Weather & Fuels

A cold front approaching the PNW this weekend will drive breezy west winds and relative humidity as low as 10-20% across the Columbia Basin and eastern Oregon and Washington, creating elevated fire weather conditions.

A cold front approaching the Pacific Northwest this week will generate breezy west winds and relative humidity values of 10-20% across the Columbia Basin and eastern Cascades — conditions that support elevated fire weather risk. Land managers are monitoring active fires for wind-driven flare-ups.

The 2026 wildfire season is tracking nearly double the 10-year average for acres burned nationwide, and NIFC forecasts above-normal fire potential for the Pacific Northwest through the summer. Early fires in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho underscore the threat.

A cold front approaching the Pacific Northwest on Friday will generate elevated fire conditions as breezy west winds drop relative humidity to 10-20% from the Columbia Basin to the Sierra Front. Fire managers urge caution as fuel conditions remain critically dry across the region.

Federal fire forecasters warn that above-normal wildfire potential will encompass all of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and southwest Montana by August. Below-normal precipitation, deep drought, and accumulated fuels are creating conditions for a dangerous late summer.

A cold front arriving Friday will bring dangerous wind-driven fire weather to Idaho and eastern Oregon, while long-range models point to a potentially significant mid-June heat dome centered over Washington and Oregon.

A cold front approaching the Pacific Northwest will generate breezy west winds from the Columbia Basin to the Sierra Front, dropping relative humidity to 10–20% and creating elevated fire weather conditions through the weekend.

A cold front moving through the Pacific Northwest on June 5 is bringing breezy west winds and 10–20% relative humidity to the Columbia Basin, while thunderstorm chances Saturday raise dry lightning concerns.

A combination of record-low snowpack, an anomalously warm winter, and a forecast of below-normal precipitation through summer points to an above-normal fire potential season for the entire Pacific Northwest.

A cold upper-level low tracking across the Pacific Northwest is delivering showers and below-normal temperatures to Oregon and western Washington this week, offering a brief but temporary break from fire weather stress.

A cool, wet pattern is bringing temporary relief to the Pacific Northwest, but longer-range forecasts call for above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation through the summer — prime fire weather conditions.

BLM has activated statewide fire restrictions across all 16 million acres of public lands in Oregon and Washington, with additional district-level orders in Roseburg (May 30) and Coos Bay (June 3).

A developing weather pattern is driving gusty winds through the Cascades and Columbia Basin, critical fire weather across the Four Corners, and the threat of dry lightning ignitions in Idaho and Montana mountains.

A shifting upper-level low will bring showers and cooler temperatures to parts of the Pacific Northwest this week, but fire managers warn that dry lightning over Idaho and Montana could spark new ignitions before summer heat builds again.

A winter snow drought across the Pacific Northwest has cured fuels weeks early and depleted soil moisture, setting the stage for an above-normal wildfire season. Fire officials are warning residents to treat June like fire season.

Forecasters warn that historically low snowpack, widespread drought, and above-average temperatures have primed Oregon, Washington, and Idaho for a severe 2026 fire season, with risk escalating sharply east of the Cascades beginning in June.

Drought, record-low snowpack, and warmer-than-average temperatures are converging to create conditions for what forecasters say could be one of the most dangerous Pacific Northwest wildfire seasons in years.

Oregon's warmest winter on record and historically low snowpack are setting the stage for what forecasters warn could be one of the most active and dangerous wildfire seasons in recent memory across the Pacific Northwest.

Record-low snowpack, historically warm winter temperatures, and early fuel drying are aligning to create above-normal wildfire risk across the Interior Northwest this season, according to national forecasters and the Oregon state climatologist.

Meteorologists are tracking elevated fire weather conditions across the Interior Pacific Northwest, with critically low relative humidity, gusty afternoon winds, and dry lightning potential forecast for portions of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Fire managers urge heightened public caution during afternoon heating hours.