Red Flag Warnings and Fire Weather Watches for enhanced wildfire danger have been issued by the National Weather Service for areas in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and California.
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The Red Flag Warning map above was current as of 9:45 a.m. MT on Wednesday. Red Flag Warnings can change throughout the day as the National Weather Service offices around the country update and revise their forecasts. For the most current data, visit this NWS site.
Red Flag Warnings and Fire Weather Watches for enhanced wildfire danger have been issued by the National Weather Service for areas in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and California.
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The Red Flag Warning map above was current as of 1:09 p.m. MT on Tuesday. Red Flag Warnings can change throughout the day as the National Weather Service offices around the country update and revise their forecasts. For the most current data, visit this NWS site.
The External Affairs section at the National Interagency Fire Center has apparently chosen children as their target audience for this “2013 Preseason PIO Podcast” about the upcoming fire season.
It is not clear who should receive the, uh, blame credit, for this innovation, but Ed Delgado, the Fire Weather Program Manager, narrates this two-minute video.
Red Flag Warnings for enhanced wildfire danger have been issued by the National Weather Service for areas in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Montana.
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The Red Flag Warning map above was current as of 9:45 a.m. MT on Monday. Red Flag Warnings can change throughout the day as the National Weather Service offices around the country update and revise their forecasts. For the most current data, visit this NWS site.
The recent cooler than normal weather and very heavy snow has led to a slower start of the wildfire season in Colorado and the Black Hills of South Dakota. By this time last year we had written about two significant timber fires in these areas, the 4,140-acre Lower North Fork Fire southwest of Denver that killed three residents in their homes on March 26 and the Apple Fire south of Custer, South Dakota that burned 500 acres on March 28.
The primary reason for fewer large timber fires is the weather, of course. Boulder, Colordo had twice the average amount of snow in March, with 22 inches. April brought record-setting snow to parts of Colorado and the Black Hills. Boulder experienced not only the snowiest April on record, about 50 inches, but it was the snowiest of any month in history there. In Rapid City, South Dakota a new record was also established for the most snow ever recorded in the month of April with 43 inches, crushing the previous record of 31 inches.
The snowpack map below was current as of April 1 and does not include the heavy snow this month.
Compare this year’s map above, with the map for last year below:
And then there is the drought to consider.
As we have often stated, precipitation and temperature in the winter and early spring are not the only factors that influence the severity of the wildfire season in mid-summer and fall. Sure, a wet, cool Spring can delay the occurrence of late Spring and early Summer fires, but by mid-Summer the most important variable is the recent weather at that time. If it is hot, dry, and windy, you can have a busy fire season even following a wet winter. Predictions in April of how active the July through November fire season will be should be taken with a grain of salt. They are about as accurate as flipping a coin.
Red Flag Warnings for enhanced wildfire danger have been issued by the National Weather Service for areas in California and Texas.
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The Red Flag Warning map above was current as of 10:57 a.m. MT on Thursday. Red Flag Warnings can change throughout the day as the National Weather Service offices around the country update and revise their forecasts. For the most current data, visit this NWS site.
Red Flag Warnings for enhanced wildfire danger have been issued by the National Weather Service for areas in California, Texas, New Mexico, Nevada, and Arizona.
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The Red Flag Warning map above was current as of 9:05 a.m. MT on Wednesday. Red Flag Warnings can change throughout the day as the National Weather Service offices around the country update and revise their forecasts. For the most current data, visit this NWS site.
This interesting graphic was distributed on Monday by the Albuquerque office of the National Weather Service, via Twitter:
Graphic:”Critical Fire Weather” days each year since 2000. We average about 25 critical days. #NWSABQwwb ow.ly/i/1TMA1
— NWS Albuquerque (@NWSAlbuquerque) April 15, 2013
And speaking of New Mexico fire weather, the entire state is under a Red Flag Warning for Tuesday, April 16, 2013, along with portions of Colorado, Arizona and Texas.
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The Red Flag Warning map above was current as of 9:18 a.m. MT on Tuesday. Red Flag Warnings can change throughout the day as the National Weather Service offices around the country update and revise their forecasts. For the most current data, visit this NWS site.
Red Flag Warnings for enhanced wildfire danger have been issued by the National Weather Service for areas in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.
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The Red Flag Warning map above was current as of 8:50 a.m. MT on Sunday. Red Flag Warnings can change throughout the day as the National Weather Service offices around the country update and revise their forecasts. For the most current data, visit this NWS site.
200 fires near Mayo, Ireland
Firefighters have responded to approximately 200 wildfires near Mayo in Ireland in the last ten days. The worst of the gorse fires in recent days have been at Shanwar, Foxford; Killawalla, Westport; and Treanagleragh, Kiltimagh.
Distress flare causes wildfire
Some rocket scientists boaters in Virginia have been charged with misdemeanors after they started a wildfire by discharging a flare distress signal from a boat on Smith Mountain Lake. The fire burned about a quarter-acre and one round hay bale. There was no emergency that precipitated the discharge of the flare. Someone witnessed the incident and called 9-1-1. The Smith Mountain Lake Marine Volunteer Fire & Rescue responded and quickly extinguished the fire.
Wildfire across from Indiana Fire Department
Two rocket scientists males, in an effort to burn the insulation off (probably stolen) copper wire across from the Porter Fire Department in Indiana at 2 a.m. Friday morning, accidentally allowed the fire to escape, igniting nearby vegetation. The Fire Department responded and put out the fire. One of the males escaped, while the other was transported to the Porter County Jail.
A wildfire followed by winter storm in Colorado
Yesterday Wildfire Today told you about the Red Flag Warning and Winter Storm Warning for Colorado, both happening on the same day. One of the areas not covered by the Red Flag Warning, Sterling County in the northeast corner of the state, had a 2,600-acre wildfire yesterday. Firefighters were no doubt thankful for the snow storm that followed a few hours later. Here is the forecast for Sterling today:
Snow with widespread blowing snow. High near 20. Wind chill values as low as -10. Windy, with a north wind 26 to 28 mph, with gusts as high as 43 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.
Wildfire leaders in the Black Hills discuss the coming fire season
KEVN TV in Rapid City interviewed two wildfire honchos in the Black Hills of South Dakota, asking them about the outlook for this fire season. KEVN’s video and article are HERE, but below are some excerpts:
Jay Esperance, Director of South Dakota Division of Wildland Fire:
It’s looking like it will be at least an above average fire season. The southern Black Hills I’m really worried about.
Todd Pechota, Fire Management Officer for the Black Hills National Forest:
From all indications that we are hearing from fire weather forecasters, we’re preparing as if we are going to have another very active fire season in 2013.
If the current drought continues and if the weather this summer is hot and dry, it could be a busy fire season in portions of the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains. Below is the Drought Monitor for ND, SD, NE, KS, WY, and CO.
