After a busy start in 2004 to the fire season in the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles, where several Red Flag events occurred between February and early June, the rest of the year was, for the most part, uneventful. The exception was one lone Red Flag event in December, occurring just before Christmas. Above normal precipitation in the fall of 2004 contributed to the lack of Red Flag events.

An annual meeting of the fire weather customers in the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles was held on March 26, 2004. An evaluation of the Red Flag criteria led to some changes. The customers agreed that the standardized Southwest Area Region 3 criteria was beneficial to them and should be continued. The Fire Danger Statement product will be issued as a “yellow flag” when all of the Red Flag criteria are not expected to be met, but a high fire danger potential is forecasted to occur. An overview of the new web-based Spot Forecast Request program was made for Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) in addition to wildfires and prescribed burns. Another fire weather customer meeting is scheduled to be held within the next couple of months at the Amarillo National Weather Service Office and all fire weather customers are invited to attend. Details will be forthcoming.

In addition to the CEDAR RAWS (Remote Automated Weather Station) site at the National Park Service at Lake Meredith, the Texas Forest Service installed a new RAWS site early in 2004 in Deaf Smith county west of Hereford.

The National Weather Service has been issuing a National Fire Danger Rating System (NFDRS) point forecast for the CEDAR RAWS since late 2003 and began issuing a NFDRS point forecast for the new Texas Forest Service’s BOOTLEG RAWS site during the spring of 2004. The two NFDRS forecasts are routinely issued every day between 2 pm and 4 pm.

For more information on the Fire Weather program and the products issued, the link to the Amarillo National Weather Service Fire Weather page can be found at: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ama/html/firewx.htm or contact Ken Schneider.