[WARNING] ‘Red Flag Warning’ for the Lake Anna area Today, Wednesday

March 20, 2024

Tuesday morning the National Weather Service (NWS) issued a Fire Weather Watch for the region, for Wednesday. A watch means critical fire weather conditions are possible but not imminent or occurring.

Later Tuesday the watch was upgraded to a Red Flag Warning for the region. Conditions on Wednesday are expected to be supportive of critical fire weather patterns.

This means that the relative humidity will drop significantly Wednesday afternoon into the very dry range of around 20%. Also, temperatures will rise into the 60s. Winds will start gusting late morning and peak during the afternoon hours around 30 mph.

Fires are more likely during late winter and early spring because winds are usually elevated, the relative humidity is lower, the fuels on the forest floor are extremely dry, having “cured” all winter without the shade of tree leaves, and the foliage has not greened up enough to hold water.

Around 85% of fires are human related. Camp fires, open burning, cigarettes/cigars still burning and tossed outside and arson are some of the human causes of wildfires. Lightning is another cause, but there will be no thunderstorms on Wednesday.

Please be vigilant on Wednesday and remember what Smokey Bear said. “Only you can prevent wildfires”.


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Tuesday morning the National Weather Service (NWS) issued a Fire Weather Watch for the region, for Wednesday. A watch means critical fire weather conditions are possible but not imminent or occurring.

Later Tuesday the watch was upgraded to a Red Flag Warning for the region. Conditions on Wednesday are expected to be supportive of critical fire weather patterns.

This means that the relative humidity will drop significantly Wednesday afternoon into the very dry range of around 20%. Also, temperatures will rise into the 60s. Winds will start gusting late morning and peak during the afternoon hours around 30 mph.

Fires are more likely during late winter and early spring because winds are usually elevated, the relative humidity is lower, the fuels on the forest floor are extremely dry, having “cured” all winter without the shade of tree leaves, and the foliage has not greened up enough to hold water.

Around 85% of fires are human related. Camp fires, open burning, cigarettes/cigars still burning and tossed outside and arson are some of the human causes of wildfires. Lightning is another cause, but there will be no thunderstorms on Wednesday.

Please be vigilant on Wednesday and remember what Smokey Bear said. “Only you can prevent wildfires”.


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