CT Fire Danger: High
FIRE WEATHER PLANNING FORECAST FOR SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
406 AM EDT MON APR 5 2010
.DISCUSSION...
THERE IS AN ELEVATED RISK FOR FIRE SPREAD ACROSS SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND
THIS AFTERNOON AND TUESDAY. MINIMUM AFTERNOON RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL DROP
TO BETWEEN 25 AND 35 PERCENT ALONG WITH A FEW HOURS OF AT LEAST 25
MPH WIND GUSTS. HOWEVER...AFTER COORDINATING WITH OUR FIRE WEATHER
CONTACTS WE WILL NOT ISSUE FIRE WEATHER HEADLINES AT THIS TIME AS
CONDITIONS APPEAR TOO MARGINAL.
OUTLOOK...WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...
DRY AND UNSEASONABLY WARM WEATHER WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY. THE
HIGHEST TEMPERATURES WILL GENERALLY BE IN THE INTERIOR WITH COOLER
TEMPERATURES ALONG THE IMMEDIATE SOUTH COAST. THE HIGHEST CONCERN
FOR FIRE SPREAD WILL BE ON WEDNESDAY WHEN HIGHS REACH INTO THE 80S
AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH ARE FORECAST. MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITIES
WILL DROP BETWEEN 20 AND 30 PERCENT. INCREASING CHANCES OF RAIN
FRIDAY INTO THE WEEKEND.
WINDHAM CT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ASHFORD...PLAINFIELD...PUTNAM...
WILLIMANTIC
406 AM EDT MON APR 5 2010
TODAY TONIGHT TUE
CLOUD COVER PCLDY MCLEAR PCLDY
PRECIP TYPE NONE NONE NONE
CHANCE PRECIP (%) 10 0 10
TEMP /24H TREND/ 72 (-3) 46 (+2) 74
RH % /24H TREND/ 24 (+1) 89 (-11) 29
20FT WND AM /MPH/ LGT/VAR LGT/VAR
20FT WND PM /MPH/ S 8 G18 SW 5 SW 7 G23
PRECIP AMOUNT 0.00 0.00 0.00
PRECIP DURATION
PRECIP BEGIN
PRECIP END
MIXING HGT /FT-AGL/ 4700 70 5010
TRANSPORT WND /KTS/ SW 17 SW 13 SW 22
VENT RATE /KT-FT/ 79900 910 110220
CWR 0 0 0
LAL NO TSTMS NO TSTMS NO TSTMS
HAINES INDEX 5 4 4
REMARKS...NONE.
.FORECAST FOR DAYS 3 THROUGH 7...
.TUESDAY NIGHT...MOSTLY CLOUDY. LOWS IN THE MID 50S. SOUTHWEST WINDS
5 TO 10 MPH.
.WEDNESDAY...SUNNY. HIGHS IN THE LOWER 80S. WEST WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY...PARTLY CLOUDY. LOWS IN THE MID 50S.
HIGHS IN THE UPPER 70S. SOUTHWEST WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH.
.THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
LOWS IN THE UPPER 40S. HIGHS IN THE UPPER 50S. SOUTHWEST WINDS 10 TO
15 MPH.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS. LOWS IN THE
UPPER 30S. WEST WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH.
.SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT...PARTLY CLOUDY. LOWS IN THE MID 30S.
HIGHS IN THE LOWER 50S. NORTHWEST WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH.
.SUNDAY...SUNNY. HIGHS IN THE MID 50S. WEST WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH.
Should’ve updated this earlier!
CT Fire Danger: High.
I’ll make a post / link soon — Connecticut and particularly southeastern CT and southern RI experienced some of the worse flooding in history, in many cases exceeding that of ’55 and ’38, the beginning of this week. Water tables are still absolutely perched. The heavy rain ended Tuesday afternoon, the showers Wednesday morning…an Saturday evening many roads still have ground water flowing across them. I believe RI’s final count was three bridges and three dams washed out. Rain totals hit within a teardrop of 10″ in parts of RI, with 7 to 8″ common in Connecticut…on top of a 4″+ rainstorm the previous week that had already caused significant flooding.
The problem being, of course, should a fire get going today access will be very difficult both by foot and by vehicle due to serious mud problems in any low lying or poorly drained areas.
CT Fire Danger: High
Chilly today, in the forties, but high danger.
FIRE WEATHER PLANNING FORECAST FOR SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
524 AM EDT SAT MAR 27 2010
.DISCUSSION...
STRONG CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM BUILDS OVER NEW ENGLAND TODAY
AND THEN BEGINS TO DRIFT OFFSHORE SUNDAY. CHILLY BUT DRY WEATHER
IS EXPECTED TODAY ALONG WITH DIMINISHING WINDS. THE DEPARTING HIGH
PROVIDE THE REGION WITH ANOTHER DRY DAY SUNDAY. YET ANOTHER STORM
SYSTEM WILL BRING ANOTHER ROUND OF RAIN...POSSIBLY FLOODING RAINS
MONDAY INTO WEDNESDAY.
CTZ004-280930-
WINDHAM CT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ASHFORD...PLAINFIELD...PUTNAM...
