Downburst Climatology (DMAPE)

Winds that shift suddenly are a significant hazard for wildland fire fighters. They can cause the fire to quickly change direction, threatening people and equipment in their path. One cause of wind shifts is downdrafts from thunderstorms, which spread out as they reach the ground. Particularly intense winds resulting from a downdraft are called downbursts. The possible energy in a downburst or downdraft can be estimated using a quantity called downdraft maximum available potential energy, or more simply, DMAPE. Potter and Hernandez (2017) describes the limitations and interpretation of DMAPE in more detail. This atlas contains maps based on Potter and Hernandez (2017) showing monthly and seasonal variability in downdraft potential, as measured by DMAPE.

Data and Resources

Additional Info

Field Value
Source https://info.airfire.org/downburst-climatology/
Last Updated September 26, 2025, 20:16 (UTC)
Created September 26, 2025, 20:15 (UTC)
Contact Dr. Brian Potter, US Forest Service, bpotter@fs.fed.us
Credits This work was supported by funds from the US Forest Service National Fire Plan. Additional support was provided through the Hispanic National Intern Program managed by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities.