Residents across central North Carolina are urged to exercise caution today due to a raised fire danger warning issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) in Raleigh, NC. In their early morning update, the NWS advised against outdoor burning as the combination of very dry fine fuels, such as grasses and tree debris, with low humidity levels could lead to heightened fire risks and rapid spread of any ignitions that occur.
As the mercury dips to 28°F in Raleigh, the Special Weather Statement by the NWS points to a very low relative humidity range, between 15 to 20 percent, as a critical factor fostering this risky environment, "People are urged to avoid outdoor burning today," the NWS statement read, "If you must
burn, use extreme caution since fires can grow quickly and become dangerous in these conditions. Ensure that fire suppression
equipment is readily available." Today's clear skies might invite complacency, but with a "light and variable wind," these benign conditions belie the dormant threat lying in the underbrush.
The forecast for the coming week suggests fluctuating conditions with Tuesday and Wednesday leaning towards warmer weather, highs nudging up to 66°F and 70°F respectively, and winds picking up pace with potential gusts rocketing to as high as 41 mph by mid-week. The detailed outlook provided by the NWS implies Wednesday will bear the brunt of this active weather front, carrying with it a promise of showers and possibly thunderstorms, ahead of a cold front, which is likely to rebalance the arid conditions currently at play.
According to the Hazardous Weather Outlook by the NWS, "There is a slight risk (Level 2 out of 5) of severe storms Wednesday ahead of a cold front, with damaging straight line winds and isolated tornadoes the primary hazards," indicating that while the immediate threat is fire, by midweek the pendulum may swing towards severe storms that can present their own brand of danger to the central North Carolina region, the service also cautioned that strong gusty winds out of the south could range between 35 and 45 mph at times on Wednesday, not to mention the potential for rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