WILLIMANTIC
524 AM EDT SAT MAR 27 2010
TODAY TONIGHT SUN
CLOUD COVER CLEAR MCLEAR PCLDY
PRECIP TYPE NONE NONE NONE
CHANCE PRECIP (%) 0 0 10
TEMP /24H TREND/ 41 (-1) 22 (-2) 48
RH % /24H TREND/ 24 (+2) 92 (-8) 45
20FT WND AM /MPH/ N 7 LGT/VAR
20FT WND PM /MPH/ LGT/VAR LGT/VAR S 8
PRECIP AMOUNT 0.00 0.00 0.00
PRECIP DURATION
PRECIP BEGIN
PRECIP END
MIXING HGT /FT-AGL/ 4000 70 4000
TRANSPORT WND /KTS/ NE 5 S 9 S 15
VENT RATE /KT-FT/ 20000 630 60000
CWR 0 0 0
LAL NO TSTMS NO TSTMS NO TSTMS
HAINES INDEX 4 4 4
REMARKS...NONE.
.FORECAST FOR DAYS 3 THROUGH 7...
.SUNDAY NIGHT...RAIN. LOWS AROUND 40. SOUTHEAST WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH.
.MONDAY...RAIN. HIGHS IN THE LOWER 50S. SOUTH WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH.
.MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY...RAIN. LOWS AROUND 40. HIGHS IN THE UPPER
40S. NORTHEAST WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH RAIN LIKELY. LOWS IN THE UPPER
30S. NORTHEAST WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH.
.WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT...MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF
RAIN. LOWS IN THE UPPER 30S. HIGHS IN THE MID 50S. NORTH WINDS 10 TO
15 MPH.
.THURSDAY...MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGHS AROUND 60. NORTHWEST WINDS 5 TO
10 MPH.
.THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY...MOSTLY CLEAR. LOWS AROUND 40. HIGHS IN
THE UPPER 60S. WEST WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH.
CT Fire Danger: Low.
Rained this morning. Now cool and cloudy.
CT Fire Danger: Moderate
Clear skies and near 60º today, it will be a perfect day for permit burns!
CT Fire Danger: Moderate until rain begins
Rain moving in later today and continuing for the next few.
Connecticut fire danger is high.
FIRE WEATHER PLANNING FORECAST FOR SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
433 AM EDT SUN MAR 21 2010
.DISCUSSION…
MUCH COOLER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TODAY BEHIND A BACKDOOR COLD
FRONT…BUT TEMPERATURES WILL STILL BE ABOVE NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR.
COASTAL LOW PRESSURE WILL BRING RAIN STARTING MONDAY…BUT THE
HEAVIEST RAINFALL WILL BE MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY. MAINLY DRY
WEATHER WITH JUST ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES FOLLOWS WEDNESDAY INTO
THURSDAY…BEFORE SOMEWHAT COLDER WEATHER ARRIVES NEXT FRIDAY AND
SATURDAY.
WINDHAM CT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…ASHFORD…PLAINFIELD…PUTNAM…
WILLIMANTIC
433 AM EDT SUN MAR 21 2010
TODAY TONIGHT MON
CLOUD COVER PCLDY MCLDY MCLDY
PRECIP TYPE NONE NONE RAIN
CHANCE PRECIP (%) 10 10 60
TEMP /24H TREND/ 60 (-11) 36 (-4) 57
RH % /24H TREND/ 37 (+14) 92 (+6) 57
20FT WND AM /MPH/ NE 5 LGT/VAR
20FT WND PM /MPH/ E 5 LGT/VAR LGT/VAR
PRECIP AMOUNT 0.00 0.00 0.10
PRECIP DURATION 4
PRECIP BEGIN 6 AM
PRECIP END CONTINUING
MIXING HGT /FT-AGL/ 2960 70 1440
TRANSPORT WND /KTS/ E 8 SE 4 SE 5
VENT RATE /KT-FT/ 23680 280 7200
CWR 0 0 50
LAL NO TSTMS NO TSTMS NO TSTMS
HAINES INDEX 4 4 3
REMARKS…NONE.
.FORECAST FOR DAYS 3 THROUGH 7…
.MONDAY NIGHT…RAIN. LOWS AROUND 40. NORTHEAST WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH.
.TUESDAY…RAIN. HIGHS IN THE UPPER 40S. NORTH WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH.
.TUESDAY NIGHT…CLOUDY WITH SHOWERS LIKELY. LOWS IN THE UPPER 30S.
NORTH WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH.
.WEDNESDAY…PARTLY SUNNY. HIGHS IN THE LOWER 50S. NORTHWEST WINDS
10 TO 15 MPH.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOWS IN THE MID 30S. WEST WINDS
10 TO 15 MPH.
.THURSDAY…SUNNY. HIGHS IN THE LOWER 50S. WEST WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH.
.THURSDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF RAIN SHOWERS. LOWS
IN THE LOWER 30S. SOUTHWEST WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH.
.FRIDAY…PARTLY SUNNY WITH A CHANCE OF RAIN SHOWERS. HIGHS IN THE
UPPER 40S. NORTHWEST WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH.
.FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY…MOSTLY CLEAR. LOWS IN THE MID 20S.
HIGHS IN THE LOWER 40S. NORTHWEST WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH.
I guess I should’ve started the morning reports for this year yesterday…
We had 4″ of rain in Brooklyn, CT over this past weekend and Boston area received 10″. Storm damage in southwestern Connecticut rivaled what they experienced in Hurricane Gloria in 1985. All thanks to a nor’easter that sat off of Long Island for several days.
Yesterday I had to put down the camera and work as a pump operator on a grass and woods fire that consumed 5 acres of grass, 3 acres of woods, and a couple chicken coops. More on that later.
Connecticut Fire Danger: High.
FIRE WEATHER PLANNING FORECAST FOR SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
405 AM EDT FRI MAR 19 2010
.DISCUSSION...
DRY AND UNSEASONABLY MILD WEATHER WILL CONTINUE TODAY AND SATURDAY.
