Prognostics with the National Meteorological Service called Friday the “greatest concern” for dangerous weather conditions in a wide slice of southern large plains and part of the southwest and even the Midwest.
AND Storm The cylinders across the country are expected to lead to impact winds and dry air across the dried landscape of East New Mexico and Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri. Any fires that begin can spread quickly in this area.
The winds are expected to be the strongest and highest risk of fire in an area ranging from northern Texas across Central Oklahoma to Southeast Kansas and including Smidgen of Missouri. The wind speed could in the most extreme cases TOP 90 miles per hour.
“In this corridor it is possible to outbreaks fire,” said Harry Weinman, a meteorologist at the predictive center of the Meteorological Service.
The storm forecasting center warned that the conditions would be here “Extremely critical,” The rare designation that is used this month in southern plains on three other occasions. Last time it was released on WednesdayBut for a smaller area than on Friday. It is usually used only once or twice a year in the southern plains.
The agency also warned that insulated dry storms could bring an increased risk of fire to Eastern Kansas, the northeast of Oklahoma, Western Missouri and northwest Arkansas. Dry storms can generate thunder and lightning, but to produce small to no rain on the ground. Any lightning that hits the soil can easily start fire, especially when it is windy.
The National Meteorological Service independently issued fire weather watches and warning with red hair in the southwest and southern plains. (Level level of weather risk Describe how the fire can actively burn and the “extremely critical” risk corresponds to the weather that can be very difficult to contain fire.)
The wind could also kick dust and create conditions similar to the conditions that occurred in early March, when Texas, New Mexico, and parts of Mexico wrapped up with a thick curtain of dust.
“Tomorrow there will probably be a significant amount of blowing dust on the southern plains,” said Evan Bentley, a meteorologist with a prediction center Storm. “It is not known how much it will affect the visibility on the roads.”
On Thursday, Laura Kelly of Kansas pre -issued an emergency statement and urged, “Everyone all over the state to assess extreme caution and avoid burning.”
Nice grasses in the southern plains are “ready for burning”.
The increased risk of fire has appeared in the southern plains throughout the month, which is not unusual in winter when dry weather is common. The grass is also sleeping and flammable at this time of year.
“Only in April, when our grass starts from green when the risk of fire decreases,” Bentley said. “Grass is basically like dry wood, ready to burn, right now.”
While some parts of the region, including Central Oklahoma and Texas Panhandle, have been given rain in the last seven days, grass and bushes have probably already dried up in these areas.
Firefighters from Texas A&M Forest Service reacted 75 fires Since the beginning of the month compared to 21 in the same time frame last year. Mr. Bentley said he was “unusually active” this year with a fiery weather.
It is expected that the weather conditions of the fire will continue over the weekend and next week, but on Friday they will be particularly high due to the storm between countries.
A system that pushed away California with rain and snow and created tornado At the beginning of this week, he moved east to the central high plains on Friday morning and drove strong winds to the southern plains. Permanent winds 35 to 45 m.ph. It is expected that on Friday it will be common throughout the region, with insulated impacts up to 70 mph and up to 90 km / hv most extreme cases.
Mr. Bentley said it was unusual, that the region would be hit by such strong winds when there were no storms and the sky was clear.
“It’s the top of the scale of what you can get for the winds,” he said.
The threat of fire will remain on Saturday and is expected to be the most serious in the southern and southwestern Texas, the state of the state that is VA drought. The conditions could be slightly improved on Sunday before the threat returns to the southern plain on Monday and Tuesday with increased wind.
“It’s a season,” said Mr. Bentley. “It is expected to remain active in the foreseeable future across the southern plains.”
Mitch Smith The report contributed.
