Real-time daily forecasts of fire weather parameters are a necessary and required component to aid in both of these activities. Atmospheric variables which are most directly related to fire include temperature, moisture, wind, and convection.
Convection is a key factor as most wildland fires are started by lightning.
Dry fuels, low relative humidity, and a high i ncident of lightning strikes can lead to a high fire season, but a season with cooler temperatures, more moisture, and less convection can considerably reduce the number of fire starts. Wildland fire activity is closely linked to interannual variability o f climate. In this study, upper level fields of temperature, geopotential height, relative humidity, and u,v winds are analyzed in relationship to seasonal characteristics of natural fire starts in Nevada. While these results provide useful information regarding general atmospheric pattern characteristics in association with fire starts, they lack the detail needed for a forecaster to apply at the state and even smaller district level. With its topographical diversity and spatial extent, different areas of Nevada are influence d by a variety of distinct synoptic patterns.