PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
600 AM CST TUE FEB 26 2008

...CONTINUING SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK IN TEXAS...

...DROUGHT AND FIRE WEATHER...

DROUGHT AND WILDFIRES SEEM TO GO HAND IN HAND ACROSS TEXAS. OVER THE YEARS...WILDFIRES HAVE CLAIMED MILLIONS OF 
ACRES ACROSS THE LONE STAR STATE. THE DROUGHT IN 2005 DRIED OUT GRASSES AND BRUSH PUTTING MUCH OF THE STATE AT 
RISK TO WILDFIRES.

THE DEVELOPING LA NINA PATTERN FAVORS DRIER THAN NORMAL CONDITIONS IN TEXAS AND THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER 
HAS DESIGNATED MUCH OF TEXAS TO EXPERIENCE CONTINUED DROUGHT CONDITIONS. THIS LA NINA PATTERN IS EXPECTED TO 
PERSIST THROUGH THIS SPRING AND POSSIBLY THIS SUMMER. MAPS DEPICTING THE PRESENT DROUGHT AND SEASONAL 
FORECASTS CAN BE FOUND AT: 


WWW.DROUGHT.UNL.EDU/DM/ 

A MAP AND A LISTING OF TEXAS COUNTIES THAT CURRENTLY HAVE A BURN BAN IN PLACE CAN BE ACCESSED AT:

TFSFRP.TAMU.EDU/WILDFIRES/DECBAN.JPG    

NOT ALL WILDFIRES ARE THE SAME. AS A MATTER OF FACT...THE WEATHER LARGELY DICTATES FIRE BEHAVIOR...CONTROLLING 
HOW QUICKLY A FIRE SPREADS...HOW HOT AND HOW LONG THE FLAMES GROW AND WHETHER THE FIRE IS ABLE TO JUMP A ROAD 
OR OTHER BARRIER. TEMPERATURE...HUMIDITY AND WIND ARE THE CONTROLLING PARAMETERS THAT AFFECT FIRE BEHAVIOR.

IN SOME CASES...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECASTERS ARE TASKED WITH FORECASTING WEATHER CONDITIONS NEAR AN 
ONGOING WILDFIRE. THESE FORECASTS HELP FIREFIGHTERS DEVELOP A STRATEGY TO FIGHT THE FIRE BOTH EFFICIENTLY AND 
SAFELY. A SUDDEN WINDSHIFT CAN PUT FIRE FIGHTERS IN GREAT DANGER. THIS TYPE OF FORECASTING HAS ITS OWN NAME...
A FIRE WEATHER FORECAST...AND A LOCAL WILDFIRE FORECAST IS COMMONLY CALLED A SPOT FORECAST...DUE TO THE SMALL 
AREA OF INTEREST.

EACH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE PRODUCES A DAILY FIRE WEATHER FORECAST. EACH OFFICE'S WEBSITE 
CAN BE ACCESSED ON THE INTERNET AT:

WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV

ALSO...THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER MAKES NATIONAL FIRE WEATHER FORECASTS FOR A TODAY PERIOD AND A TOMORROW 
PERIOD. THIS INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND ON THEIR HOME PAGE AT:

WWW.SPC.NOAA.GOV/PRODUCTS/FIRE_WX/OVERVIEW.HTML

FINALLY...MANY OF THE TEXAS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICES HAVE INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR FIRE WEATHER 
PROGRAMS ON THEIR INTERNET HOME PAGES. 

FOR MORE DROUGHT AND FIRE WEATHER INFORMATION...CALL YOUR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE OR VISIT 
WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV ON THE INTERNET.