Temperatures and precipitation are increasing during Alaska’s fire season (April–September) creating uncertainty about future wildland fire risk—warming increases risk while higher precipitation may partially offset it. This webinar examines trends of heat and drought indicators (vapor pressure deficit, SPI, SPEI, convective precipitation, heat index) across the full season and by each half (April–June, July–September). Machine-learning analysis of large-scale meteorological patterns also supports seasonal outlooks of Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System components, including the Buildup Index and Initial Spread Index.

Speakers: Richard Lader, Chis Waigl, Jacob Coffey, and Uma Bhatt, University of Alaska Fairbanks

Hosted by the Alaska Fire Science Consortium and the Alaska Climate Adaptation Science Center.