JACKSON, Wyo. – Dry and windy conditions on Monday will result in an increased potential for wildfires, especially in the valleys where fuel moisture has reached critical levels in grassy/shrubby vegetation, as well as forested areas with downed trees.
A trough of low pressure will move across Montana on Monday, and to the south of this feature across Jackson Hole, drier air will move in from the west and winds will also become strong during the afternoon hours.
Relative humidity values will decrease compared to recent days and will bottom out around 18-20% in the valleys by late Monday afternoon. These relative humidity values are borderline in terms of fire weather concerns, but the strong winds on the other hand will be the primary concern.
Southwest winds will reach sustained speeds of 15-25 mph in the valleys on Monday afternoon with gusts ranging from 35-40 mph. Should any new fires start today, they will have the potential to spread quickly given the strong winds.
The Teton County Office of Emergency Management has put together an excellent Wildfire Action Guide that can be found HERE.
Also, campfires or any sort of burning are highly discouraged in these types of conditions, even if there are not any fire bans currently in place. Refer to this graphic from the National Weather Service in Pocatello to help prevent human-caused fires.
The greatest fire danger on Monday will be from about noon through sunset. For the rest of the week, winds will be lighter compared to Monday and fire weather concerns will be lower as a result, but there will still be some fire risk due to dry conditions and breezy afternoon winds.
Alan Smith, Meteorologist