A BACKDOOR COLD FRONT WILL BRING MUCH COOLER CONDITIONS ON SUNDAY
WITH PERHAPS A FEW PASSING RAIN SHOWERS. COASTAL LOW PRESSURE MAY
BRING A PERIOD OF HEAVY RAIN TO THE REGION LATE MONDAY INTO TUESDAY.
DRY WEATHER RETURNS BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK WITH TEMPERATURES AT
OR ABOVE NORMAL.
MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITIES THIS AFTERNOON ARE EXPECTED TO DROP
TO BETWEEN 20 AND 30 PERCENT.
CTZ004-200815-
WINDHAM CT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ASHFORD...PLAINFIELD...PUTNAM...
WILLIMANTIC
405 AM EDT FRI MAR 19 2010
TODAY TONIGHT SAT
CLOUD COVER CLEAR MCLEAR MCLEAR
PRECIP TYPE NONE NONE NONE
CHANCE PRECIP (%) 0 0 0
TEMP /24H TREND/ 69 (+4) 38 (+1) 69
RH % /24H TREND/ 22 (-1) 89 (-3) 26
20FT WND AM /MPH/ LGT/VAR LGT/VAR
20FT WND PM /MPH/ W 5 LGT/VAR W 7
PRECIP AMOUNT 0.00 0.00 0.00
PRECIP DURATION
PRECIP BEGIN
PRECIP END
MIXING HGT /FT-AGL/ 6450 70 7500
TRANSPORT WND /KTS/ W 13 SW 9 W 15
VENT RATE /KT-FT/ 83850 630 112500
CWR 0 0 0
LAL NO TSTMS NO TSTMS NO TSTMS
HAINES INDEX 5 5 4
REMARKS...NONE.
.FORECAST FOR DAYS 3 THROUGH 7...
.SATURDAY NIGHT...PARTLY CLOUDY. LOWS IN THE UPPER 30S. SOUTHWEST
WINDS AROUND 5 MPH...BECOMING NORTHWEST AFTER MIDNIGHT.
.SUNDAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS. HIGHS IN THE UPPER
50S. NORTHEAST WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH...BECOMING EAST IN THE AFTERNOON.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS. LOWS IN THE MID
40S. SOUTHEAST WINDS AROUND 5 MPH.
.MONDAY...CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS. HIGHS IN THE UPPER 50S.
SOUTH WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH.
.MONDAY NIGHT...SHOWERS. LOWS IN THE MID 40S. SOUTHEAST WINDS AROUND
5 MPH...BECOMING EAST AFTER MIDNIGHT.
.TUESDAY...CLOUDY WITH SHOWERS LIKELY. HIGHS IN THE UPPER 40S.
NORTHEAST WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS. LOWS IN THE
MID 40S. NORTH WINDS AROUND 10 MPH.
.WEDNESDAY...MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGHS IN THE LOWER 50S. NORTHWEST WINDS
10 TO 15 MPH.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...MOSTLY CLOUDY. LOWS IN THE LOWER 30S. WEST WINDS
5 TO 10 MPH.
.THURSDAY...MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGHS IN THE LOWER 50S. NORTHWEST WINDS
10 TO 15 MPH.
Red Flag? Really?
URGENT – FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
1146 AM EDT THU MAY 21 2009
CTZ002>004-MAZ002>019-026-RIZ001-002-220000-
/O.CON.KBOX.FW.W.0006.090521T1600Z-090522T0000Z/
HARTFORD CT-TOLLAND CT-WINDHAM CT-WESTERN FRANKLIN MA-
EASTERN FRANKLIN MA-NORTHERN WORCESTER MA-CENTRAL MIDDLESEX MA-
WESTERN ESSEX MA-EASTERN ESSEX MA-WESTERN HAMPSHIRE MA-
WESTERN HAMPDEN MA-EASTERN HAMPSHIRE MA-EASTERN HAMPDEN MA-
SOUTHERN WORCESTER MA-WESTERN NORFOLK MA-SOUTHEAST MIDDLESEX MA-
SUFFOLK MA-EASTERN NORFOLK MA-NORTHERN BRISTOL MA-
WESTERN PLYMOUTH MA-EASTERN PLYMOUTH MA-NORTHERN MIDDLESEX MA-
NORTHWEST PROVIDENCE RI-SOUTHEAST PROVIDENCE RI-
1146 AM EDT THU MAY 21 2009
…RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS
EVENING…
A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING.
THE RED FLAG WARNING CONTINUES FOR MOST OF MASSACHUSETTS EXCEPT THE
BERKSHIRES…CAPE COD…THE ISLANDS…AND SOUTH COASTAL SECTIONS. THE
WARNING ALSO INCLUDES PROVIDENCE COUNTY OF RHODE ISLAND AND THE
CONNECTICUT COUNTIES OF HARTFORD…TOLLAND… AND WINDHAM.
TEMPERATURES RISING TO BETWEEN 90 AND 94 DEGREES WITH WEST TO SOUTHWEST
WIND GUSTS OF 25 TO 30 MPH COMBINED WITH RELATIVE HUMIDITY DROPPING
TO AROUND 20 PERCENT…AND THE LAST FEW DAYS OF DRY WEATHER WILL
PROMOTE THE RAPID SPREAD OF ANY WILDFIRES THIS AFTERNOON.
THE MOST PRONE REGION TO ELEVATED FIRE DANGER IS FROM THE BOSTON AREA
TO BEDFORD AND WORCESTER MASSACHUSETTS TO WILLIMANTIC CONNECTICUT TO
JUST NORTH OF PROVIDENCE RHODE ISLAND TO JUST NORTH OF BROCKTON AND
THE BLUE HILLS IN EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS. RAINFALL IN THIS REGION
HAS BEEN THAN 2 TENTHS OF AN INCH IN THE LAST FIVE DAYS. THIS IS
GENERALLY ONE THIRD OF NORMAL.
A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
EITHER OCCURRING NOW…OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF STRONG
WINDS…LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY…AND WARM TEMPERATURES WILL CREATE
EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.
Honestly, I don’t think there is significant fire conditions at least in the upland rolling hills — green up is 80% complete or more so we should be moving more towards the drought driven models of the summertime then the wind driven models of the spring. Grasses are lush and green, so they’re not going to burn. Forest duff is well shaded by leaves and the ferns are out.
CTZ004-220830-
WINDHAM CT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ASHFORD...PLAINFIELD...PUTNAM...
WILLIMANTIC
417 AM EDT THU MAY 21 2009
...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM EDT THIS
EVENING...
TODAY TONIGHT FRI
CLOUD COVER CLEAR CLEAR MCLEAR
PRECIP TYPE NONE NONE NONE
CHANCE PRECIP (%) 0 0 10
TEMP /24H TREND/ 86 (+4) 53 (+6) 86
RH % /24H TREND/ 19 (0) 80 (-20) 28
20FT WND AM /MPH/ SW 6 SW 6
20FT WND PM /MPH/ SW 13 G22 SW 10 G23 W 10 G19
PRECIP AMOUNT 0.00 0.00 0.00
PRECIP DURATION
PRECIP BEGIN
PRECIP END
MIXING HGT /FT-AGL/ 3320 70 7100
TRANSPORT WND /KTS/ SW 19 SW 10 W 14
VENT RATE /KT-FT/ 63080 700 99400
CWR 0 0 0
LAL NO TSTMS NO TSTMS NO TSTMS
HAINES INDEX 5 5 4
REMARKS...NONE.
.FORECAST FOR DAYS 3 THROUGH 7...
.FRIDAY NIGHT...MOSTLY CLOUDY. LOWS IN THE MID 50S. WEST WINDS 5 TO
10 MPH...BECOMING NORTH AFTER MIDNIGHT.
.SATURDAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY. HIGHS IN THE LOWER 70S. NORTHEAST WINDS
AROUND 5 MPH...BECOMING SOUTH IN THE AFTERNOON.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS. LOWS IN
THE MID 50S. SOUTHWEST WINDS AROUND 5 MPH.
.SUNDAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS. HIGHS IN THE MID
70S. WEST WINDS AROUND 5 MPH.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...MOSTLY CLOUDY. LOWS IN THE UPPER 40S. NORTHWEST
WINDS AROUND 5 MPH.
.MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT...PARTLY CLOUDY. LOWS IN THE UPPER 40S.
HIGHS AROUND 70. EAST WINDS AROUND 5 MPH.
.TUESDAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS. HIGHS IN THE
UPPER 60S. EAST WINDS AROUND 5 MPH...BECOMING SOUTH IN THE
AFTERNOON.
.TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS. LOWS
IN THE UPPER 40S. HIGHS IN THE UPPER 60S. SOUTHEAST WINDS 5 TO
10 MPH.
Rain is moving in, and this is likely the last morning report I’ll do for a while since there shouldn’t be much activity. If the forecast holds, by the time the rain and showers end later next week leaf out will be well underway and that will end the spring fire season.
Yesterday saw some moderate fire activity again in my region, some of which needed mutual aid, but nothing significant.
CT Fire Danger:
Moderate
CTZ004-020800-
WINDHAM CT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ASHFORD...PLAINFIELD...PUTNAM...
WILLIMANTIC
357 AM EDT FRI MAY 1 2009
TODAY TONIGHT SAT
CLOUD COVER CLOUDY CLOUDY MCLDY
PRECIP TYPE SHOWERS SHOWERS SHOWERS
CHANCE PRECIP (%) 90 70 30
TEMP /24H TREND/ 67 (0) 51 (+5) 65
RH % /24H TREND/ 61 (+45) 96 (-4) 45
20FT WND AM /MPH/ SW 10 G32 NW 7
20FT WND PM /MPH/ SW 12 G31 SW 8 G23 W 6
PRECIP AMOUNT 0.35 0.13 0.01
PRECIP DURATION 11 3 1
PRECIP BEGIN 6 AM CONTINUING 11 AM
PRECIP END CONTINUING 6 AM CONTINUING
MIXING HGT /FT-AGL/ 2390 70 5030
TRANSPORT WND /KTS/ SW 18 SW 15 W 10
VENT RATE /KT-FT/ 43020 1050 50300
CWR 100 100 10
LAL NO TSTMS NO TSTMS NO TSTMS
HAINES INDEX 2 3 4
Yesterday certainly didn’t live up to it’s potential. The high winds didn’t develop, at my house, until around midnight. There also were relatively few ignitions in the Quinebaug Valley / Tolland County / Southern Worcester County area I was monitoring on the radio. QV indeed I believe had none, and the largest fire regionally I know of is Milford, MA which lost 15 acres.
Today and tomorrow look “ordinary” — dry, with RH in the teens daytime, but light winds. Showers should come in by the weekend.
CT Fire Danger:
High
CTZ004-300800-
WINDHAM CT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ASHFORD...PLAINFIELD...PUTNAM...
WILLIMANTIC
354 AM EDT WED APR 29 2009
TODAY TONIGHT THU
CLOUD COVER MCLEAR CLEAR CLEAR
PRECIP TYPE NONE NONE NONE
CHANCE PRECIP (%) 10 0 0
TEMP /24H TREND/ 64 (-25) 33 (-19) 68
RH % /24H TREND/ 17 (-6) 78 (-18) 19
20FT WND AM /MPH/ N 8 G17 LGT/VAR
20FT WND PM /MPH/ N 5 LGT/VAR S 9
PRECIP AMOUNT 0.00 0.00 0.00
PRECIP DURATION
PRECIP BEGIN
PRECIP END
MIXING HGT /FT-AGL/ 5620 70 5370
TRANSPORT WND /KTS/ NW 8 SW 8 S 15
VENT RATE /KT-FT/ 44960 560 80550
CWR 0 0 0
LAL NO TSTMS NO TSTMS NO TSTMS
HAINES INDEX 5 5 5
Today looks like it’ll be the peak of the spring fire season in southern New England. Very High danger on the NFDRS scale, and Red Flag weather conditions.
Intensity normally peaks right about now — trees and brush are just leafing out, so plenty of sun is still warming the forest ground. The grass fires of earlier spring are largely over, except in wetland marshes which seem to green with the woods, however fires that get into forest duff and light brush burn vigorously.
Today the thermometer will push 90º, southwest winds expected to gust this afternoon to 35mph ahead of a cold front, RH around 25%, 10 hour fuels under 10% moisture, 100 hour fuels under 15% moisture (for reference, well seasoned firewood is 20% moisture). That all makes up for a classic end to the spring fire season ahead of some showers as the weather turns a little wetter.
CT Fire Danger:
Very High
CTZ004-290800-
WINDHAM CT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ASHFORD...PLAINFIELD...PUTNAM...
WILLIMANTIC
348 AM EDT TUE APR 28 2009
...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 6 PM EDT
THIS EVENING...
TODAY TONIGHT WED
CLOUD COVER CLEAR PCLDY PCLDY
PRECIP TYPE NONE TSTMS SHOWERS
CHANCE PRECIP (%) 0 70 70
TEMP /24H TREND/ 90 (+5) 48 (-5) 63
RH % /24H TREND/ 24 (-3) 74 (-22) 21
20FT WND AM /MPH/ SW 6 NE 8 G19
20FT WND PM /MPH/ SW 11 G22 NW 9 G18 NE 6
PRECIP AMOUNT 0.00 0.05 0.05
PRECIP DURATION 3 3
PRECIP BEGIN 8 PM CONTINUING
PRECIP END CONTINUING 3 PM
MIXING HGT /FT-AGL/ 10370 70 4680
TRANSPORT WND /KTS/ SW 19 NW 16 NE 9
VENT RATE /KT-FT/ 197030 1120 42120
CWR 0 20 20
LAL NO TSTMS 1-8 STRIKES NO TSTMS
HAINES INDEX 5 3 3
TZ002>004-MAZ002>016-026-NHZ011-012-015-RIZ001-281630-
/O.UPG.KBOX.FW.A.0004.090428T1600Z-090429T0000Z/
/O.NEW.KBOX.FW.W.0004.090428T1700Z-090428T2200Z/
HARTFORD CT-TOLLAND CT-WINDHAM CT-WESTERN FRANKLIN MA-
EASTERN FRANKLIN MA-NORTHERN WORCESTER MA-CENTRAL MIDDLESEX MA-
WESTERN ESSEX MA-EASTERN ESSEX MA-WESTERN HAMPSHIRE MA-
WESTERN HAMPDEN MA-EASTERN HAMPSHIRE MA-EASTERN HAMPDEN MA-
SOUTHERN WORCESTER MA-WESTERN NORFOLK MA-SOUTHEAST MIDDLESEX MA-
SUFFOLK MA-EASTERN NORFOLK MA-NORTHERN MIDDLESEX MA-CHESHIRE NH-
EASTERN HILLSBOROUGH NH-WESTERN AND CENTRAL HILLSBOROUGH NH-
NORTHWEST PROVIDENCE RI-
426 AM EDT TUE APR 28 2009
...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 6 PM
EDT THIS EVENING...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 6 PM EDT
THIS EVENING. THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.
THIS WARNING COVERS MOST OF MASSACHUSETTS EXCEPT THE SOUTHEAST AND
BERKSHIRES. IT ALSO COVERS THE NORTHWEST HILLS OF RHODE ISLAND...
SOUTHWEST NEW HAMPSHIRE AND THE NORTHERN PARTS OF HARTFORD...TOLLAND
AND WINDHAM COUNTIES.
IT HAS BEEN ESSENTIALLY DRY SINCE WEDNESDAY WITH RECORD HEAT THIS
PAST WEEKEND.
SOUTHWEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE CONSIDERABLY THIS AFTERNOON...
GUSTING BETWEEN 25 AND 35 MPH FOR A TIME DURING MID OR LATE AFTERNOON.
RECORD HEAT IS FORECAST ONCE AGAIN WITH HIGHS IN THE UPPER 80S TO
LOWER 90S. THESE FACTORS COMBINED WITH AFTERNOON MINIMUM HUMIDITY OF
20 TO 25 PERCENT RANGE SETS THE STAGE FOR CONSIDERABLY ELEVATED FIRE
SPREAD-GROWTH DANGER IN THE WARNING AREA.
THE TARGET FOR HIGHEST TEMPERATURES...STRONGEST WINDS AND LOWEST
HUMIDITY FAVORS THE INTERSTATE 95 CORRIDOR FROM MANCHESTER AND NASHUA
THROUGH THE MERRIMACK VALLEY TO FRAMINGHAM...BEVERLY...BOSTON
AND THE BLUE HILLS.
THERE IS A LOW PROBABILITY THAT THE WARNING MAY NEED TO BE EXPANDED
INTO PROVIDENCE AND BROCKTON DURING A MIDDAY REVIEW.
WINDS WILL BE SHIFTING TO GUSTY NORTHERLY THIS EVENING WITH GUSTS
POSSIBLY TO 30 MPH EVEN THROUGH MIDNIGHT.
Down to a very nice 78º today. Tomorrow will again be unseasonably hot and drier, potentially red flag criteria will be met. No significant rain on the forecast, but things should get cloudy with occasionally showers afters Tuesday keeping things quiet.
CT Fire Danger:
High
CTZ004-280845-
WINDHAM CT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ASHFORD...PLAINFIELD...PUTNAM...
WILLIMANTIC
440 AM EDT MON APR 27 2009
TODAY TONIGHT TUE
CLOUD COVER MCLEAR CLEAR CLEAR
PRECIP TYPE NONE NONE NONE
CHANCE PRECIP (%) 0 0 0
TEMP /24H TREND/ 79 (-8) 54 (-2) 87
RH % /24H TREND/ 34 (+5) 93 (0) 27
20FT WND AM /MPH/ LGT/VAR SW 5
20FT WND PM /MPH/ LGT/VAR LGT/VAR SW 7 G21
PRECIP AMOUNT 0.00 0.00 0.00
PRECIP DURATION
PRECIP BEGIN
PRECIP END
MIXING HGT /FT-AGL/ 2530 70 7030
TRANSPORT WND /KTS/ S 12 S 8 SW 18
VENT RATE /KT-FT/ 30360 560 126540
CWR 0 0 0
LAL NO TSTMS NO TSTMS NO TSTMS
HAINES INDEX 4 5 4
Some areas of New England are flirting with Red Flag, but over all humidity is moderate, winds are down, and things are kind of stable despite the unseasonable temperatures (it’ll push 90º today). That heat is driving moisture out of the dead fuels, which are still 90% fully exposed to the sun as leaf out is just starting to happen on some shrubs and maples around my area.
CT Fire Danger:
High.
Some part of Massachusetts will be Class 4 (Very High) today. Heard some of the fire towers reporting to DCR Control last night.
CTZ004-270830-
WINDHAM CT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ASHFORD...PLAINFIELD...PUTNAM...
WILLIMANTIC
427 AM EDT SUN APR 26 2009
TODAY TONIGHT MON
CLOUD COVER PCLDY PCLDY MCLEAR
PRECIP TYPE NONE TSTMS NONE
CHANCE PRECIP (%) 20 20 0
TEMP /24H TREND/ 87 (-1) 50 (-4) 77
RH % /24H TREND/ 29 (+6) 93 (0) 36
20FT WND AM /MPH/ NW 7 S 6
20FT WND PM /MPH/ NW 8 E 8 S 9
PRECIP AMOUNT 0.00 0.01 0.00
PRECIP DURATION 1
PRECIP BEGIN 6 PM
PRECIP END 3 AM
MIXING HGT /FT-AGL/ 7800 70 2480
TRANSPORT WND /KTS/ N 14 E 9 S 12
VENT RATE /KT-FT/ 109200 630 29760
CWR 0 0 0
LAL 1-8 STRIKES 1-8 STRIKES NO TSTMS
HAINES INDEX 5 3 3
The weather will be more unsettled this weekend then originally forecast, as we’ll have a front moving in and out of New England that may bring showers or even a thunderstorm any afternoon. Maine was under a fire weather watch, but it looks like RH will be high enough now to not meet the criteria.
CT Fire Danger:
High
CTZ004-260830-
WINDHAM CT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ASHFORD...PLAINFIELD...PUTNAM...
WILLIMANTIC
430 AM EDT SAT APR 25 2009
TODAY TONIGHT SUN
CLOUD COVER MCLEAR MCLEAR PCLDY
PRECIP TYPE NONE NONE TSTMS
CHANCE PRECIP (%) 0 0 20
TEMP /24H TREND/ 80 (+9) 57 (+11) 83
RH % /24H TREND/ 42 (+22) 93 (+11) 38
20FT WND AM /MPH/ LGT/VAR W 5 G17
20FT WND PM /MPH/ SW 9 SW 6 NW 9 G17
PRECIP AMOUNT 0.00 0.00 0.01
PRECIP DURATION 0
PRECIP BEGIN 3 PM
PRECIP END CONTINUING
MIXING HGT /FT-AGL/ 2150 70 6970
TRANSPORT WND /KTS/ SW 14 SW 9 NW 11
VENT RATE /KT-FT/ 30100 630 76670
CWR 0 0 0
LAL NO TSTMS NO TSTMS 1-8 STRIKES
HAINES INDEX 4 5 4
It is expected to be unseasonably warm for the next several days, 15 to 20 degrees above average, with the possibility of flirting with some record temperatures.
Our weather is being driven by a high centered over the Carolinas, which is also driving a major fire in Horry County that’s consumed over 15,000 acres and 70 houses. Horry County experienced South Carolina’s largest fire in modern times when 30,000 acres burned in 1976. Like the little kid who reaches his hand towards a hot stove, if you develop in fire prone country…you’re gonna get burned.
Red Flag is possible
CT Fire Danger:
High
CTZ004-250830-
WINDHAM CT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ASHFORD...PLAINFIELD...PUTNAM...
