####018001790#### FNUS22 KWNS 020810 FWDDY2 Day 2 Fire Weather Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 0209 AM CST Sat Mar 02 2024 Valid 031200Z - 041200Z ...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER AREA FOR PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS... ...Synopsis... A belt of strong midlevel westerly flow will persist across the central/southern Rockies and adjacent Plains on D2/Sunday, with the primary embedded speed maximum expected to cross the CO Rockies during the afternoon. This will yield lee cyclogenesis over eastern CO/western KS, with an associated tight surface pressure gradient developing across much of the central and southern High Plains. Similar to D1/Saturday, this pattern will favor an expansive area of warm, dry, and windy conditions over receptive fuels -- with elevated to critical fire-weather conditions expected. ...Central and Southern High Plains... In response to the tightening surface pressure gradient and deep boundary-layer mixing into the enhanced flow aloft, an expansive area of 20-25 mph sustained west-southwesterly surface winds (with higher gusts) are expected across much of the central and southern High Plains. Here, continued downslope warming/drying and deep mixing will contribute to 10-15 percent minimum RH. Slightly cooler temperatures and higher RH are expected along the I-25 corridor, though gusts upwards of 60 mph and receptive fuels should compensate for this. While guidance suggests a slight minimum in the strong sustained surface winds over parts of the TX South Plains, low RH and breezy/gusty surface winds should still favor near-critical to critical conditions. ..Weinman.. 03/02/2024 ...Please see www.spc.noaa.gov/fire for graphic product... $$