Wednesday, April 06, 2016

Elevated Fire Risk in New Jersey: April 6th

The National Weather Service at Mt. Holly NJ has issued a special weather statement at 9:38 AM this morning (April 6th) for an elevated risk of wildfires today for most of their New Jersey forecast area:

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
938 AM EDT WED APR 6 2016

NJZ001-007>010-012-013-015>022-027-062200-
SUSSEX-WARREN-MORRIS-HUNTERDON-SOMERSET-MIDDLESEX-
WESTERN MONMOUTH-MERCER-SALEM-GLOUCESTER-CAMDEN-
NORTHWESTERN BURLINGTON-OCEAN-CUMBERLAND-ATLANTIC-
SOUTHEASTERN BURLINGTON-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...NEWTON...WASHINGTON...MORRISTOWN...
FLEMINGTON...SOMERVILLE...NEW BRUNSWICK...FREEHOLD...TRENTON...
PENNSVILLE...GLASSBORO...CAMDEN...CHERRY HILL...MOORESTOWN...
MOUNT HOLLY...JACKSON...MILLVILLE...HAMMONTON...
WHARTON STATE FOREST
938 AM EDT WED APR 6 2016

...AN ELEVATED RISK FOR THE SPREAD OF FIRES TODAY...

THE COMBINATION OF DRY CONDITIONS AND GUSTY WINDS WILL LEAD TO AN
ELEVATED RISK FOR THE SPREAD OF WILDFIRES THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
ACROSS NEW JERSEY EXCLUDING COASTAL LOCATIONS AND FAR SOUTHEASTERN
NEW JERSEY.

SOUTHERLY WINDS GUSTING AT OR ABOVE 20 MPH WILL DEVELOP BY THIS
AFTERNOON AND WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE THIS EVENING. THESE WINDS
WILL COMBINE WITH RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES DECREASING THROUGH THE
AFTERNOON...REACHING MINIMUM VALUES AROUND OR JUST BELOW 30
PERCENT.

ALTHOUGH PRECIPITATION OCCURRED WITH IN THE LAST 48 HOURS...DRY
CONDITIONS YESTERDAY HAVE HELPED TO DRY OUT FUELS ACROSS THE
REGION.

It appears that Cape May County is not included in the above special weather statement for an elevated risk of wildfires. The counties in northeastern New Jersey are included in the NWS New York, NY forecast area and are not under an elevated risk for wildfires as I write this at 10:10 AM.

According to my friends at the B10 NJ Wildland Fire Page firetowers in all three divisions (NJ Forest Fire Services Divisions A, B, and C) are staffed today (Wed. April 6th).

Thanks to the NJ Forest Fire Service wildland firefighters and mutual aid responders for keeping us safe. Stay safe everyone!

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