NWS Special Weather Statement (Wilkes County)

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Special Weather Statement issued January 29 at 5:42AM EST by NWS Blacksburg

...ENHANCED FIRE DANGER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... BREEZY CONDITIONS WILL DEVELOP AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT THIS AFTERNOON. THE FRONT IS FORECAST TO PASS THROUGH THE AREA THIS EVENING...WINDS REMAINING ELEVATED THROUGH THE EVENING BEFORE DIMINISHING AFTER MIDNIGHT. LITTLE OR NO PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE. WINDS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WILL BE THE STRONGEST IN THE MOUNTAINS WITH SUSTAINED SPEEDS OF 10 TO 25 MPH GUSTING TO 35 MPH AT RIDGETOP LEVEL. LOWEST HUMIDITY MINIMUMS WILL BE OBSERVED EAST OF THE HIGHER MOUNTAINS...INTO THE PIEDMONT...WITH MINIMUMS OF 15 TO 20 PERCENT. ALTHOUGH FOREST FUEL MOISTURE LEVELS REMAIN RELATIVELY HIGH DUE TO RECENT RAINFALL...BETTER DRYING OF FINER FUELS SUCH AS DORMANT GRASS...AND DEAD BRUSH WILL OCCUR...ESPECIALLY EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE WHERE THE TEMPERATURES WILL BE THE WARMEST THIS AFTERNOON. THIS COULD INCREASE THE THREAT FOR THE SPREAD OF ANY OPEN FIRES ESPECIALLY IN AREAS WHERE GRASSES AND LEAVES HAVE CURED MORE RAPIDLY. OPEN AIR BURNING IS DISCOURAGED TODAY. FOR THOSE THAT BURN FIREWOOD OR COAL...PLEASE MAKE SURE THE HOT ASHES AND CINDERS DO NOT COME IN CONTACT WITH DRY GRASS...BRUSH OR LEAVES. ALL ASHES OR CINDERS SHOULD BE WETTED DOWN AND COLD TO THE TOUCH. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA FOR THE LATEST FORECAST UPDATES.

Counties Affected:
Alleghany; Ashe; Caswell; Rockingham; Stokes; Surry; Watauga; Wilkes; Yadkin

Issued by: NWS Blacksburg (East Central Virginia - Blacksburg)
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