High fire danger in Cobb County and much of north and central Georgia today

forest wildfire blazing with upright trees silhouetting the backgroundPhotos by Nicholas Peters, Engine Captain, E-641 at the #CrowMountain wildfire licensed CC BY 3.0

The National Weather Service issued a special weather statement warning of high fire danger conditions for Cobb County and much of the rest of north and central Georgia, due to expected low relative humidity and dry fuel conditions.

The alert is for April 3, and is in effect all afternoon and into the evening.

What is in the statement?

The statement gives the following information:

…HIGH FIRE DANGER CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING

FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA DUE TO LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES…

Relative Humidities of 25 percent or less can be expected for

4 or more hours this afternoon into the evening. Winds will be

northwest at 10-12 MPH with occasional gusts up to 20 MPH.

With dry fuels, high fire danger conditions can be expected.

What counties are included in the statement?

The statement includes the following counties:

Dade-Walker-Catoosa-Whitfield-Murray-Fannin-Gilmer-Union-Towns-

Chattooga-Gordon-Pickens-Dawson-Lumpkin-White-Floyd-Bartow-

Cherokee-Forsyth-Hall-Banks-Jackson-Madison-Polk-Paulding-Cobb-

North Fulton-Gwinnett-Barrow-Clarke-Oconee-Oglethorpe-Wilkes-

Haralson-Carroll-Douglas-South Fulton-DeKalb-Rockdale-Walton-

Newton-Morgan-Greene-Taliaferro-Heard-Coweta-Fayette-Clayton-

Spalding-Henry-Butts-Jasper-Putnam-Hancock-Warren-Troup-

Meriwether-Pike-Upson-Lamar-Monroe-Jones-Baldwin-Washington-

Glascock-Jefferson-Harris-Talbot-Taylor-Crawford-Bibb-Twiggs-

Wilkinson-Johnson-Emanuel-Muscogee-Chattahoochee-Marion-Schley-

Macon-Peach-Houston-Bleckley-Laurens-Treutlen-Stewart-Webster-

Sumter-Dooly-Crisp-Pulaski-Wilcox-Dodge-Telfair-Wheeler-

Montgomery-Toombs

What precautions should residents take?

The National Weather Service recommends extreme caution if you do outdoor burning during high fire danger conditions, and that you check your local fire ordinances.

>> To read a summary of Cobb County’s fire ordinances follow this link

About the National Weather Service

The National Weather Service (NWS) is a part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The NWS describes its role as follows:

The National Weather Service (NWS) provides weather, water, and climate forecasts and warnings for the United States, its territories, adjacent waters and ocean areas, for the protection of life and property and the enhancement of the national economy. These services include Forecasts and Observations, Warnings, Impact-based Decision Support Services, and Education in an effort to build a Weather-Ready Nation. The ultimate goal is to have a society that is prepared for and responds to weather, water and climate events.

Read all the Cobb County Courier climate and weather coverage by following this link.