The Predictive Services section at the National Interagency Fire Center has issued their Wildland Fire Potential Outlook for February through May. The data represents the cumulative forecasts of the eleven Geographic Area Predictive Services Units and the National Predictive Services Unit.
If their predictions are accurate, the midwest should experience higher than normal wildfire activity from March through May, while most of the southeast should be slower than normal through May.
Here are the highlights from their outlook.
February
- Above normal significant wildland fire potential exists across much of the Hawaiian Islands.
- Below normal significant wildland fire potential is expected for the Southeast from Texas to the mid-Atlantic.
- Normal significant wildland fire potential elsewhere.
March
- Above normal significant wildland fire potential will develop across the Mississippi Valley.
- Above normal significant wildland fire potential will continue across much of Hawaii.
Below normal significant wildland fire potential will along the coastal plain of the Southeast. - Normal significant wildland fire potential elsewhere.
April through May
- Above normal significant wildland fire potential will continue across the Mississippi Valley and expand eastward to the Great Lakes and Ohio and Tennessee Valley states.
- Above normal significant wildland fire potential will continue across much of Hawaii.
- Below normal significant wildland fire potential will continue for the central Texas and the MidAtlantic and Southeast coasts.
As a bonus, here is NOAA’s monthly drought outlook.
And, the Drought Monitor for the 48 contiguous states:
