Heavy fuel loadings and the availability of ladder fuels in the higher elevations, give this area the potential to develop large, crowning project fires resulting from the combination of dry lightning, gusty winds, and prolonged drought. Terrain in this area is highly variable and complex, ranging from high mountains, steep slopes, and narrow canyons to flat plateaus, meadows, and wide river valleys. Weather conditions vary widely and are largely influenced by the terrain on a diurnal basis. Annual precipitation amounts range from under 20 inches in some valleys to over 50 inches in the highest mountains, with the majority of the precipitation occurring during the winter months. As a result of heavier fuel loadings and the availability of ladder fuels in the higher elevations, this area is the most likely area to develop large, crowning project fires resulting from the combination of dry lightning, gusty winds, and prolonged drought.
Vegetation consists mostly of grass and brush with some timber in the highest elevations.
This zone is also one of the driest zones of the district, with the lowest average relative humidity and the least amount of precipitation. However, dry thunderstorms often develop with gusty winds, which ignite large flashy range fires that spread rapidly. In fact this zone is one of the zones which receives the highest average number of cloud to ground lightning strikes in the district. The combination of open terrain and the high elevation of this area also often results in higher wind speeds than the other forecast areas. Fires are also often more effected by the general winds than local diurnal type winds due to the high elevations of this area.