Ben Garbacz/Daily Mining Gazette The image of Smokey Bear, outside the Baraga DNR office, relates the fire danger on any given day.

MARQUETTE — On Thursday morning, the National Weather Service (NWS) reported a slight decrease in fire danger across the Upper Peninsula as a result of cooler temperatures and light precipitation.

On Wednesday, the Michigan DNR had classified fire risk as high in the western peninsula due to ongoing dry surface fuels and breezy conditions. The elevated fire risk was continued on Thursday.

A Thursday morning fire briefing from DNR Duty Officer Avi Shalom says high fire danger is forecast for most of the Western UP, Moderate and moderate danger for the central and East end excluding Drummond which is forecasted at a high.

Meteorologist Daniel Jablonski with the National Weather Service office in Marquette said the weekend forecast calls for temperatures to continue below average, remaining in the upper 40s.

“Friday will be warmer, in the mid to upper 50s, especially in the west,” he said. “While winds aren’t going to be terribly strong, we’ll still see gusts into the 15-20 mile-per-hour range, with relative humidity dropping near 30%.”

Jablonski said those are the kinds of conditions forecasters look for in determining elevated fire risk, particularly the stronger winds during lower humidity. The saving grace right now, he said, is it not overly warm. Temperatures above 60 degrees would elevate fire risks further.

Jablonski said the below-average temperature pattern is predicted to continue for the next couple of weeks.

“The middle of the month does seem to be the change as we break from the cooler and kind of marginal rain and snow showers,” he said, “and to some temperatures returning back into the upper 60s and even some 70s mid-month.”

Jablonski said the extended outlook lists May 14 as the first day with highs just reaching 70, but that does not include near the lakeshore.

“Those areas will stay cooler, in the 60s,” he said, “even toward the mid-to-late part of the month, highs aren’t quite reaching that point yet.”