Heat and Fire Weather Concerns in the West

Heat will build over the Intermountain West and the Southwest the next couple of days. Lightning from dry thunderstorms can create new fire starts and combined with gusty winds may cause a fire to rapidly grow in Oregon and northern California. Elevated fire weather conditions are also expected in the Great Basin. Flash flooding will be possible in Arizona and west Texas, especially in burn scars. Read More >

Fall 2021 featured warmer than average temperatures and varying amounts of precipitation across the region. Precipitation was below average in northwest Wisconsin, and generally above or around average in northeast Minnesota. Snowfall up to December 1 was below normal, but after the early December storm, that trend has reversed for some areas.

The CPC is forecasting equal chances to above average probabilities for warmer than normal temperatures and precipitation. This may lead to further drought improvements across the region.