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The California Fish and Game Commission has adopted emergency regulations allowing the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to extend low-flow related fishing restrictions on portions of the Smith, Eel and Russian rivers and a number of other coastal rivers and streams through April 30 if needed to protect runs of salmon and steelhead. California Department of Fish and Wildlife (Sacramento), Feb 4, 2022

Lengthy drought in the Sacramento Valley prompted concerns ahead of the annual bird migration because just 60,000 acres were expected to be flooded rather than the usual 270,000 acres of habitat. Disease and food depletion were expected to be problems for the birds. "The Department of Water Resources provided a large sum of money to run drought relief programs for water birds," according to a California Rice Commission wildlife programs manager. "We were able to put out 50,000 acres of flooded habitat and that includes rivers and wetlands." KCRA-TV NBC 3 Sacramento (Calif.), Feb 4, 2022

Mississippi has had nearly 400 wildfires affecting about 12,000 acres statewide since Feb. 1, according to the assistant regional forester of the Mississippi Forestry Commission. The northeastern part of the state has been a hotspot for the blazes. WTVA-TV Channel 9 (Tupelo, Miss.),Feb 15, 2022

Livestock that did not graze on green grass for four months last summer, due to drought, likely need vitamin A supplementation this winter. Cows lacking adequate vitamin A may produce poor-quality colostrum for their calves. Tri-State Livestock News (Belle Fourche, S.D.), Feb 11, 2022

A burn ban took effect for the entire State of Louisiana due to concerning dry conditions, per the Office of the State Fire Marshal. The ban will remain in effect until further notice. Nola.com (New Orleans, La.), Feb 15, 2022

 Boyd, Texas - Texas A&M Forest Service is responding to a wildfire off FM 51. The fire started shortly after 1400 and resources quickly responded from multiple other fires in the area. This is a developing incident and more information will be published as it's available. Residents in the area should be aware of response vehicles and smoke in the

No watches are valid as of Tue Feb 15 14:23:02 UTC 2022.

No Mesoscale Discussions are in effect as of Tue Feb 15 14:23:02 UTC 2022.

SPC 1300Z Day 1 Outlook
Day 1 Convective Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 0634 AM CST Tue Feb 15 2022 Valid 151300Z - 161200Z ...NO SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AREAS FORECAST... ...SUMMARY... Isolated thunderstorms may occur late this afternoon into early tonight from parts of central Nevada toward the Coastal Range in southern California. ...Synopsis... A deep midlevel trough will progress southeastward over CA/NV and will reach the lower CO River valley by Wednesday morning. Cold midlevel temperatures and associated steep lapse rates will support the potential for low-topped convection and isolated lightning flashes both from east of the southern Sierra Nevada into northwest AZ this afternoon into early tonight, and across southern CA. Otherwise, air mass modification and the early stages of return flow are underway across the Gulf basin and FL Straits. However, the degree of moistening inland will be insufficient for deep convection until later in the D2 period across the southern Plains and south FL. ..Thompson.. 02/15/2022 Read more

The dry spell has Siskiyou County residents considering watering their lawns in February as it has been weeks since precipitation has fallen. Many reservoirs are quite low. Lake Shasta, for instance, is at 36%, or 54% of normal. Winter grains are struggling with the dry conditions. As dry as it is, surface irrigation in late summer is looking unlikely. Siskiyou Daily News (Yreka, Calif.), Feb 11, 2022

Idaho farmers are working to conserve water, but several consecutive years of drought is taking a toll. “Because we grow so much seed here in the Treasure Valley we can’t afford to have two or three years in a row of drought, and that’ll mean we’ll have to grow the seed somewhere else because the seed is so important,” said farmer and president of the Washington County Farm Bureau. East Idaho News (Idaho Falls, Idaho), Feb 11, 2022

The Bureau of Land Management rounded up wild horses in the Pancake Complex in early February as the number of mustangs and burros exceeded that which the grass and plants on the land can safely support, due to drought reducing the amount of vegetation. The Wall Street Journal (New York), Feb 13, 2022

Winter wheat in southern Nebraska needs moisture as the warm temperatures encourage the wheat to break dormancy and grow, but the soil is relatively dry, and there is no snow cover. Extreme cold is a danger to the wheat without the insulating snow to protect the crop. NTV (Axtell, Neb.), Feb 11, 2022

