With one of the biggest winters in years and the snowpack level well above normal, it is expected that the excessive precipitation will likely push the start of the fire season back a couple months.

The National Interagency Fire Center and Reno National Weather Service are leaning toward July/August time frame for the grasses to cure, dry, and for fire season to heat up.

“The fire season has the potential to get busy quickly mid- to late summer once we have a few good heat waves, the snow is gone and grasses have cured and dried,” reported Edan Weishahn with the Weather Service.

A delayed fire season could mean a shorter season if winter arrives on schedule.