Wildfire threat remains high in Northeast with temperatures set to soar this week
Bouts of blustery weather, combined with record dryness, will keep the risk of wildfires elevated through the end of the month. Building warmth may compound concerns this week.
Long periods of dry weather have caused drought conditions to increase in the central and northeastern regions of the United States, which raises the concern for wildfires heading into November.
Bouts of blustery weather, combined with record dryness, will keep the risk of wildfires elevated across the northeastern United States through the end of the month. Building warmth this week may compound concerns.
Neither Philadelphia nor New York City has received measurable rain (0.01 of an inch or more) this month, putting both cities on pace for their driest month ever recorded. In Philadelphia, the driest months ever were October 1963 and 1924, with 0.09 of an inch. In New York City, the driest month was June 1949, with 0.02 of an inch. AccuWeather's forecast shows neither city will receive rain through the final days of October.
Warmth to ramp up this week with episodes of gusty winds
Warm weather will return with a vengeance in the days leading up to Halloween. Record-challenging temperatures will first build across the middle of the nation early this week before expanding toward the East Coast by midweek.
On Wednesday, high temperatures in Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., New York City, and Boston will be 10-20 degrees Fahrenheit higher than Monday, climbing into the 70s. Thursday may wind up being the warmest day of the week and could end up being the warmest Halloween on record for some. Daily records for Oct. 31 from the 1940s and 50s could be challenged in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and New York City. Morgantown, West Virginia, may come close to its daily record high of 80 set all the way back in 1896 this Halloween.
"I would expect many record highs to fall, especially with how dry the ground is," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said.
The preexisting dry soil allows most of the sun's energy to heat the ground and the air nearest the ground, rather than evaporate moisture. This allows the temperature to soar higher than if the ground was wet. According to the latest United States Drought Monitor, every state in the U.S., including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico, is experiencing abnormally dry or drought conditions.
Wildfire concerns will be amplified once again as conditions become breezier and the air temperature climbs higher toward the middle of the week. Dry brush, dead leaves and broken tree limbs can be a source of fuel for any spark.
"This time of year, many people are doing yardwork and burning leaves and other smaller twigs or perhaps having evening bonfires with family and friends. Extra precautions will need to be taken when participating in these kinds of activities due to the high fire danger and how quickly fires could spread. It may be best to put off burning leaves and other yard waste until a change in the pattern brings wetter conditions with less wind," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said.
Experts advise those planning a late-season cookout to keep a hose or fire extinguisher nearby or consider grilling at a different time.
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