Wildfire, Custer
- When
- January 27, 12:00 PM CST to 9:00 PM CST
- Where
- Custer forecast zone
- Reported by
- Park/Forest Service
- Coordinates
- 35.639, -99.001 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Wildfire in Oklahoma, January 27, 2018
The Barick and Meachum fires burned approximately 993 acres in Custer county on the 27th.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS OUN wrote it up.
The Barick and Meachum fires burned approximately 993 acres in Custer county on the 27th.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Norman, OK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 27, 11:38 AM CST, 22 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jan 27, 11:38 AM CST, 22 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Norman OK 1138 AM CST Sat Jan 27 2018 .AVIATION... VFR conditions to continue. Some gusts will persist into the first few hours of the forecast across southern sites before diminishing. Otherwise, light winds with only a few passing high clouds expected. 30 && .PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 501 AM CST Sat Jan 27 2018/ DISCUSSION... Aviation discussion for the 12 UTC TAFs is below. AVIATION... VFR conditions are expected at all sites over the next 24 hours. North to northeasterly surface winds are expected to be gusty across southern Oklahoma and north Texas 15-22 UTC. MBS PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 349 AM CST Sat Jan 27 2018/ DISCUSSION... Fire weather concerns will continue over the next several days. No significant changes were made to the previous forecast. Besides southeastern Oklahoma this morning, no significant or widespread precipitation is forecast over the next seven days. Today, drier air will continue to move into the area, allowing for abundant sunshine. A few light showers will linger near and just ahead of the cold front, southeast of Waurika to Seminole line before 9 am this morning. Surface winds will be lighter than yesterday in most places. 00 UTC MOS guidance highs appeared reasonable and were accepted with readings 5-10F above average for this time of year. The air will be very dry and preferred the lower 00 UTC ECMWF/latest HRRR model surface dewpoints. Tonight into Sunday, mostly clear and quiet weather will continue. Surface winds will increase slightly across northern Oklahoma late Sunday ahead and just behind an approaching cold front. Went below 00 UTC MOS guidance lows tonight with surface high pressure overhead. Sunday should be slightly warmer than today. Sunday night through Monday night, cooler weather will occur. Lowered highs on Monday a few degrees. Mostly clear skies are expected to continue. By Tuesday, southerly surface winds will increase across the area allowing for a breezy to windy day. Some gusts across western Oklahoma may be near 40 mph. Highs will be much warmer than Monday, though latest models were not a robust with the warming trend east of US Highway 81 (Enid to Duncan). Models may be too fast with low level moisture return. By Wednesday, latest models depicted a cold front moving into and through the area. The timing of the front remains uncertain. Above average temperatures are likely south of the front, especially in southwestern Oklahoma and western north Texas where highs may be well into the 70s, not too far from record levels. Breezy conditions may occur on either side of the front. The lack of moisture, should keep conditions dry during the day on Wednesday. Wednesday night through Friday, cooler conditions will occur, though not sure how cold temperatures will be. The 00 UTC GFS was much colder than the 00 UTC ECMWF during this time frame. Slightly prefer the warmer 00 UTC ECMWF due to the lack of nearby snowpack. Added low chances for precipitation on Thursday east of I-35, though confidence remains quite low. MBS FIRE WEATHER... Elevated to near critical fire weather conditions are expected today due to very dry and warmer than average conditions, though surface winds will be lighter than Friday. ERC values remain above average, generally in the the 75th to 90th percentile for this time of year across Oklahoma and north Texas. Issued a RFD (Fire Danger Statement) account for the high wildfire potential. Still appears most models are too high with surface dewpoints and a bit too low with surface winds over the next few days (today through Wednesday). Accounted these bias in the latest forecast. Conditions on Sunday will be very similar to today with elevated to near critical fire weather conditions expected. Cooler conditions on Monday along with light surface winds and slightly higher surface humidity will allow for lower wildfire potential. Critical fire weather conditions will be possible on Tuesday, especially in western Oklahoma and western north Texas due to windy, warm, and dry conditions. Elevated to near critical fire weather conditions may occur on Wednesday south of a cold front and near/west of a developing surface dryline. Western north Texas and southwestern Oklahoma may have the highest potential for critical fire weather conditions on Wednesday. MBS && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Oklahoma City OK 60 28 62 29 / 0 0 0 0 Hobart OK 58 25 62 27 / 0 0 0 0 Wichita Falls TX 60 28 63 30 / 0 0 0 0 Gage OK 57 21 63 23 / 0 0 0 0 Ponca City OK 59 23 62 23 / 0 0 0 0 Durant OK 63 32 64 32 / 10 0 0 0 && .OUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OK...None. TX...None. && 30/04/01
Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 27, 11:22 AM CST, 38 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATED National Weather Service Norman OK 1122 AM CST Sat Jan 27 2018 OKZ004>048-050>052-TXZ083>090-281230- Harper-Woods-Alfalfa-Grant-Kay-Ellis-Woodward-Major-Garfield- Noble-Roger Mills-Dewey-Custer-Blaine-Kingfisher-Logan-Payne- Beckham-Washita-Caddo-Canadian-Oklahoma-Lincoln-Grady-McClain- Cleveland-Pottawatomie-Seminole-Hughes-Harmon-Greer-Kiowa-Jackson- Tillman-Comanche-Stephens-Garvin-Murray-Pontotoc-Coal-Cotton- Jefferson-Carter-Johnston-Atoka-Love-Marshall-Bryan-Hardeman- Foard-Wilbarger-Wichita-Knox-Baylor-Archer-Clay- 1122 AM CST Sat Jan 27 2018 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of northern... western...central...and southern Oklahoma...and western north Texas. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight... .Fire Weather... Elevated to near critical fire weather conditions will be possible this afternoon across portions of western Oklahoma and western north Texas. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday... .Fire Weather... Elevated to near critical fire weather conditions could be possible Sunday and Wednesday afternoons with more intense, critical conditions possible Tuesday. The most likely area to be affected with these conditions are parts of western Oklahoma and western north Texas. Get graphics and more details at weather.gov/norman...and follow our weather forecast office on Twitter and Facebook. Kurtz
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
What these are
- Wildfire
- A fire burning in wildland vegetation, with its acreage and damage where known.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Flash Flood and Heavy Rain in Texas, January 27 to 30, 2018
- Heavy Snow and High Wind in Washington, January 27, 2018
- Flash Flooding and Astronomical Low Tide in Louisiana, January 27 to 30, 2018
- Dense Fog in Missouri, January 27 to 28, 2018
- Winter Weather in New York, January 27 to 28, 2018
- Dense Fog in Kentucky, January 27 to 28, 2018
- High Wind in California, January 27 to 29, 2018
- Flash Flooding in Louisiana, January 27, 2018
- Dense Fog in Illinois, January 27, 2018
- Freezing Fog and Dense Fog in California, January 27, 2018
- High Wind in Washington, January 27, 2018
- Winter Weather in New York, January 27, 2018
More
Every storm in Oklahoma in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Oklahoma, January 2018
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 733570.