Texas faces increased wildfire risk as near-record heat expected during Christmas

Dallas weather: Dec. 22 morning forecast

It's feeling like spring with Christmas just days away! Meteorologist Ali Turiano has your Monday morning forecast.

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - It’s beginning to look a lot like spring in Texas this week as forecasters said much of the state can expect near-record warmth for Christmas.

Officials at the Texas A&M Forest Service said Monday that the unseasonably warm weather combined with grasses dried by recent freezes will lead to an increased wildfire threat during the holiday.

By the numbers:

According to FOX Weather, temperatures will be as much as 30 degrees above average in parts of Texas on Christmas Day. Highs will range from the upper 70s in Amarillo and Dallas to the lower 80s in Houston and Austin to the mid-80s in Brownsville.

Nearly half of the state is also experiencing some level of drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The highest levels of drought are concentrated in the Big Bend region as well as southern Texas.

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What they're saying:

"We have seen above-normal grass production across large areas of Texas, especially near Abilene, Wichita Falls, Lubbock, Childress and Amarillo," said Luke Kanclerz, head of the Forest Service's Predictive Services Department. "These grasses are now dormant and freeze-cured, which means they dry quickly and can support wildfire activity when wind speeds increase."

Fire debris and ashes remain next to a home in the aftermath of the Smokehouse Creek fire on March 3, 2024, near Stinnett, Texas. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

What you can do:

Officials urge people to be extra vigilant when doing anything outside that could spark a fire. According to the Forest Service, about 90% of wildfires in Texas are caused by people. Debris burning and equipment use account for about 70% of fires during the winter.

Texans are being asked to observe any burn bans that are in effect, to keep burn piles small with a water source nearby and to never leave a fire unattended.