXPECTED. THE CRITICAL AREA MAY NEED TO BE EXPANDED IN
NEBRASKA IF ENSEMBLE HIGH-RESOLUTION FORECAST GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO
TREND TOWARDS HIGHER PROBABILITIES FOR CRITICAL RH. THE ELEVATED
AREA WAS EXPANDED ACROSS NEBRASKA, CENTRAL KANSAS, SOUTHERN SOUTH
DAKOTA, EASTERN COLORADO, WESTERN OKLAHOMA, AND WEST TEXAS AMID DRY
AND BREEZY POST-FRONTAL CONDITIONS, WITH RECENT/FORECAST
PRECIPITATION HELPING TO DELINEATE THE EXPANSION OF THE ELEVATED
AREA.
..SOUTHEAST/MID-ATLANTIC
THE ELEVATED AREA IN THE SOUTHEAST AND MID-ATLANTIC WAS ALSO
EXPANDED SLIGHTLY, WITH PRE-FRONTAL ELEVATED WINDS/RH APPEARING MORE
LIKELY ALONG/EAST OF THE APPALACHIANS IN PORTIONS OF VIRGINIA, WEST
VIRGINIA, MARYLAND, AND PENNSYLVANIA. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED
ALONG/AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING COLD FRONT IN THE SOUTHERN/CENTRAL
APPALACHIANS TOMORROW LATE AFTERNOON INTO TOMORROW NIGHT. WHILE NOT
A CONDUCIVE OR TYPICAL DRY THUNDERSTORM ENVIRONMENT, THE EXPECTED
LIGHTNING WITH 50%+ PROBABILITY OF RECEIVING LESS THAN 0.25" OF
RAINFALL ON EASTERN SLOPES OF THE APPALACHIANS ONTO THE PIEDMONT
PLATEAU COULD RESULT IN IGNITIONS. GIVEN THE FOLLOWING DRY AND
BREEZY POST-FRONTAL CONDITIONS ON DAY 3/SUNDAY - DAY 4/MONDAY, THERE
IS CONCERN FOR INCREASED SPREAD POTENTIAL OF ANY EXISTING AND NEW
IGNITIONS.
..NAUSLAR.. 04/17/2026
PREV DISCUSSION
/ISSUED 0108 AM CDT FRI APR 17 2026/
..SYNOPSIS
AN AMPLIFIED UPPER TROUGH WILL MOVE TOWARDS THE UPPER GREAT LAKES
AND OHIO VALLEY AS TEMPORARY UPPER RIDGING BUILDS OVER THE WEST.
ENHANCED SOUTHWEST WINDS AHEAD OF AN EASTWARD PROGRESSING COLD FRONT
WILL POSE AN ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER THREAT ACROSS PARTS OF THE
SOUTHEAST AND MID-ATLANTIC. IN THE WAKE OF THE AFOREMENTIONED UPPER
TROUGH, A POST-FRONTAL DRY AIRMASS AND NORTHERLY FLOW WILL PROMOTE
ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL
PLAINS.
..CENTRAL PLAINS
WITHIN A POST-FRONTAL ENVIRONMENT, NORTHWESTERLY WINDS OF 15-20 MPH
AND RH OF 15-25 PERCENT OVER DRY FUELS WILL POSE AN ELEVATED FIRE
WEATHER THREAT FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL NE, EASTERN CO, AND WESTERN
KS ON SATURDAY. HOWEVER, THE AREAL EXTENT OF FIRE WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS
MAY CHANGE AS FORECAST PRECIPITATION (AND PERHAPS SOME SNOWFALL) ON
DAY 1/FRIDAY MAY PROVIDE SOME RELIEF TO FUEL CONDITIONS.
..SOUTHEAST AND MID-ATLANTIC
INCREASING SOUTHWEST FLOW AHEAD OF AN ADVANCING COLD FRONT COUPLED
WITH THE LACK OF GULF MOISTURE RETURN AND RESULTANT LOW RH ARE
EXPECTED TO PROMOTE AN ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER THREAT ACROSS MUCH OF
THE SOUTHEAST INTO THE MID-ATLANTIC. AT PEAK HEATING, WIDESPREAD RH
OF LESS THAN 30 PERCENT WILL COMBINE WITH SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS OF
10-15 MPH ATOP RECEPTIVE FUELS. A PROLONGED PERIOD OF ABOVE NORMAL
TEMPERATURES AND LACK OF APPRECIABLE RAINFALL CONTINUES TO
EXACERBATE FUEL CONDITIONS ACROSS THIS REGION.
..PLEASE SEE WWW.SPC.NOAA.GOV/FIRE FOR GRAPHIC PRODUCT
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page