As drought conditions worsen, fire danger remains in Philadelphia area. Here's the full forecast.
Fire danger has ramped up across the region, and although no red flag warning is issued, the area is still in extreme fire danger as we have now gone 26 days with no measurable rainfall. All residents of the Delaware Valley and the Lehigh Valley are urged to avoid using flames outdoors and use caution when smoking.
A cold front came through yesterday, bringing much cooler and drier air along with gusty winds that increased the fire danger.
Friday looks to be less windy, but the chill and dry air remain. We're seeing temperatures in the high 30s in spots like Allentown, Pennsylvania and Millville, New Jersey. Definitely grab a hoodie or jacket if you're heading out in the morning for a long walk or just waiting at the bus stop.
In Philadelphia, temperatures break into the 50s in the late morning hours and we're approaching 60 degrees by noon. The high is 67 degrees today.
Another cold front will cross the area Saturday, but that front also looks devoid of rain, and it will deliver even colder air with highs on Sunday in the mid- to upper-50s. Temperatures will then rebound to the mid-70s by early next week and could approach 80 again by Halloween! The record high temp on Halloween is 82 degrees, set in 1946.
Our drought conditions are worsening. We are now more than 6 inches below average for rain in the fall season. No rain has fallen this month and only 0.77 inch has fallen since Sept. 1. A new drought map was released from the Drought Monitor on Thursday, and the area of severe drought has spread with the potential for areas of extreme drought.
Unfortunately, this rainless streak will continue into the weekend as we close in on a 150-year-old record for the longest dry stretch in Philly history — 29 days in the fall of 1874. The next best chance of rain may arrive around Halloween. Stay tuned.
On the flip side, we will have sun and dry conditions for the weekend which presents another opportunity to decorate for Halloween, rake up leaves or enjoy a drive to take in the fall colors.
Enjoy the later hours of daylight while you can. We flip the clocks back an hour and return to standard time 11 days from now on Sunday, Nov. 3.
Here's your 7-day forecast:
Friday: Mostly sunny. High 66, Low 42.
Saturday: Sunny, nice. High 59, Low 51.
Sunday: Cooler. High 60, Low 42.
Monday: Cool, sunny. High 62, Low 39.
Tuesday: Milder. High 69, Low 42.
Wednesday: Warm! High 77, Low 55.
Thursday: Nice and mild. High 80, Low 58.