Frosty Start Sunday Morning and Milder Sunshine in North Carolina | Dry Conditions Prompt a Burn Ban

Introduction

A chilly and frosty morning greeted residents of North Carolina this past Sunday. However, as the day wore on, sunshine began to yield comfortable daytime temperatures, although continued dry weather has resulted in burn bans in many places.

Frosty Morning Conditions

One of the reasons why there was so much frost early on Sunday morning was that overnight temperatures dropped quite a bit, especially in rural and low-lying areas. In addition to clear skies, calm winds provided ideal conditions for the heat of the earth’s surface to escape, resulting in air temperatures at least 5 degrees below the mean.

Farmers and gardeners were especially concerned because frost can potentially kill delicate plants and early crops.

Sunshine Brings Afternoon Warm-Up

As the day progresses, strong sunshine will push air temperatures towards near-normal values in the afternoon. Seasonally normal air temperatures will provide an agreeable contrast to the initial frigid air temperature.

Clearer skies, combined with light winds, will contribute to stable weather patterns and an extremely comfortable climate across the entire region.

Why Conditions Are So Dry

The presence of a big area of high pressure has inhibited the formation of clouds and has prevented most parts of North Carolina from receiving much rain. While this atmospheric pattern causes mostly sunny skies, it is also producing drying conditions because there have been no recent rains. Without enough rainfall recently, the vegetation has been drying.

Burn Ban Issued Across Several Areas

Fire departments across many different parts of North Carolina have issued bans on burning outdoors due to high risks of wildfire starting from an accident during the drier and sometimes breezy conditions. The bans are in place to help reduce the chances of starting a fire from an accident that could spread rapidly.

Some examples of activities that are prohibited due to the fire dangers caused by dry, warm days and high winds:

• Camping outside of designated areas
• Burning of debris outside
• Any other activities that could create sparks.

If someone is caught violating a burn ban, they could be fined or charged with a crime.

Fire Risk Concerns

Low humidity, dry air, and leftover winter dead vegetation are creating a very high risk of starting a wildfire. A tiny spark from a cigarette, a match, or anything else could easily start a fire, especially on a very hot summer day when humidity is at its lowest.

Fire officials are urging the public to be careful until the weather pattern improves.

Outlook for the Coming Days

The upside is that the current temperate weather pattern will continue for the next few days (cool in the morning, warm in the afternoon). However, without substantial rains, dry weather conditions may not end anytime soon, and the risk of starting a wildfire will continue.

Weather patterns that change into wetter conditions is necessary to greatly lower the risk of starting wildfires.

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