The National Weather Service issued a high fire danger alert for Cobb County and other counties in the north and central Georgia regions for Saturday October 7, 2023.  The alert warns that dry conditions and low humidity will create high fire danger with the risk greatest between noon and 8 p.m., and that the conditions are likely to be critical south of a line from Athens to Columbus.

What is in the statement?

The statement gives the following details:

…HIGH FIRE DANGER CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING

FOR PARTS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA DUE TO LOW RELATIVE

HUMIDITIES AND GUSTY WINDS…

Relative Humidities of 25 percent or less can be expected for 4

or more hours this afternoon into the evening. Wind gusts will be

NW at 15 to 20 MPH.

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

Please refer to your local burn permitting authorities

whether you may burn outdoors.  If you do burn outside,

use extreme caution.

… and in a separate statement the National Weather Service wrote:

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of North and Central Georgia.

.DAY ONE…Today and Tonight…

Northwesterly winds gusting 20 to 30 mph, relative humidity

values in the 20 to 30 percent range and dry fuels will result in

critical fire weather conditions today, south of a line from

Athens to Columbus. The greatest risk for Red Flag conditions will

be between noon and 8 PM. Precautions should be taken to minimize

the risk of fire starts.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…Sunday through Friday…

Patchy frost is possible Sunday night and early Monday morning in

the higher terrain of far northeast Georgia. Consider taking

precautions to protect sensitive vegetation.

Scattered thunderstorms will return to the area Friday afternoon.

While severe weather is not anticipated, some storms could have

gusty wind and frequent lightning.

Why does low relative humidity increase the danger of fire?

The National Park Service published the following explanation of why low relative humidity increases the danger of fires:

“Relative humidity is important because dead forest fuels and the air are always exchanging moisture. Low humidity takes moisture from the fuels, and fuels in turn, take moisture from the air when the humidity is high. 

“Light fuels, such as grass and pine needles, gain and lose moisture quickly with changes in relative humidity. When the RH drops, fire behavior increases because these fine fuels become drier. 

“Heavy fuels, on the other hand, respond to humidity changes more slowly. To see significant changes in heavy fuel moisture, there must be significant moisture, usually from more than a single storm.”

What counties are affected?

The following counties are included in the hazardous weather outlook:

Baldwin, Banks, Barrow, Bartow, Bibb, Bleckley, Butts, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattahoochee, Chattooga, Cherokee, Clarke, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, Crawford, Crisp, Dade, Dawson, DeKalb, Dodge, Dooly, Douglas, Emanuel, Fannin, Fayette, Floyd, Forsyth, Gilmer, Glascock, Gordon, Greene, Gwinnett, Hall, Hancock, Haralson, Harris, Heard, Henry, Houston, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Jones, Lamar, Laurens, Lumpkin, Macon, Madison, Marion, Meriwether, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Murray, Muscogee, Newton, North Fulton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Paulding, Peach, Pickens, Pike, Polk, Pulaski, Putnam, Rockdale, Schley, South Fulton, Spalding, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Taliaferro, Taylor, Telfair, Toombs, Towns, Treutlen, Troup, Twiggs, Union, Upson, Walker, Walton, Warren, Washington, Webster, Wheeler, White, Whitfield, Wilcox, Wilkes, Wilkinson

What precautions should be taken?

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.