Storm Prediction Center Day 1 Fire Weather Outlook
Created: Fri Mar 8 09:28:03 UTC 2013
Click for Day 1 FireWX Areal Outline Product
ZCZC SPCFWDDY1 ALL FNUS21 KWNS 080927 DAY 1 FIRE WEATHER OUTLOOK NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 0327 AM CST FRI MAR 08 2013 VALID 081200Z - 091200Z ...SYNOPSIS... IN THE MID LEVELS...A DEEP CYCLONE WILL TRACK EWD FROM THE PACIFIC WATERS OFF THE SRN CA COAST TO NRN NM WITHIN THE BASE OF A BROAD AREA OF CYCLONIC FLOW OVER THE WRN STATES. THE LEADING EDGE OF A STRONG MID-LEVEL JET CORE WILL ADVANCE EWD/ENEWD FROM THE SWRN STATES TO THE CNTRL/SRN PLAINS IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE CYCLONE TRACK. AT THE SFC...A LOW WILL DEEPEN OVER SERN CO...WITH A N/S-ORIENTED DRYLINE BECOMING BETTER DEFINED FROM FAR SWRN KS TO SWRN TX. MEANWHILE...A SFC LOW AND ATTENDANT PACIFIC FRONT ACCOMPANYING THE DEEP MID-LEVEL CYCLONE WILL TRACK EWD FROM THE SWRN STATES TO PARTS OF THE CNTRL/SRN HIGH PLAINS...EVENTUALLY OVERTAKING THE DRYLINE BY LATE IN THE PERIOD. ...ERN NM...FAR W TX...WRN OK PANHANDLE...SERN CO... TO THE W OF THE AFOREMENTIONED DRYLINE...THE COMBINATION OF STRENGTHENING MID-LEVEL FLOW AMID DIURNALLY DEEPENING MIXED LAYERS AND A TIGHTENING SFC PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL SUPPORT SSWLY TO SWLY WINDS OF 20-25 MPH WITH GUSTS REACHING 30-40 MPH. THE COMBINED EFFECTS OF DIURNAL HEATING AND DOWNSLOPE EFFECTS WILL SUPPORT RH VALUES FALLING INTO THE LOWER TO MIDDLE 20S -- PERHAPS INTO THE MIDDLE AND UPPER TEENS ON A LOCALIZED/SHORT-DURATION BASIS. THESE FACTORS WILL LIKELY GENERATE ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS...ESPECIALLY ACROSS AREAS OF FAR W TX IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THE TX/NM BORDER INTO MUCH OF THE TX TRANS-PECOS REGION...NWD INTO THE FAR WRN OK PANHANDLE AND FAR SERN CO...AND WWD ACROSS ERN NM. HOWEVER...THE ANTICIPATED INFLUX OF MID-LEVEL MOISTURE IS EXPECTED TO MITIGATE MORE SUBSTANTIAL DRYING OF THE BOUNDARY LAYER. FURTHERMORE...MID/HIGH-LEVEL CLOUD COVERAGE MAY RESTRICT THE DEGREE OF DIURNAL WARMING...WHICH WILL AID IN PREVENTING RH VALUES FROM BECOMING EVEN LOWER. ACCORDINGLY...CRITICALLY LOW RH VALUES ARE NOT CURRENTLY EXPECTED TO OCCUR ON ANY MORE THAN A BRIEF/SPOTTY BASIS...PRECLUDING THE INTRODUCTION OF A CRITICAL AREA AT THIS TIME. FURTHERMORE...THE OCCURRENCE OF ABOVE-NORMAL PRECIPITATION DURING THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS ACROSS PORTIONS OF NERN NM AND THE TX PANHANDLE SHOULD LOCALLY MITIGATE THE FIRE WEATHER THREAT THERE TO SOME EXTENT. TO THE E OF THE DRYLINE...THE RETURN OF GULF MOISTURE WILL PREVENT RH VALUES FROM BECOMING CRITICALLY LOW. ...CNTRL/NRN FL PENINSULA AND THE FL PANHANDLE... DEEP DRY AIR IS IN PLACE OVER THE AREA...WITH GPS DATA INDICATING PW VALUES OF AROUND 0.3-0.4 INCH. AS THIS DRY AIR MASS CONTINUES TO RESIDE OVER THE REGION...AND DIURNAL HEATING SUPPORTS STRENGTHENING VERTICAL MIXING...MINIMUM RH VALUES FROM THE UPPER 20S TO THE MIDDLE 30S ARE EXPECTED. HOWEVER...THE ABSENCE OF A TIGHTER SFC PRESSURE GRADIENT IS EXPECTED TO KEEP SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS BELOW 10 MPH. ACCORDINGLY...FIRE WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS HAVE NOT BEEN INCLUDED. ..COHEN.. 03/08/2013 ...PLEASE SEE WWW.SPC.NOAA.GOV/FIRE FOR GRAPHIC PRODUCT...