TRUSSVILLE –With no measurable rain in the Trussville area in the last 30 days, drought conditions have continued to worsen. The National Weather Service in Birmingham has issued a fire alert for all of central Alabama.
According to NWS, the latest U.S. Drought Monitor indicates that drought conditions have continued to worsen across Central Alabama during the past week. Exceptional Drought is now found to the right of a line from Abernathy to Oxford to St. Clair Springs to near Trafford to near Oneonta to north of Neely Henry Dam to Howells Crossroads to Chesterfield. Extreme Drought conditions are found to the right of a line from Ladonia to south of Loachapoka to Horseshoe Bend to Wilton to near Birmingport to Warrior to Blountsville. Extreme Drought is also found in the northwest sections of Central Alabama to the right of a line from near Bexar to Twin to Crossville to near Melbourne. Remaining areas in Central Alabama are now indicated to be in moderate to severe drought.
Red Flag Warning URGENT – FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 412 AM CDT FRI OCT 21 2016 ALZ011>013-015-017>050-211800- /O.NEW.KBMX.FW.W.0003.161021T1500Z-161021T2300Z/ MARION-LAMAR-FAYETTE-WALKER-BLOUNT-ETOWAH-CALHOUN-CHEROKEE- CLEBURNE-PICKENS-TUSCALOOSA-JEFFERSON-SHELBY-ST. CLAIR-TALLADEGA- CLAY-RANDOLPH-SUMTER-GREENE-HALE-PERRY-BIBB-CHILTON-COOSA- TALLAPOOSA-CHAMBERS-MARENGO-DALLAS-AUTAUGA-LOWNDES-ELMORE- MONTGOMERY-MACON-BULLOCK-LEE-RUSSELL-PIKE-BARBOUR- 412 AM CDT FRI OCT 21 2016 …RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR ALL OF CENTRAL ALABAMA… THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG WARNING FOR BREEZY AND DRY CONDITIONS…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM CDT THIS EVENING. * WINDS…NORTH 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 30 MPH. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY…AS LOW AS 30 PERCENT. * IMPACTS…A DRY AIRMASS AND WINDY CONDITIONS COMBINED WILL RESULT IN CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. OUTDOOR BURNING IS NOT RECOMMENDED PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW….OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY CAN CONTRIBUTE TO EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR.