With the recent rains and all of the snow that has melted away, you may be wondering how there can be a fire warning in effect for much of central Pennsylvania.
“When we are getting out of the winter season, everything is still pretty dried up and dead,” said National Weather Service at State College meteorologist Rachel Gutierrez. “The fire-weather season is common at end of winter, before the spring bloom happens with new growth.”
Despite all the snow – an above average amount compared to a normal winter – it melted slowly, still leaving dry soil, leaves, grass, fallen branches and twigs, she said.
That’s why much of central Pennsylvania is under a red-flag warning Sunday.
The warning was issued today due to the dry conditions, low humidity and gusty winds of up to 35 mph. With these three factors, fire can spread easily and quickly, prompting the warning.
The National Weather Service advises people avoid outdoor fires today and be mindful of fire safety because it won’t take much for a fire to get out of control. A mountain fire Saturday in rural Franklin County involved more than 50 acres.
But with cooler temperatures on the way this week and a few chances for showers, and maybe even some snow, the red flag warning is expected to be lifted by 10 p.m.
Before that, Sunday will be breezy, dry and sunny with a high of 54 and a low around 24.
Monday should be sunny and cooler with a high near 43 and a nighttime low of 30.
On Tuesday, we will get a little reminder that it’s still winter. Expect a 40 percent chance of snow before noon, turning into rain and snow until 2 p.m., then rain in the afternoon. Less than a tenth of an inch of precipitation is expected. Tuesday will see a high of 40 and a low of 36.
So far this winter, the Harrisburg region saw 32.4 inches of snow, more than the average of 28.2 inches, Gutierrez said.
Wednesday will be mostly cloudy with a high of 52 and a low of 42.
Thursday will see a 70 percent chance of showers on a cloudy day with a high of 54 and a low of 37.
Friday will be mostly sunny with a 40 percent chance of showers and a high of 46 and a low of 30.
And Saturday should be sunny with a high near 49.
Visit PennLive.com/weather for your latest weather updates.
The Link LonkMarch 14, 2021 at 11:48PM
https://www.pennlive.com/news/2021/03/despite-recent-snow-melt-conditions-still-dry-enough-for-fire-warning.html
Despite recent snow melt, conditions still dry enough for fire warning - PennLive
https://news.google.com/search?q=dry&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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