The Rolling Plains remained dry with very little farming activity after last week’s snow. Wildfires were still a concern. Row crop tillage was postponed due to overly dry conditions. Winter forage crops that were planted either never germinated or died after germination. Irrigated wheat looked good. Dryland winter wheat looked very poor, and cattle producers were supplemental feeding livestock heavily. Stock tank water was becoming an issue in some areas. Hay supplies were tightening. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Feb 15, 2022 The Rolling Plains were very dry. Winter wheat was not looking good, and some stocker cattle were being fed hay. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Feb 8, 2022 The Rolling Plains need rain as the fire danger is high, and several fires were reported. Stocker cattle on wheat were being supplemented with hay. Dryland wheat was primarily in very poor condition. Some dryland wheat fields were dried up or never emerged. Irrigated wheat was struggling in some areas. Pasture conditions were poor as well. Beef, goat and sheep producers were providing supplemental feed for animals. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Feb 1, 2022 Conditions in the Rolling Plains were very dry and windy, causing fire concerns. Pastures and rangeland were mostly very poor. The lack of moisture and emergence made it difficult to tell what wheat fields were planted. Emerged wheat was grazed by stockers, and producers were relying on hay supplies that were tightening. Stock tanks were drying up and cattle were getting stuck in the mud attempting to access water. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Jan 25, 2022

Fuels reduction programs involve mechanical or hand thinning projects, removing trees to reduce forest density and improve forest health. While larger logs are removed for use, unmarketable limbs, saplings, and brush are piled up for burning. Hand piles result from crews using chainsaws to thin the forest and then piling the sawn material; machine piles result from using logging equipment and primarily consist of tree limbs left behind after marketable material is removed.  Piles are only ignited when fuels managers are confident that the project can be undertaken safely and successfully. Snow cover, fuel moisture, precipitation, wind, temperature, and available firefighter staffing are all considered before beginning a pile burn. Piles which are ready for burning are prioritized based on elevation, aspect, access, and proximity to homes. Smoke, flames, and glowing embers are often visible, and are a normal part of pile burning operations. Snow helps contain the piles and...

Texas A&M Forest Service is planning for prescribed burns to take place at Davey Dogwood Park during 2022. Three burn units identified as block 1, 2 and 3 will be burned for a total of 153 acres. Block 1 – 69 acresProposed burning dates: 11/2021 – 2/2022 Block 2 – 57 acresProposed burning dates: 11/2021 – 2/2022 Block 3 – 27 acresProposed burning dates: 11/2021 – 2/2022 These burns are designed to meet multiple land management objectives including reducing the accumulation of hazardous fuels, improve forest health, improve access and visibility for forest management activities and improve wildlife habitat. Each prescribed burn unit has defined weather parameters and firing patterns to ensure the objectives for each unit have a high potential for success. Texas A&M Forest Service personnel will monitor all prescribed burns to evaluate achievement of goals and help guide future prescriptions. Nearby residents can expect some lingering smoke effects overnight after...

Texas A&M Forest Service is planning for several prescribed burns to take place on Fort Wolters Texas Army National Guard land during 2022. Burn units identified as units 4, 5, 9, 11 and 13 will be burned for a total of 1,583 acres. Unit 4 – 309 acresProposed burning dates: 2/14/2022 – 2/18/2022 Unit 5 – 387 acresProposed burning dates: 2/14/2022 – 2/18/2022 Unit 9 – 297 acresProposed burning dates: 2/14/2022 – 2/18/2022 Unit 11 – 364 acresProposed burning dates: 2/14/2022 – 2/18/2022 Unit 13 – 226 acresProposed burning dates: 2/14/2022 – 2/18/2022 These burns are designed to meet multiple land management objectives including reducing the accumulation of hazardous fuels, improve forest health, improve access and visibility for forest management activities and improve wildlife habitat. Each prescribed burn unit has defined weather parameters and firing patterns to ensure the objectives for each unit have a high potential for success. Texas A&M Forest Service...

No Mesoscale Discussions are in effect as of Mon Feb 14 14:50:01 UTC 2022.

No watches are valid as of Mon Feb 14 14:50:01 UTC 2022.

SPC 1300Z Day 1 Outlook
Day 1 Convective Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 0627 AM CST Mon Feb 14 2022 Valid 141300Z - 151200Z ...NO SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AREAS FORECAST... ...SUMMARY... Isolated thunderstorms possible across the Pacific Northwest region later today into tonight. ...Synopsis... A midlevel shortwave trough just west of Vancouver Island this morning will dig south-southeastward over OR to northeastern CA/northern NV by Tuesday morning. Steepening low-midlevel lapse rates with the approach of the midlevel cold pool (colder than -30 C at 500 mb) will support weak buoyancy and the potential for isolated lightning flashes with low-topped convection in the zone of ascent immediately preceding the midlevel trough. Otherwise, the CONUS will be dominated by cool and/or dry air in the low levels, which will preclude thunderstorms. ..Thompson.. 02/14/2022 Read more