Fire Weather Outlook Discussion
Issued by NWS
Issued by NWS
477 FNUS22 KWNS 210701 FWDDY2 Day 2 Fire Weather Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 0201 AM CDT Fri Aug 21 2026 Valid 221200Z - 231200Z ...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER AREA FOR PARTS OF NORTHEAST CALIFORNIA...NORTHWEST NEVADA...AND SOUTH-CENTRAL/SOUTHEAST OREGON... ...Synopsis... A robust midlevel trough and accompanying south-southwesterly jet max will overspread the Northwest through the period -- along the northwestern periphery of an upper ridge centered on the Rockies. In the low-levels, a cold front will move eastward across parts of WA and OR during the day. ...Northern/Central Intermountain West... Beneath the midlevel jet streak, enhanced deep-layer south-southwesterly flow will overspread a dry antecedent air mass across parts of the northern and central Intermountain West. This will result in a broad area of 15-20 mph sustained west-southwesterly surface winds and 15-20 percent RH during the afternoon. Given receptive fuels across the region, elevated fire-weather conditions are expected. Over parts of northeast CA, northwest NV, and south-central/southeast OR, the overlap of 20-25 mph sustained southwesterly surface winds and around 15 percent RH will favor critical fire-weather conditions. Locally critical conditions will also be possible within the Cascade gaps, though these conditions appear too localized for an additional Critical area at this time. ...Dry Thunderstorms... Robust midlevel height falls/forcing for ascent accompanying the midlevel trough will overspread the northern Intermountain West into the northern Rockies during the day. Here, deep boundary-layer mixing beneath a midlevel moisture plume will yield sufficient buoyancy for isolated to widely scattered high-based thunderstorms regionally. While 0.7-1 inch PW will support a mix of wet and dry storms, quick storm motions and the deep/dry boundary layer should tend to limit overall rainfall. Therefore, isolated lightning-induced ignitions will be possible atop increasingly dry/receptive fuels. Additionally, the stronger storms will be capable of producing strong to severe outflow winds (especially toward the northern Rockies). For details on the severe risk, see the SPC Day 2 Convective Outlook. ..Weinman.. 08/21/2026 ...Please see www.spc.noaa.gov/fire for graphic product... $$