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Oregon Gov. Kate Brown declared a state of emergency in Klamath County as the snowpack in the Klamath Basin was 60% of normal. Low snowpack and streamflow indicate that this will be a difficult year in the Klamath Basin as wells were already running dry. For central and southern Oregon, this is a third consecutive year of drought. Oregon endured its third driest period from October 2019 to September 2021 since records began in the late 1800s, per a climatologist at Oregon State University. The Oregonian (Portland), March 7, 2022

The Groove fire began on the afternoon of March 5, 2022 under dry and windy conditions in Duval County, west of Benavides near Hwy 16 and County Road 310. The fire spread quickly under windy conditions and very active fire behavior. Texas A&M Forest Service responded with dozers and engines with crews to support suppression efforts. TAMFS is in unified command with local resources. Aerial resources were also utilized with an Air Attack (AA) offering aerial surveillance and a Type 1 Helicopter performing water bucket drops. Numerous fire departments were also on scene with additional departments and agencies providing support to the incident. The coordinated effort of aerial and ground resources was effective and fire behavior diminished. Dozer work to construct and complete containment line along the fire perimeter while engine crews conduct patrol and mop up of the

On 3/03/2022 a wildfire started in Potter County off of Highway 287. Potter County Fire Rescue, National Parks Service, and Texas A&M Forest Service are on scene. Fire is estimated at 60 acres and growing. The Fain Gas plant has been evacuated at this

The Adkins Avenue Fire in Bay County has burned 1,400 acres through March 5 and was 30% contained, according to the Florida Forest Service. The blaze consumed two homes, damaged a dozen homes and led to the evacuation of 600 homes. Bay and Calhoun counties have burn bans, according to the Florida Forest Service Chipola Forestry Center. The area is in moderate drought with rainfall deficits of more than four inches in the last 30 days. The Adkins Avenue Fire is one of 143 active wildfires that have charred roughly 4,700 acres in Florida, including the 1,600-acre Bertha Swamp Fire in Gulf County. UPI (Washington, D.C.), March 5, 2022

An estimated 6% of the eggs that wild winter-run chinook salmon laid in the Sacramento River during the 2021 summer survived drought, so wildlife officials are taking extreme steps to protect the endangered population. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released 400,000 juvenile salmon on March 2 from a hatchery into the river, after releasing almost 125,000 last month. Releases this year have been more than double that of releases in 2021. San Francisco Chronicle (Calif.), March 2, 2022

Aridification and drought are dropping the level of Lake Powell, leaving fewer options for putting a boat in the water as 2021 brought the water level down another 45 feet to about 25% of capacity. There will be one access open in March for speedboats and houseboats. The dock at Rainbow Bridge is no longer useable, and boat tours will not go there this summer. One of the guides operating a fishing guide service thinks it’s the beginning of the end for Lake Powell, fearing that the reservoir will return to just a stretch of river this decade. AZ Central (Phoenix), March 1, 2022

February runoff in the upper Missouri River was 78% of average due to below average snowpack and dry soils. Mountain snowpack is about 80% of normal. Starting mid-March, releases from Gavins Point Dam will increase to offer more flow in the river for barges and boats. Omaha World-Herald (Neb.), March 3, 2022

Shasta Lake was one of the many cities that learned that allocations from the Central Valley Project would be limited in 2022 and asked its customers to reduce water use and outdoor watering to conserve water. The Bella Vista Water District, serving Redding, Bella Vista and Palo Cedro, already asked its customers to reduce water use by 40%. Redding Record Searchlight (Calif.), March 3, 2022

On March 4, 2022, the Rest Stop Fire originated at the rest stop on I44, west of the town of Iowa Park, Texas. Iowa Park VFD requested assistance from Texas A&M Forest Service (TAMFS) due to access issues. TAMFS dozers from Boomtown Task Force, along with Texas Intrastate Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS) Strike Team, are on scene assisting with containment efforts. Elevated fire conditions, rough terrain, and heavy brush have contributed to the fire spreading rapidly. The fire is in Wildland Urban Interface, 4 structures were identified, 2 of those structures were directly saved by responders, but 1 outbuilding was lost in the fire.While there are no road closures or evacuation orders, it is discouraged for non-responders to drive around the area due to emergency vehicles in the area and low visibility from the smoke. TAMFS is working in unified command with local

No watches are valid as of Fri Mar 4 14:37:01 UTC 2022.

