Fire Weather Outlook Discussion
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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...

$$