According to Texas Forest Service’s Dispatch Tracker, the weekend produced multiple red flag warnings and 20 new fires totalling over 1,700 burned acres in the State of Texas. Despite the weekend’s elevated fire weather conditions and activity, Texas’ wildfire potential remains normal to below normal into early summer.
February’s Significant Wildfire Potential
WILDFIRE POTENTIAL OUTLOOK FOR TEXAS
Normal significant wildland fire potential and some areas of Below Normal significant wildland fire potential are expected for the state through May.
Weather & Fuels:
In January, the Plains states, from Texas to North Dakota, were very dry with generally less than 50 percent of normal precipitation for the month. But El Nino conditions and the expected jet stream path are forecast to bring above average precipitation and below average temperatures to most of the state into early summer. As a result, fuel moistures are projecting to remain above critical levels except for a few seasonably typical periods of low humidity, winds, and warm temperatures creating brief elevation of initial attack potential. All indications from Predictive Services (NIFC) point to these brief periods of elevated potential as the dominant concern for significant fire activity for the area in the coming months.
Source: NIFC Predictive Services (Outlook PDF)
