The Predictive Services section at the National Interagency Fire Center has issued their Wildland Fire Potential Outlook for May through August. 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, portions of California, and later in the period Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, will have higher potential for wildfires.
Here are the highlights from their outlook.
May
- Above normal wildland fire potential will develop across portions of California and will continue for most of Hawaii.
- Above normal wildland fire potential will persist across southern Alaska.
- Wildland fire potential across the north central portion of the U.S. will return to normal in May.
- Below normal wildland fire potential will develop from New Mexico and Colorado through Georgia delaying fire season onset in these areas.
June
- Above normal wildland fire potential will expand across California, into southwestern Arizona, and the Pacific Northwest as fire season develops in earnest.
- Wildland fire potential in Alaska will return to normal.
- Portions of the southeastern U.S. will continue to see below normal wildland fire potential.
July and August
- Above normal wildland fire potential will persist across the Pacific Coast states and expand into the northern Great Basin and northern Rocky Mountains during the summer months.
- Monsoonal moisture will likely develop during this period returning southwestern Arizona to normal wildland fire potential.
And as a bonus, here is the Drought Monitor, released April 30, 2015:
The U.S. Monthly Drought Outlook
