Weather Poses Fire Hazard

By CS | October 1, 2010

Submitted by Chief Porche

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA

142 PM CDT FRI OCT 1 2010

...A RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI INCLUDING COAST...

...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FOR EAST CENTRAL LOUISIANA...

.A VERY DRY AIRMASS WILL REMAIN OVER THE AREA THROUGH MONDAY...

WITH AFTERNOON HUMIDITY VALUES FALLING TO 20 TO 30 PERCENT. IN

ADDITION...NORTH WINDS OF 10 TO 15 MPH ARE EXPECTED SATURDAY

AFTERNOON WITH HIGHER GUSTS SUNDAY AND MONDAY AS A STRONG COLD

FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE REGION SATURDAY NIGHT.

LAZ034>040-047-048-050-021200-

/O.NEW.KLIX.FW.A.0002.101001T1842Z-101005T0000Z/

POINTE COUPEE-WEST FELICIANA-EAST FELICIANA-ST. HELENA-TANGIPAHOA-

WASHINGTON-ST. TAMMANY-WEST BATON ROUGE-EAST BATON ROUGE-

LIVINGSTON-

142 PM CDT FRI OCT 1 2010

...FIRE WEATHER WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED IN EFFECT THROUGH MONDAY

EVENING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SLIDELL HAS ISSUED A FIRE WEATHER

WATCH FOR EAST CENTRAL LOUISIANA...WHICH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH

MONDAY EVENING.

VERY LITTLE RAINFALL HAS OCCURRED ACROSS EAST CENTRAL LOUISIANA THE

PAST MONTH. ACCORDING TO LOUISIANA OFFICE OF STATE

CLIMATOLOGY...THE KEETCH-BYRAM DROUGHT INDEX WAS ABOVE 600 UNITS

ACROSS A LARGE PART OF EAST CENTRAL LOUISIANA. ANY UNIT LEVEL FROM

600 TO 800 IS OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH MORE SEVERE DROUGHT WITH

INCREASED WILDFIRE OCCURRENCE. DUE TO THESE DRY CONDITIONS...AN

INCREASE IN FIRE DANGER AND FIRE ACTIVITY IS POSSIBLE. OUTDOOR

BURNING IS DISCOURAGED THROUGH MONDAY. RAINFALL IS NOT EXPECTED

THROUGH NEXT WEEK.

RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL BE IN THE 20 TO 30 PERCENT RANGE DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS THROUGH MONDAY.
IN ADDITION...NORTHERLY WINDS OF 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 20 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE EACH DAY...
ESPECIALLY SUNDAY AND MONDAY. RED FLAG WARNINGS MAY HAVE TO BE ISSUED...
IF FIRE DANGER CONDITIONS CONTINUE TO WORSEN.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FIRE WEATHER WATCH MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST TO OCCUR.
LISTEN FOR LATER FORECASTS AND POSSIBLE RED FLAG WARNINGS.