NWS Jackson Fire Weather Precip Types and Details

Storm Impacting the Northwest U.S.; Fire Weather Conditions in Southern California; Severe Weather in the South

A Pacific storm is bringing areas of low elevation rain, moderate to heavy mountain snow, and high winds to the Northwest. Strong Santa Ana winds and very dry conditions are producing elevated to critical fire weather conditions in southern California. Isolated strong to severe thunderstorms are possible through early Wednesday morning across parts of northeast Texas into western Tennessee. Read More >

Precipitation Types and Details

Rain - General or patchy liquid precipitation, not showery and usually in a stable or neutral temperature atmosphere; small and medium sized water drops.
Drizzle (DRZL) - General or patchy liquid precipitation in a stable or neutral atmosphere; very small water droplets that appear to float in the atmosphere.
Freezing Rain/Drizzle (Frzg Rain/DRZL) - Liquid precipitation that freezes upon contact with ground, surfaces or vegetation.
Sleet (SLT) - Precipitation in the form of almost clear grains or ice pellets, often mixed with rain or freezing rain.
Snow - General or patchy flakes of crystalline precipitation, usually not showery.
Snow Flurries (SNOW FLRYS) - Showery flakes or small white grains that rarely accumulate.
Showers (SHWRS) - Medium to large drops that usually begin or end abruptly - no thunder heard.
Thundershowers (TSHWRS) - Same as Showers but with thunder.
Thunderstorms (TSTMS) - Heavy or violent downpour of large water drops with strong gusty winds, lightning strikes, and small hail.
Severe Thunderstorm (SVR TSTM) - Violent downpour of large waterdrops, frequent lightning, wind gusts to 58 MPH or greater, and/or hailstones 1 inch in diameter or larger.

PRECIPITATION PROBABILITY

No precipitation expected (Chances 5% or less).

Isolated (ISOLD) - Precipitation chance 10 to 20%.

Slight Chance (SLGT CHC) - Precipitation chance 10 to 20%.

Chance (CHC) - Precipitation chance 30 to 50%.

Likely (LKLY) - Precipitation chance 60 to 70%.

Unqualified precipitation types - chances are 80 to 100%.

PRECIPITATION DURATION

Duration will be in hours for each of the three periods usually forecast in these ranges: 1 hr or less, 1-3 hrs, 2-4 hrs, 3-5 hrs, 4-6 hrs, and over 6 hrs.

PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS

Forecasts amounts will be the average model rainfall amount over the fire weather zone. During daylight time the periods are today (7AM-7PM), tonight (7PM-7AM), tomorrow (7AM-7PM). During standard time, the periods shift to: (6 AM-6PM), etc.

Precipitation amounts will vary by different categories, since it is difficult to pinpoint an exact amount of rain over a given forestry zone.