Extreme dry winds blow wildfire risks higher across Texas

Wildfires have been raging across Texas. Crittenberg Complex fire, about 70 miles north of the state capital, had burned more than 33,000 square acres.

An even larger area, including Midland and Odessa, Texas, and Salina, Kansas, faces an extreme risk as crackling dry air propelled by gusts up to 70 miles per hour sweep the plains. (Credit: Texas A&M)

(Bloomberg) — Dry gusting winds are sweeping across parts of Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas, raising extreme fire conditions, the U.S. Storm Prediction Center said.

An even larger area, including Midland and Odessa, Texas, and Salina, Kansas, faces an extreme risk as crackling dry air propelled by gusts up to 70 miles per hour sweep the plains.

“A significant wildfire outbreak is likely across the southern High Plains,” the center said in a statement. “Numerous fires have occurred in the past 48 hours, indicating fuels are sufficiently dry for large fire spread.”

Wildfires have been raging across Texas. Crittenberg Complex fire, about 70 miles north of the state capital Austin, had burned more than 33,000 square acres through late Monday and was 55% contained. There are currently 12 large fires burning in Texas.

The system bringing the winds will also kick off another round of severe weather from Texas across the U.S. South in the next few days, said Zack Taylor, a forecaster at the U.S. Weather Prediction Center. He expects severe thunderstorms that could bring damaging winds, flooding rains and hail, along with scattered tornadoes.

“Tomorrow looks like it will be a very active weather day for the same area that was hit last week,” Taylor said. “Another strong spring storm system moving through.”

As the storm’s center charges from Kansas to the Great Lakes, a cold front will sweep across the south. As it pulls warm moisture up from the Gulf of Mexico, it is likely to trigger tornadoes from New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana to Montgomery, Alabama. Meanwhile, on the north side of the storm, there could be snow and freezing rain across parts of Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan.

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