Fire Weather Outlook Discussion
Issued by NWS
Issued by NWS
819 FNUS22 KWNS 171945 FWDDY2 Day 2 Fire Weather Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 0245 PM CDT Fri Jul 17 2026 Valid 181200Z - 191200Z ...Southeastern Wyoming... Elevated highlights have been added to portions of southeastern WY for Saturday. A large scale upper ridge over the central U.S. and Intermountain West will promote unseasonably warm temperatures and dry surface conditions to portions of the central and northern Plains. A surface low developing in southwestern WY will aid in stronger easterly low-level flow of 10-15 mph across eastern WY. These winds along with minimum RH of 15-20% will support elevated fire weather conditions over exceptionally dry fuels (ERC values around the 95-98th percentile) Saturday afternoon. ...Columbia Basin, Idaho Panhandle, interior Oregon and adjacent areas of California and Nevada... Stronger mid-level southwest flow will linger over the Pacific Northwest as an upper trough moves northeastward into British Columbia. Dry, downslope flow in the lee of the Cascades and northern Sierra Nevada will support RH of 15-20 percent by mid-afternoon Saturday. These dry conditions along with receptive fuels will support an elevated fire weather concern for the region with impacts to active wildfires in the Pacific Northwest expected. Latest model guidance suggests stronger surface winds across the ID Panhandle Saturday under the 50-55 knot mid-level jet. This should promote sustained winds of around 15 mph (locally higher favorable terrain gaps) across the ID Panhandle Saturday. Due to potential for impact from lightning ignitions from Day 1/Friday, extended elevated highlights into ID Panhandle to cover this fire weather threat. ..Williams.. 07/17/2026 .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 0150 AM CDT Fri Jul 17 2026/ ...Synopsis... Between a midlevel trough moving across BC and an expansive large-scale ridge over the central/western CONUS, enhanced deep-layer south-southwesterly flow will overspread a deep/dry boundary layer (around 10-15 percent RH) in the lee of the northern Sierra and Cascades. These dry conditions combined with around 15 mph sustained west-southwesterly surface winds will favor elevated fire-weather conditions during the afternoon, given dry/receptive fuels. ...Please see www.spc.noaa.gov/fire for graphic product... $$