431
FNUS22 KWNS 221913
FWDDY2
DAY 2 FIRE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
0213 PM CDT WED APR 22 2026
VALID 231200Z - 241200Z
..CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER AREA FOR PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHERN PLAINS
..AFTERNOON UPDATE
MINOR EXPANSIONS WERE MADE TO THE ELEVATED AND CRITICAL HIGHLIGHTS
BASED ON HIGH RESOLUTION GUIDANCE. OTHERWISE, THE PREVIOUS FORECAST
REMAINS ON TRACK. OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS, THE DRYLINE IS NOT
EXPECTED TO RETREAT WEST OF THE CAPROCK OVERNIGHT DAY 1/WEDNESDAY
INTO DAY 2/THURSDAY, LIKELY PRODUCING POOR OVERNIGHT HUMIDITY
RECOVERIES FOR THE WESTERN HALF OF THE TX PANHANDLE INTO EASTERN NM.
A 700-850 MB JET WILL STRENGTHEN FROM EASTERN NM INTO THE TX
PANHANDLE THURSDAY AFTERNOON AS A SURFACE LOW DEVELOPS OVER SOUTHERN
KS AND NORTHWESTERN OK. MINIMAL CLOUD COVER SHOULD YIELD BETTER
BOUNDARY LAYER MIXING, ALLOWING FOR RH OF LESS THAN 10 PERCENT AND
SUSTAINED WESTERLY WINDS UP TO 25 MPH. LOCALLY EXTREMELY CRITICAL
CONDITIONS MAY ARISE IN GAP-FLOW REGIONS OF SOUTHEASTERN CO AND
TERRAIN-FAVORED AREAS FROM EASTERN CO INTO THE WESTERN TX PANHANDLE
WHERE 30 MPH SUSTAINED WINDS AND RH IN THE SINGLE DIGITS SUPERIMPOSE
VERY DRY FUELS.
DRY POST FRONTAL WINDS WILL TRAVERSE THE HIGH PLAINS WHERE ISODRYT
HIGHLIGHTS EXISTED ON DAY 1/WEDNESDAY. AN ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER
THREAT EXISTS WHERE ANY ONGOING WILDFIRES AND/OR HOLDOVERS FROM
LIGHTNING IGNITIONS EMERGE AS A RESULT OF A PROLONGED FIRE
ENVIRONMENT. SEE THE PREVIOUS DISCUSSION FOR MORE INFORMATION.
..ELIZALDE-GARCIA.. 04/22/2026
PREV DISCUSSION
/ISSUED 0100 AM CDT WED APR 22 2026/
..SYNOPSIS
AN UPPER TROUGH AND ASSOCIATED MID LEVEL JET WILL EJECT INTO CENTRAL
U.S. THURSDAY WHILE A SURFACE TROUGH AND COLD FRONT PUSH FARTHER
EAST INTO THE UPPER MIDWEST AND CENTRAL PLAINS. MORE SIGNIFICANT
FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS WILL BE FOCUSED ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS,
SOUTH OF AN ADVANCING COLD FRONT WHERE A CORRIDOR OF STRONG
SOUTHWEST WINDS, CRITICALLY LOW RH AND RECEPTIVE FUELS ALIGN TO
BRING CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS TO THE REGION.
..SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL PLAINS
THE PRONOUNCED 60-70 KNOT MID-LEVEL JET AT THE BASE OF AN UPPER
TROUGH ENTERING THE SOUTHWEST AND SOUTHERN PLAINS, IN ADDITION TO
CONTINUED SURFACE TROUGHING FARTHER EAST, WILL PROMOTE INTENSE
DOWNSLOPE DRYING AND STRONG WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS ACROSS MUCH OF
EASTERN NM AND NORTHWEST TX THURSDAY WHERE CRITICAL HIGHLIGHTS WERE
MAINTAINED. WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 20-25 MPH, RH NEAR OR BELOW
10% AND DRY FUELS WILL ALIGN TO BRING A CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER THREAT
TO THE REGION. FARTHER NORTH, DRY POST-FRONTAL NORTHWEST WINDS, WITH
SOME DOWNSLOPE ENHANCEMENT IN AREAS ADJACENT TO CO FRONT RANGE WILL
SUPPORT AN ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER THREAT FOR PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL
PLAINS TO INCLUDE EASTERN CO, MUCH OF NE AND WESTERN KS.
..PLEASE SEE WWW.SPC.NOAA.GOV/FIRE FOR GRAPHIC PRODUCT
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
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