HUNTSVILLE – It’s a weather forecast befitting All Saints’ Eve, otherwise known as Halloween, because it just seems weird.
There’s a fire weather watch and at once a freeze warning. But, a biblical-style event isn’t brewing. There’s simply an interaction of seasonal temperatures and drought conditions, which have plagued the Tennessee Valley and much of North Alabama in recent weeks, blend with cold weather.
According to Ashley Ravenscraft, lead forecaster at the Weather Service office, said the current cold front “just so happens to coincide with the end of October.”
“It’s not unusual that our dryer months – August, September, October – start getting into November and December when thunderstorm activity increases,” she told 256 Today. “Fire weather and winter weather, sometimes those two can be correlated.”
As an example, Ravenscraft cites the wildfires that swept through Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains and particularly the area of Gatlinburg in 2016. The fires, started by arsonists, began in late November and roared into December for weeks. There were a reported 14 people killed and nearly 200 injured.
“You can still have devastating wildfires in the wake of a cold front with wind behind that,” she said.
Falling leaves and branches join ground brush as fuel for fires in dry conditions, and moisture from a freeze isn’t enough to offset arid conditions when wind sweeps behind the cold front. Mixed with sparks – campfire, lightning, arson, any tossed lit item – it all becomes a recipe for disaster.
The freeze warning this week will certainly be cause for discomfort, whether because of any ruptures in unprotected pipes or plants that weren’t covered or are vulnerable to freezing temps. No current lasting weather conditions look to be problematic beyond a few days.
However, the dry conditions will continue to be a potential danger. No meaningful rain is on the horizon for at least two weeks.
“Our fire weather concerns will linger through November,” Ravenscraft said.
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