FNUS28 KWNS 192125
FWDD38

Day 3-8 Fire Weather Outlook  
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
0424 PM CDT Tue May 19 2026

Valid 211200Z - 271200Z

A shortwave trough and associated mid-level jet streak located over
the Intermountain West on Day 3/Thursday will gradually drift across
the High Plains and Upper Midwest Day 4/Friday before entering
south-central Canada this weekend. Longwave ridging will build
across the West on Day 5/Saturday, sliding towards the Central U.S.
as extended guidance introduces the potential for a robust upper
trough to enter the Pacific Northwest early next week. An Atlantic
ridge over the Eastern Seaboard is likely to persist through the
forecast period, with multiple rounds of mid-level perturbations
promoting repeat opportunities for precipitation. The overall upper
pattern suggests dampened fire weather conditions on a broader scale
through the forecast period, with the exception of localized breezy
conditions across parts of the West. 

With minimal to no rainfall forecast across the Intermountain West
and portions of the Desert Southwest through early next week, and a
subsequent warming/drying trend beneath the upper ridge, fire
weather concerns may emerge where drying fuels and locally enhanced
winds align.

..Elizalde-Garcia.. 05/19/2026

...Please see www.spc.noaa.gov/fire for graphic product...

$$