WILLIMANTIC
421 AM EDT FRI APR 24 2009
TODAY TONIGHT SAT
CLOUD COVER CLEAR MCLEAR MCLEAR
PRECIP TYPE NONE NONE NONE
CHANCE PRECIP (%) 0 10 10
TEMP /24H TREND/ 69 (+15) 45 (+9) 80
RH % /24H TREND/ 25 (-21) 100 (+4) 35
20FT WND AM /MPH/ W 5 LGT/VAR
20FT WND PM /MPH/ SW 8 SW 5 SW 8 G18
PRECIP AMOUNT 0.00 0.00 0.00
PRECIP DURATION
PRECIP BEGIN
PRECIP END
MIXING HGT /FT-AGL/ 4370 70 3400
TRANSPORT WND /KTS/ W 10 SW 9 SW 15
VENT RATE /KT-FT/ 43700 630 51000
CWR 0 0 0
LAL NO TSTMS NO TSTMS NO TSTMS
HAINES INDEX 5 4 4
Winds will be up today, but so will be RH as they dry up some of the 1 to 2″ of rain over the past few days. It’s expected to be unseasonably hot Friday through Monday, with temps in the mid to high 80s, but winds should be modest.
CT Fire Danger:
Moderate
CTZ004-240815-
WINDHAM CT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ASHFORD...PLAINFIELD...PUTNAM...
WILLIMANTIC
403 AM EDT THU APR 23 2009
TODAY TONIGHT FRI
CLOUD COVER MCLDY MCLEAR CLEAR
PRECIP TYPE SHOWERS NONE NONE
CHANCE PRECIP (%) 40 0 0
TEMP /24H TREND/ 56 (-4) 35 (-8) 69
RH % /24H TREND/ 38 (-12) 89 (-11) 26
20FT WND AM /MPH/ W 9 G23 LGT/VAR
20FT WND PM /MPH/ W 13 G23 W 8 G18 SW 7
PRECIP AMOUNT 0.01 0.00 0.00
PRECIP DURATION 1
PRECIP BEGIN 6 AM
PRECIP END 10 AM
MIXING HGT /FT-AGL/ 7220 70 4580
TRANSPORT WND /KTS/ W 27 W 14 W 7
VENT RATE /KT-FT/ 194940 980 32060
CWR 20 0 0
LAL NO TSTMS NO TSTMS NO TSTMS
HAINES INDEX 4 5 4
CT Fire Danger:
Low
Not much else to say today.
It’s raining, it’s pouring, the old man is snoring.
One to one and half inches of rain should fall tonight through Tuesday over the area, with continuing showers on Wednesday.
Firegeezer has a nice summary of some recent activity in the northeast.
CT Fire Danger:
High
CTZ004-210900-
WINDHAM CT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ASHFORD...PLAINFIELD...PUTNAM...
WILLIMANTIC
448 AM EDT MON APR 20 2009
TODAY TONIGHT TUE
CLOUD COVER MCLDY CLOUDY MCLDY
PRECIP TYPE RAIN TSTMS TSTMS
CHANCE PRECIP (%) 80 100 90
TEMP /24H TREND/ 52 (-8) 43 (+7) 61
RH % /24H TREND/ 41 (+20) 100 (0) 60
20FT WND AM /MPH/ E 7 G22 E 9 G21
20FT WND PM /MPH/ E 12 G23 E 16 G24 S 9 G18
PRECIP AMOUNT 0.05 0.97 0.33
PRECIP DURATION 3 12 10
PRECIP BEGIN 10 AM CONTINUING CONTINUING
PRECIP END CONTINUING CONTINUING CONTINUING
MIXING HGT /FT-AGL/ 2950 350 1630
TRANSPORT WND /KTS/ SE 23 SE 15 S 11
VENT RATE /KT-FT/ 67850 5250 17930
CWR 40 100 100
LAL NO TSTMS 1-8 STRIKES 1-8 STRIKES
HAINES INDEX 5 2 2
I’m not anticipating much activity over the next few days due to showers and high RH.
CT Fire Danger:
High
CTZ004-200845-
WINDHAM CT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ASHFORD...PLAINFIELD...PUTNAM...
WILLIMANTIC
443 AM EDT SUN APR 19 2009
TODAY TONIGHT MON
CLOUD COVER PCLDY PCLDY MCLDY
PRECIP TYPE NONE NONE RAIN
CHANCE PRECIP (%) 10 0 40
TEMP /24H TREND/ 60 (-9) 33 (-13) 51
RH % /24H TREND/ 29 (+7) 77 (-2) 42
20FT WND AM /MPH/ N 7 E 7 G18
20FT WND PM /MPH/ NE 9 E 5 SE 12 G23
PRECIP AMOUNT 0.00 0.00 0.04
PRECIP DURATION 1
PRECIP BEGIN 3 PM
PRECIP END CONTINUING
MIXING HGT /FT-AGL/ 6690 80 3610
TRANSPORT WND /KTS/ NE 12 E 7 SE 21
VENT RATE /KT-FT/ 80280 560 75810
CWR 0 0 20
LAL NO TSTMS NO TSTMS NO TSTMS
HAINES INDEX 4 4 4
Humidity is up today, RH over 30% so fire activity should be down. Possible showers tonite, tomorrow, and rain likely overnight Monday should settle things down. Long range forecast for dry weather towards next weekend again.
Fire behavior was just starting to get hinky. Mansfield, CT had approx. 5 acres burn last night, called in around 8:30. Lisbon and Jewett City had a night time brush fire, and East Brooklyn went to CVS twice for bark mulch fires.
