Rough Wildfire Season Ahead With Building Drought

West Rough Wildfire Season Ahead With Building Drought

By Alex Sosnowski, Expert Senior Meteorologist

April 17, 2013; 5:53 PM

A wildfire burns out of control at Horsetooth Reservoir west of Fort Collins, Colo., on Friday, March 15, 2013. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)

While wildfires are inevitable in the West during the summer, this year the season has the potential to be worse than average.

Drought, which began last summer, become significantly worse over many areas of the West this winter. The drought is showing few signs of improvement this spring.

Only portions of Wyoming and Colorado to the central High Plains have had some moisture-rich storms of late.

Long-term indications are that these storms will break off in the weeks ahead and are not a sign of wetter times through the summer. This year's drought will shift farther west, compared to last year, which focused from the Plains to the Midwest.

http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/rough-wildfire-season-ahead-wi/10344626