Outlook for Summer Fire Season 2023

The National Interagency Fire Center has published an outlook for the summer fire season. These estimates may be subject to change if there is an unexpected shift in weather patterns.

The Cow Creek Emergency Management Director has provided the following summary for our area, based on the report:

  • Mountain snowpack is above normal to well above normal across our region
  • A pattern change is likely to transpire through the rest of spring into early summer, with a transition from a three-year La Nina pattern to an El Nino pattern
  • Near normal to below normal precipitation and near normal to below normal temperatures are forecast for much of the West
  • Normal (i.e., very low) risk of significant fires is expected over the Northwest Geographic Area until July
  • Beginning in July, areas of central and southeast Oregon and central Washington are forecast to have above normal potential for significant fires, based on rising temperatures and proliferation of finer fuels

The full report can be found here: https://www.predictiveservices.nifc.gov/outlooks/monthly_seasonal_outlook.pdf 

The Cow Creek Band of Indians is officially recognized as a Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador