JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2013 Let me take you straight to the biggest concern in our area right now \u2014 drought and fire danger. We\u2019re currently experiencing severe to extreme drought conditions across much of Northeast Florida.<\/p>\n
You might have noticed how dry things look around you, and you\u2019re not alone. Exact Track 4D radar is showing little to no precipitation, which creates a prime environment for fire risk\u2014especially when those wind gusts pick up in the afternoon.<\/p>\n
I want to give a quick shoutout, though! We\u2019ve seen a lot less smoke on radar lately, which means everyone has done a fantastic job staying fire safe. Let\u2019s keep that up as we move through what continues to be a very dry pattern.<\/p>\n
Rapid warmup brings 80s this week<\/p>\n
Now, here\u2019s some good news if you\u2019re ready to shed the extra layers. Even though we started today with temperatures in the upper 40s to low 50s, a big warmup is expected starting tomorrow.<\/p>\n
Afternoon highs today should reach about 72 degrees, and by tomorrow you\u2019ll likely see those thermometers jump to 80. We\u2019re forecasting highs around 86 degrees by Friday, with clear to partly cloudy skies. So, if you\u2019re like me and whipped out the turtleneck for the morning chill \u2014 you probably won\u2019t need it for long!<\/p>\n
Winds have been calm overnight and into the early morning, but some gusts could reach the double digits this afternoon. These are not expected to cause any problems other than raising fire danger.<\/p>\n
Rain chances low, weekend brings a cooldown<\/p>\n
Rain is something we truly need, and while I wish I had better news, only a few very light showers are expected on Thursday. The chance of rain increases to about 20 percent as we move into Thursday, with 20 to 30 percent possible through Monday.<\/p>\n
None of these showers are expected to bring significant relief, but even a little bit helps. Looking toward the weekend, temperatures are expected to drop from about 75 degrees on Sunday to 65 to kick off next week as a new system moves through.<\/p>\n