Wildfire weather: Analyzing the 50-year shift across America

To explore growing wildfire risks across the U.S., Climate Central analyzed historical trends in fire weather—the combination of high heat, low humidity, and strong winds. This analysis includes data from 476 weather stations to assess trends in 245 climate divisions spanning the contiguous states during a 50-year period (1973-2022).

Results show that wildfire seasons are lengthening and intensifying, particularly during spring and summer in the West. Parts of Southern California and the Southwest are seeing around two additional months of fire weather compared to the early 1970s.