Dry and breezy forecast Wednesday prompts NWS to issue 'Fire Weather Watch' for area

Bill Atkinson, Petersburg Progress-Index
·2 min read
In this AccuWeather map, the shaded area shows the Fire Weather Watch for Wednesday, March 20, 2024. It is an area about 130 miles long and 150 miles wide at its maximum points.
In this AccuWeather map, the shaded area shows the Fire Weather Watch for Wednesday, March 20, 2024. It is an area about 130 miles long and 150 miles wide at its maximum points.

PETERSBURG – Don’t let the beautiful spring-like skies, cool temperatures and low humidity over the next couple of days fool you. It may be ideal weather for fun outdoors, but it also is ideal weather for spreading fire.

The National Weather Service has issued a Fire Weather Watch for Wednesday and along with that a warning about operating hot machinery or stepping outside for a smoke. Beginning Tuesday, the dry air and windy conditions increase the risk of fire, especially in places where the greenery is plentiful.

“Dry and breezy conditions will support adverse fire behavior, allowing fires to spread rapidly,” the NWS office in Wakefield said in a statement Monday night.

The affected area runs from Fredericksburg and Charlottesville southward through metro Richmond and the Tri-City area and on to the Virginia-North Carolina line. Size wise, that is about 130 miles north-south and 150 miles east-west.

Humidity levels will be lower than average – 20-30% instead of the typical 60% for the Tri-City area in March. Wind speeds will be 7-13 mph with gusts up to 22 mph Tuesday and 8-17 mph with gusts up to 28 mph Wednesday.

“Residents are urged to exercise caution handling any potential ignition source, including machinery, cigarettes and matches,” the NWS statement said. “Be sure to properly discard all smoking materials. Any dry grasses and tree litter that ignite will have the potential to spread quickly.”

Tuesday’s high temperature will be in the mid-50s. That climbs to the mid-60s on Wednesday.

The dry conditions continue through Thursday, according to NWS. Our next rain chance is 40% on Friday and 50% on Saturday with highs all three days in the upper 50s.

Within the Fire Weather Watch announcement, NWS also issued a reminder that open-air burning is prohibited before 4 p.m. daily through April 30.

Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @BAtkinson_PI.

This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Fire Weather Watch issued for area Wednesday by weather service