Cool, showery pattern to offer temporary wildfire relief to southwestern US

A storm system diving into the Southwest will bring cool and damp conditions through Wednesday.

The landscape remains parched and primed for wildfires, with widespread extreme to exceptional drought stretching across the Four Corners region and southern Plains, according to the latest United States Drought Monitor.

Several wildfires are currently burning in the Four Corners states, according to Inciweb.

The Rattlesnake Fire in eastern Arizona has burned since April 11, charring over 26,000 acres. As of Tuesday evening, the fire was 82 percent contained.

Fortunately, fire personnel will receive some aid from Mother Nature in battling the blazes through midweek.

“A pocket of cool air aloft will settle over the region on Wednesday, causing temperatures to lower and bringing an increase in showers and thunderstorms,” said AccuWeather Meteorologist Renee Duff.

Lighter winds will accompany the unsettled weather, helping to further ease the risk of new wildfire ignition and providing ideal conditions for battling the ongoing blazes.

“With thick cloud cover and showers across the region, most areas can expect temperatures 5-15 degrees Fahrenheit below average,” said AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Edwards.

Temperatures may do no better than the upper 60s F in Las Vegas on Wednesday, when normal high temperatures reach the lower to middle 80s.

While showers and thunderstorms will be most frequent in the mountainous terrain, the storm is expected to be potent enough to bring some rain into the valleys, as well.

“The threat for showers and even a few rumbles of thunder can extend all the way down into Los Angeles and San Diego,” Edwards said.

Although valley locations may generally receive a tenth to a quarter of an inch of rainfall or less, some spots in the higher elevations could pick up one half to one inch of rainfall.

“However, the pattern change may not be able to reverse the damage that has already been done to the region's agricultural industry,” Duff said.

“The drought and wildfires have delayed green-up and, in some cases, completely destroyed grass and wheat across the Southwest and southern High Plains,” she added.

Unfortunately, the cooler air and wildfire relief will only be temporary as drier, warmer weather will move in at late week.

“We are favoring a very warm to hot May across the Southwest,” said AccuWeather Long-Range Meteorologist Max Vido.

“These areas can see excessive drying and more wildfires through the month, depending on the intensity of winds,” he said.

Regardless of what happens through May, AccuWeather continues to anticipate a very hot and dry summer in the Southwest conducive for wildfire development and spread.

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