OK-FIRST Case Study: Fire Weather and the Oklahoma Fire Danger Model

Fire Weather and the
Oklahoma Fire Danger Model

Overview
The Oklahoma Fire Danger (OKFD) Model runs five times per day, and generates valuable output in the form of several fire danger indices. Like all models, it can best be used when its components and their limitations are understood.

Perhaps the best way to learn about the OKFD Model is to explore its response to real-time weather events. In addition to real-time data, this lab exercise focuses on a five-day period when several meteorological events occurred which revealed the characteristics of the OKFD Model. None of the events (or the model's response to them) were extreme by any means, but represent what you might see on a typical week.

Objectives

To understand the components of the Oklahoma Fire Danger (OKFD) Model and the factors which contribute to their change.
To understand how synoptic scale and mesoscale weather events can affect the fire danger rating across (parts of) the state.
To recognize and understand the impact of the diurnal cycle of weather parameters on fire danger conditions.
To be able to incorporate short-term forecasts into an assessment of upcoming fire danger conditions.

Vocabulary

NDVI

Synoptic Scale

Mesoscale

Meteogram

Diurnal

Exercise

Event Data

Event Exercise

Click on "Event Data" for a new window with the information for the exercise.

Reference Material

Fire Weather

Heat and Drought

Heat Transfer (Latent Heat)


OK-FIRST Project, Oklahoma Climatological Survey, 100 East Boyd Street, Suite 1210, Norman, OK 73019. Copyright © 1996-2005 Oklahoma Climatological Survey. All Rights Reserved. Send comments or questions concerning OK-FIRST to okfirst@mesonet.org