The National Weather Service has placed Fire Weather Watches across four zones spanning Nevada and North Texas, warning that a combination of gusty winds and critically low humidity will produce conditions in which any ignition could grow rapidly before firefighters can respond.
The watches cover at least 18 named counties and fire weather zones across the two states — from remote high-desert terrain in northwestern Nevada to the densely populated suburbs ringing Dallas weather.
Nevada
Three alert zones are flagged in Nevada. In Humboldt County’s Quinn area, the National Weather Service is forecasting southwest winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph and relative humidity dropping as low as 10 percent. The West Humboldt Basin in Pershing County — where the active Quartz Fire is already burning — faces west-southwest winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 40 mph and minimum humidity between 10 and 15 percent; the most dangerous window is expected to last 3 to 6 hours. A third multi-zone watch covers Surprise Valley, Eastern Lassen County, and Northern Washoe County, with the same wind range and gusts to 45 mph, and dangerous conditions forecast for 3 to 7 hours.
The presence of the ongoing Quartz Fire in the Pershing County zone elevates the concern there: any wind-driven acceleration of an active fire substantially complicates containment efforts.
North Texas
Across North Texas, the watch spans a wide arc of counties including Dallas, Tarrant, Denton, Collin, Parker, Hood, Johnson, Ellis, Henderson, Rockwall, Kaufman, Wise, and Hunt — a footprint that encompasses the outer suburbs and exurbs of the Dallas-Fort Worth area as well as rural land to the west and southeast. Southwest winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph are forecast, with relative humidity values as low as 10 percent. Fort Worth weather and surrounding communities fall within the watch boundary.
What the Watch Means
A Fire Weather Watch indicates that critical fire weather conditions are forecast but have not yet developed. The National Weather Service can upgrade watches to Red Flag Warnings if conditions verify on schedule. Residents and land managers in affected areas should monitor forecasts closely and be prepared to act quickly.
The National Weather Service advises avoiding any outdoor activity capable of generating a spark near dry vegetation — including yard work, target shooting, and campfires. Residents should follow all local fire restrictions currently in force.
Updated forecasts for the Nevada zones are available at weather.gov/reno.