The National Weather Service issued a high fire danger alert for Cobb County and other parts of the region for Friday December 15 due to low relative humidity, but rain might be arriving over the weekend.
What is in the statement?
The statement gives the following details:
This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of North and Central Georgia.
.DAY ONE…Today and Tonight…
A Fire Danger Statement is in effect for much of north and central
Georgia through 7Pm this evening due to low relative humidities.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…Saturday through Thursday…
Periods of moderate to heavy rainfall, isolated thunderstorms,
and gusty winds are possible Sunday into Monday associated with an
approaching low pressure system. Localized flash flooding is
possible along with some rises on creeks and streams where the
heaviest rain falls.
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,…
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