West Texas Spring Weather: Wildfire Danger Sunday with Severe Thunderstorms Monday

SAN ANGELO – The threat of wildfires spreading out of control Sunday afternoon have prompted a Red Flag Warning while severe thunderstorms are forecast to blow through the region on Monday. 

The forecast calls for Sunday, the first day of Spring, to blow in with extremely dangerous high winds which will then give way to the possibility of severe thunderstorms which could produce tornadoes Monday.  

Meteorologists with the National Weather Service office in San Angelo have issued a Red Flag Warning for Sunday from noon to 9 p.m. as high winds will combine with low humidity and critically dry fuel to allow any wildfire which ignites to spread rapidly out of control.  

Volunteer firefighters across West Texas have been spread thin over the last week because of devastating wildfires which have taken at least one life and damaged an untold amount of property and  killed livestock. 

South winds of 20 to 25 mph will gust to over 40 mph Sunday afternoon along with humidities in the teens and critically dry fuel because of the ongoing dry spell created by the drought will create conditions favorable to the rapid spread of dangerous wildfires.  

A Red Flag Warning means that critical wildfire conditions are either occurring or will occur shortly.  That combination of strong winds, low humidity and dry fuel will contribute to extreme wildfire behavior again Sunday afternoon.  

Residents are urged not to burn anything or engage in any activities such as welding which could produce a spark.  The result could be a deadly out of control wildfire. 

In addition, strong to severe thunderstorms are possible across the region Monday especially east of a Sweetwater to San Angelo to Sonora line.  

The main threats with these thunderstorms will be large hail, damaging winds, dangerous lightning and a possible tornado.  

There is a 50 percent chance of severe thunderstorms across the region Monday.  Any thunderstorm that does develop will likely contain little measurable precipitation because these storms are typical drought like storms which could have a lot of wind and lightning but little actual rain. 

This is a dangerous and developing weather situation.