We’ve been saying False Spring for a couple of weeks, and given long-term trends, it’s probably time to move on. At this point, perhaps we are in spring weather-wise, with intermittent bouts of winter thrown in. Above-average temperatures are expected across Texas for the remainder of February and early March. Precipitation chances are looking slim to none in the next seven days. We may switch to a slightly more favorable pattern for precipitation as we approach the first of March. I hesitate to say we’re done with winter altogether, as that’s a risky gambit until we get past Easter.

While we won’t deal with precipitation or winter-like temperatures this week, we will have to deal with wind and fire. Beginning Wednesday, we’ll likely see wind gusts of 30 to 45 MPH throughout the weekend. Combined with a dry airmass, the threat of wildland fires will increase. The wildfire danger will be very high across the western third of Texas by Wednesday. That includes the Texas Panhandle, West Texas, Permian Basin, the Davis Mountains, Guadalupe Mountains, Trans-Pecos, and Big Bend into the Borderland in Far West Texas.