Wildfire Season 2014: Weather Conditions Could Lead to More Wildfires, Weather Reports Say
Wildfire season is upon the United States as we roll into Spring and weather experts warn that this week especially will create conditions conducive to a high wildfire danger in certain parts of the country.
According to a report from AccuWeather.com, gusty winds, low humidity and dry conditions will combine throughout the week and bring on a notably high threat for wildfires to ignite across the southern Plains and parts of the Southwest.
"'The fire danger is especially high in the southern Plains, where extreme heat and low humidity over the past couple of days are creating increasingly dry fuels," said AccuWeather meteorologist Michael Doll.
According to Doll, afternoon temperatures in the southern Plains through the middle of the week will likely "smash records."
Many parts of this endangered area of the country did break records, temperature-wise on Tuesday. In Medicine Lodge, Kansas, for example, today's 103 degree high went well above and beyond the previous record high of 95 degrees that was set in 1986. Other spots in the state that broke previous records include Dodge City and Garden City.
AccuWeather is forecasting "record-challenging" heat on Wednesday as well. Most southern Plains areas will see temperatures ranging through the 90's and many cities are poised to break even more records.
In Kansas City the expected high for Wednesday of 94 degrees will break the previous 92 degree record high. To the southwest of that area, residents in Wichita will be subject to a sweltering 98 degree anticipated high that would beat out the existing record of 93 degrees. Moving even further south into Oklahoma, Wednesday's forecasted 96 degree high is another example of beating the city's previous record high of 93 degrees.
"Low humidity and wind gusts of 30 to 40 miles per hour will help contribute to the high fire danger [in these areas]," Doll said.
Last week a wildfire in Oklahoma burned through thousands of acres of land in just hours and caused one man's death in the town of Guthrie, according to a leading report on the incident.
The Oklahoma Forestry Service told reporters that as a result of that fire and of the current high wildfire threat, the Governor of Oklahoma has declared a burn ban in 36 counties across the state. Additionally, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service, 87 counties across that state have also put burn bans into place.
Much of the southern Plains and parts of the Southwest are experiencing increasing drought conditions, with some areas receiving less than 25 percent of their normal rainfall since March. Throughout most of southern Arizona, many cities have received less than five percent of the normal rainfall over the past few months.
Thunderstorms and showers are forecast for later in the week in both the southern Plains and the Southwest. In the southern Plains the expected rainfall will certainly be beneficial but will not be enough to have any sort of substantial impact on the worsening drought.
Although temperatures in the Southwest, including Arizona and New Mexico, are not expected to be record-breaking this week, a few intense thunderstorms are expected to impact the four corners on Wednesday. These storms will bring with them cloud-to-ground lightning and very little rain, elements that will prime the area for the possibility of wildfires.
"A single lightning strike can ignite a fire, and gusty winds and dry conditions can help flames spread quickly," Doll said.