Lexington, MA had 110 acres burn, as this news story gets very melodramatic over. It’s sad that some people are so detached from nature and experience with fire all they can do is call 911 and panic — and not realize with 100′ of green grass lawn they and a garden hose can keep their own house safe in these conditions. We — as a society and fire service — are too quick to teach people to call 911 instead of teaching people how to help themselves. I am a huge supporter of the Australian “stay or go” system, which while it needs some more time to improve at least engages people in actively controlling their destiny.
CT Fire Danger:
High
CTZ004-191130-
WINDHAM CT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ASHFORD...PLAINFIELD...PUTNAM...
WILLIMANTIC
716 AM EDT SAT APR 18 2009
TODAY TONIGHT SUN
CLOUD COVER MCLDY CLOUDY PCLDY
PRECIP TYPE SHOWERS SHOWERS SHOWERS
CHANCE PRECIP (%) 20 50 30
TEMP /24H TREND/ 65 (-4) 39 (-2) 56
RH % /24H TREND/ 33 (+18) 82 (-18) 38
20FT WND AM /MPH/ LGT/VAR NE 6
20FT WND PM /MPH/ NW 7 LGT/VAR NE 8
PRECIP AMOUNT 0.03 0.14 0.01
PRECIP DURATION 0 2 1
PRECIP BEGIN 3 PM CONTINUING CONTINUING
PRECIP END CONTINUING CONTINUING 10 AM
MIXING HGT /FT-AGL/ 5390 70 5530
TRANSPORT WND /KTS/ NW 19 NE 9 NE 9
VENT RATE /KT-FT/ 102410 630 49770
CWR 30 70 20
LAL NO TSTMS NO TSTMS NO TSTMS
HAINES INDEX 4 3 4
Red Flags will be up this afternoon throughout Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts (except Cape Cod), New Hampshire, Vermont, Western half of Maine, Eastern half of New York, northern half of New Jersey.
CT Fire Danger:
High
CTZ004-180845-
WINDHAM CT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ASHFORD...PLAINFIELD...PUTNAM...
WILLIMANTIC
436 AM EDT FRI APR 17 2009
...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM EDT THIS
EVENING...
TODAY TONIGHT SAT
CLOUD COVER MCLEAR MCLEAR PCLDY
PRECIP TYPE NONE NONE SHOWERS
CHANCE PRECIP (%) 0 0 40
TEMP /24H TREND/ 69 (+9) 38 (+8) 65
RH % /24H TREND/ 15 (-4) 73 (-19) 35
20FT WND AM /MPH/ LGT/VAR NW 5
20FT WND PM /MPH/ W 11 G22 W 8 G18 NW 7 G17
PRECIP AMOUNT 0.00 0.00 0.02
PRECIP DURATION 1
PRECIP BEGIN 11 AM
PRECIP END CONTINUING
MIXING HGT /FT-AGL/ 6590 70 5840
TRANSPORT WND /KTS/ W 18 W 13 NW 18
VENT RATE /KT-FT/ 118620 910 105120
CWR 0 0 20
LAL NO TSTMS NO TSTMS NO TSTMS
HAINES INDEX 5 5 4
Low probability of Red Flag this afternoon over central New England; Moderate probability for Friday afternoon.
CT Fire Danger:
High
CTZ004-170900-
WINDHAM CT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ASHFORD...PLAINFIELD...PUTNAM...
WILLIMANTIC
448 AM EDT THU APR 16 2009
TODAY TONIGHT FRI
CLOUD COVER MCLEAR CLEAR CLEAR
PRECIP TYPE NONE NONE NONE
CHANCE PRECIP (%) 0 0 0
TEMP /24H TREND/ 58 (+1) 29 (-2) 69
RH % /24H TREND/ 22 (0) 85 (+7) 19
20FT WND AM /MPH/ NE 7 G17 LGT/VAR
20FT WND PM /MPH/ NE 8 G17 LGT/VAR W 11 G21
PRECIP AMOUNT 0.00 0.00 0.00
PRECIP DURATION
PRECIP BEGIN
PRECIP END
MIXING HGT /FT-AGL/ 5900 70 6320
TRANSPORT WND /KTS/ NE 9 S 6 W 17
VENT RATE /KT-FT/ 53100 420 107440
CWR 0 0 0
LAL NO TSTMS NO TSTMS NO TSTMS
HAINES INDEX 5 5 5
Red Flags were hoisted this afternoon!
Looking at the weather, I think the winds got gusting higher then originally forecast causing conditions to move into Red Flag conditions.
WWUS81 KBOX 152224
RFWBOX
URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
624 PM EDT WED APR 15 2009
...BLUSTERY NORTHEAST WINDS COMBINED WITH LOW HUMIDITY WILL
CREATE ELEVATED FIRE SPREAD AND ASSOCIATED DANGER CONDITIONS THIS
AFTERNOON AND PROBABLY AGAIN AT LEAST LATE FRIDAY AFTERNOON...
CTZ003-004-RIZ001-160630-
/O.EXP.KBOX.FW.W.0002.000000T0000Z-090415T2200Z/
/O.CON.KBOX.FW.A.0002.090416T1400Z-090416T2000Z/
TOLLAND CT-WINDHAM CT-NORTHWEST PROVIDENCE RI-
624 PM EDT WED APR 15 2009
...FIRE WEATHER WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING
THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON...
...RED FLAG WARNING HAS EXPIRED...
THE RED FLAG WARNING IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. A FIRE WEATHER WATCH
REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY
AFTERNOON.
ANOTHER WATCH/WARNING PROCESS IS POSSIBLE FOR LATE FRIDAY AFTERNOON
AND EVENING...ESPECIALLY FOR NORTHERN MASSACHUSETTS AND SOUTH CENTRAL
NEW HAMPSHIRE.