No Mesoscale Discussions are in effect as of Fri Mar 4 14:37:01 UTC 2022.

SPC 1300Z Day 1 Outlook
Day 1 Convective Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 0659 AM CST Fri Mar 04 2022 Valid 041300Z - 051200Z ...NO SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AREAS FORECAST... ...SUMMARY... A few thunderstorms are possible today across portions of the southwestern U.S. into Colorado. Isolated thunderstorms are also expected late tonight from Nebraska into Iowa and southern Minnesota. ...Southwest States/Four Corners... A lead shortwave trough and related speed max over southern California this morning will eject northeastward and reach the Four Corners area this evening and the central High Plains late tonight. Along and north of this jet, cooling mid-level temperatures and steep lapse rates will contribute to weak buoyancy. This likely will be adequate for isolated semi-dry, high-based convection. While convection may struggle to produce appreciable precipitation, gusty winds could accompany some of this convection, especially during the afternoon across east/southeast Utah into western Colorado. While some stronger thunderstorm-related winds could materialize, the potential for severe-caliber thunderstorm-related gusts is currently expected to remain low. ...Central Plains/Upper Midwest... Late tonight, in tandem with weak height falls, an increasingly strong south-southwesterly low-level jet will develop across the central/southern Plains toward the upper Mississippi Valley. Elevated moisture transport will contribute to thermodynamic profiles that are increasingly conducive for thunderstorms, particularly across eastern Nebraska into Iowa and southern Minnesota (mainly 10 pm CST onward). While a few stronger thunderstorm updraft cores with hail may materialize late tonight, current expectations are for hail magnitudes to remain below severe levels given modest elevated buoyancy and an expected flow weakness in the lower part (650-800mb) of the cloud-bearing layer. ..Guyer/Dean.. 03/04/2022 Read more

A rare March wildfire in Pueblo County has blackened 230 acres. Ninety-one percent of Colorado is in drought and the snowpack was at 92% of the median to date. Out There Colorado (Colorado Springs), March 3, 2022

Since the start of 2022, 16 domestic wells in the Klamath Basin have run dry, which clearly does not bode well for the summer. Associated Press News (New York), March 2, 2022

Water and climate experts from Oregon, Washington and Idaho announced at a news conference hosted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that parts of the region should prepare for a summer of severe drought, wildfires and historically low stream flows. Seventy-four percent of the Pacific Northwest is in drought with nearly 20% in extreme or exceptional drought. Oregon is expected to be hard hit as winter storms missed the state, leaving central and southern Oregon and southern Idaho in drought and without good snowpack. Most reservoirs in Oregon are 10% to 30% lower than they were at this time in 2021, with some at historic lows, meaning little water for crop irrigation. Associated Press News (New York), March 2, 2022

Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a statewide drought emergency in California and urged more water conservation. “As the western U.S. faces a potential third year of drought, it’s critical that Californians across the state redouble our efforts to save water in every way possible,” the governor said. Fifty of the Golden State’s 58 counties have been in a state of drought emergency since July, and Gov. Newsom added the eight remaining counties and reiterated his call for water conservation of 15%. The State Water Resources Control Board is also free to adopt emergency regulations to forbid wasting water. State water officials announced that Californians had conserved just 5% of their water use in August, which was an improvement over July when water conservation amounted to 1.8%. Some parts of the state were conserving better than others. Local water suppliers must implement their water shortage contingency plans at “a level appropriate to local conditions that takes into account the possibility of a third consecutive dry year.” During the previous drought, Gov. Jerry Brown mandated water conservation of 25% in urban water use. Los Angeles Times (Calif.), Oct 19, 2021

Firefighters have responded to the Oak Mott Fire located three miles north of Raymondville on the east side of HWY 77. Texas A&M Forest Service is on scene in unified command with local departments. The fire was actively burning. Numerous local fire departments are on scene engaged suppression support. Texas A&M Forest Service heavy equipment as well as privately owned heavy equipment will assist ground resources in constructing containment line. Aerial resources were also requested. A Type 1 Helicopter performed water drops on the head of the fire to slow fire progression. An Air Attack (AA) was also on scene to provide aerial support and surveillance.  A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) has been

No Mesoscale Discussions are in effect as of Thu Mar 3 14:43:01 UTC 2022.

No watches are valid as of Thu Mar 3 14:43:01 UTC 2022.