The OK-FIRE "Fire Prescription Planner" allows you to specify ranges of values for weather, fire danger, and smoke dispersion variables in which you are interested.  Please note, however, that this forecast product is based solely on the latest 84-hour NAM (North American Model) forecast (as are the dynamic maps, site-specific charts, and other site-specific tables in OK-FIRE).  The run time of the latest NAM forecast being used is shown in orange in the upper right corner of the web page.  As with all forecast models, the NAM model, while a good one, is never perfect.  The user is also encouraged to check other weather forecast links on OK-FIRE (e.g., National Weather Service offices, the NWS prescription planner, etc.) for predictions of weather variables over the same time period.  However, fire danger and dispersion condition forecasts are only available using input from the NAM model.  With this in mind, the latest 84-h NAM forecast and forecast products using it (the Oklahoma Fire Danger Model and Oklahoma Dispersion Model) are searched and times are indicated which meet your specified criteria.

In the Prescription Forecast Element table, fill in the minimum ("Lower Limit") and maximum ("Upper Limit") values of those variables in which you are interested (your "prescription" variables).  If you are only interested in values above a given minimum, you need not fill out the Upper Limit; likewise, if you are only interested in values below a given maximum, you need not fill out the Lower Limit.  Note that weather variables are listed first, followed by dispersion conditions, and then fire danger variables.  At this time, wind direction is not available as a prescription variable, but will be added in a future version of this product; in the meantime, it is always shown in the final resulting table.

For dispersion conditions, choose from the following:  excellent (EX, category 6), good (G, category 5), moderately good (MG, category 4), moderately poor (MP, category 3), poor (P, category 2), and very poor (VP, category 1).  List as "Lower Limit" the worst dispersion conditions you can tolerate.  In general, periods of moderately good dispersion or better should be selected for proper dispersion of smoke.  For better understanding, please consult the relevant material in your OK-FIRE notebook or in the "Product Information" section of the web site.

Note that you only need list those variables in which you are interested (your "prescription" variables).  Leave the other ones blank.  For example, if you are only concerned about 1-h dead fuel moisture, you only need list values for that variable.  The product will then search the latest 84-h NAM forecast (and fire danger and dispersion products using it) and see when values for 1-h dead fuel moisture are expected to be within the range you specified.   On the other hand, if you prescribe values for six variables, for example, the product will show you when all six of the criteria are met, if at all.

After you have filled out values in the Prescription Forecast Element table, click on "Next".  You will then select a Mesonet location for which the forecast table will be created.  If you only wish to see the values of the prescribed variables in this table (plus wind direction), just click on "Get Data".  If you also wish to see the values of the non-prescribed variables (plus wind direction), first click the box labeled "Show Non-Prescribed Variables" before selecting "Get Data".

The resulting forecast table contains hourly output of the variables of interest through the end of the latest 84-hour forecast period.  Each prescription variable will have its cells highlighted in light green for those times when the criteria for that variable are met and highlighted in light red for those times when the criteria are not met.  The first column after the "DATE TIME" column reads "Criteria Met ?" and those cells will contain "Yes" and be highlighted in green for those times for which ALL of the prescription criteria are met.  Times when all of the criteria are not met will contain "No" and be highlighted in red.