Southwestern US to face enhanced fire risk through Monday

By Renee Duff, AccuWeather meteorologist

April 29, 2018, 7:09:22 PM EDT

Gusty winds, combined with warmth and ongoing drought, will create a heightened fire risk across the southwestern United States through Monday.

The landscape remains extremely dry and prime for wildfires, with widespread extreme to exceptional drought occurring across the Four Corners states and southern Plains, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

A handful of wildfires are currently burning across Arizona and New Mexico, according to Inciweb.

In Oklahoma, the Rhea Fire has been fully contained after charring over 286,000 acres.

As warm winds whip through the region into Monday, it will be imperative for people to avoid using open flames, such as grills and campfires, and to properly discard cigarettes and matches.

During such conditions, sparks can become a raging inferno in a matter of minutes.

In addition, the winds can kick up dust, reducing visibility for motorists and heightening the risk of multi-car pileups.

Drivers along interstates 10, 25 and 40 should remain vigilant for rapidly changing visibility and slow down if necessary.

RELATED: 
Why you shouldn't ever burn garbage 
5 ways weather is pivotal in a baseball game 
In case you missed it: Flash flooding kills teenage hikers in Israel; Kenya flooding displaces 250,000

While spotty thunderstorms may ignite across eastern New Mexico and West Texas during the afternoon hours on Sunday and Monday, the storms may cause more harm than good as lightning strikes could ignite new blazes.

A pocket of cool air aloft will settle over the region on Tuesday and Wednesday, causing temperatures to lower and bringing an increase in showers and thunderstorms, especially over the Four Corners states.

This may help to lower the wildfire danger temporarily during the middle of the week.

However, the pattern change may not be able to reverse the damage that has already been done to the region's agricultural industry.

The drought and wildfires have delayed green-up and, in some cases, completely destroyed grass and wheat across the Southwest and southern High Plains.

As a result, cattle ranchers are struggling to feed their herds and some have resorted to selling off cattle, according to the Associated Press.

Cattle are herded into a sale arena at the Oklahoma National Stockyards in Oklahoma City, Tuesday, April 24, 2018. Ranchers in the Southwest are already running short on food for their cattle as range conditions have deteriorated and warm-season grasses have yet to start growing due to drought. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Despite the damper, cooler pattern expected at midweek, AccuWeather long-range meteorologists anticipate the drought and wildfire situation to worsen heading into the summer months.

“We are favoring a very warm to hot May across the Southwest,” AccuWeather Long-Range Meteorologist Max Vido said.

“These areas can see excessive drying and more wildfires through the month dependent on the intensity of winds,” he said.

With predominately dry, hot conditions expected into the summer, residents should anticipate many more days with dangerous fire weather and will need to remain up-to-date with the latest fire advisories.