Wind and Dry Weather Lead to Red Flag Warning in New Jersey; high fire risk throughout the region

Saturday appears to be the 28th day without rain in Philadelphia as the region approaches a record drought. We are expecting a sunny day in the 60s with intermittent winds and high temperatures.

The dry soil and winds have led to a Red Flag Warning being issued in New Jersey, which is seeing some of the worst drought conditions in our region. The alert is in effect from late Saturday morning until late afternoon in the following counties in our region: Gloucester, Camden, Burlington, Ocean and Atlantic.

red flag-warning-pa-nj-de.png — CBS News Philadelphia

Areas not covered by this warning are still under a special weather statement noting that there is an increased fire risk across the region. We have issued a NEXT Weather Alert to keep you informed.

We have northwest winds of about 25 km/h with gusts up to 40-30 km/h and also low humidity, about 25-30%.

Do not use outside flames as fires can spread quickly under conditions like today’s. If you are a smoker, be extra careful with cigarette butts that can ignite dry shrubs or grasses.

A front moving through Saturday afternoon will drop our temperatures through Sunday. and causing gusts of wind that raise concerns about fires. After that front, high pressure builds in the region and temperatures begin to rise. We will reach the low 80s by the end of next week, with a current forecast high of 82 degrees for Halloween, October 31st.

There is a small chance of showers during Halloween, but it looks like we will stay dry.

In addition to the fire risk, a freezing warning applies for Monday night, when temperatures in the southern parts of our region will drop below freezing for the first time. Make sure you cover any vulnerable plants you have left. This warning applies to South Jersey, Chester County and New Castle and Kent counties in Delaware.

Drought conditions persist across the region

Our drought conditions are getting worse. We are now more than 6 inches below average for fall season rainfall. There has been no rain this month and only 0.77 inches has fallen since September 1. A new drought map has been released of the Drought monitor on Thursday, and the area of severe drought has spread with the risk of areas with extreme drought.

Unfortunately, this rainless spell will continue into the weekend as we inch closer to a 150-year-old record for the longest dry stretch in Philly history: 29 days in the fall of 1874. The next best chance for rain would be around Halloween can come. Stay informed.

On the other hand, pleasant conditions for the weekend provide another opportunity to decorate for Halloween, rake leaves or enjoy a drive to take in the fall colors.

Enjoy the later hours of daylight while you can. We turn back the clock one hour and return to standard time in eleven days on Sunday, November 3.