Winter Storm Weakens Over Western US, Wildfire Threat from Critical Fire Weather Continue Across High Plains [NWS]

Weather forecast in the United States shows that the winter storm hovering above the Western US and bringing snow, and high winds has weakened. However, the wildfire threat from critical fire weather conditions across the High Plains continues, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). For more than a week, wildfires have raged in different parts of Texas, where mandatory evacuation orders have been issued by local authorities.

The US is officially entering its meteorological spring season later in March, a time when warmer temperatures replace the chill winds of the winter season. However, severe thunderstorms and isolated tornadoes are common during the upcoming period. Over the past month, the country has still recorded the occurrence of winter storms and other winter weather-related events nationwide, including in the Northeast US.

US Weather Forecast

The American West is experiencing the waning of snow and high winds along the Sierra Nevada and the Intermountain West regions, according to the NWS' Weather Prediction Center (WPC). It can ben recalled in the past several weeks that some parts of California were flooded due to storms powered by atmospheric rivers. As the winter system weakens, the latest NWS US weather forecast highlights the danger posed by wildfires in the High Plains.

In its short-range forecast, the WPC at 3:12 a.m. EST (local time) on Monday, March 4, also reported a severe weather threat in the Central US and a chance for localized heavy rainfall event in the central Gulf Coast. The US weather agency highlights an increasing chance for showers and thunderstorms ahead of a moving cold front through the Midwest, Mississippi Valley, and Southern Plains on Monday.

Wildfire Threat

The weather service also mentioned that the Ohio Valley and Southeast US will be affected by the stormy weather system by Tuesday, March 5. While spring-like temperatures have been reported in the Central and Eastern US, the wildfire threat remains elevated for the southern High Plains as of Monday, according to the NWS.

In recent hours, local reports show that wildfire threats across the Texas Panhandle have already burnt almost 1.3 million acres in a matter of one week, killing at least two people. Dubbed as one of the "largest wildfires in Texas" on record, the Smokehouse Creek fire alone has engulfed nearly 1.1 million acres. According to recent reports, firefighters have contained the flames of Smokehouse Creek fire by only a portion as of Sunday afternoon, March 3.

According to the Storm Prediction Center (SPC), fire weather such as dry conditions accompanied by gusty winds will keep the wildfire threat elevated along parts of the southern High Plains, as cited by the NWS. The Smokehouse Creek fire affects areas in northeastern Texas and western Oklahoma. The giant wildfire started on Monday, February 26, and is yet to be contained by local authorities as of Monday afternoon.