Woodward News, The (OK)
Jan. 27—If you are tempted to complain about recent moisture, you might want to reconsider. According to the Oklahoma Forestry Service (OFS), damaging and life threatening wildland fire episodes are possible through April as 2021 is set up to present above average fire occurrence during late dormant season.
"Weather patterns and forecast model data for the long-term are showing similar trends that we saw several years ago, when wildfires plagued Northwest Oklahoma," Woodward County Emergency Management Director Matt Lehenbauer said. "A La Nina has set-up in the Pacific ocean, which is a general cooler-than-normal surface and water temperatures in that area, resulting in less evaporative moisture being carried by the jet stream to our area of the United States."