JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2013 This morning, it actually feels quite a bit better out there. The wind chill isn\u2019t hitting as hard as yesterday. Instead of feeling like we\u2019re stuck in the 20s, today it actually feels more like the 30s. A little improvement goes a long way!<\/p>\n
Big news if you\u2019ve been waiting for a warm-up: we\u2019re heading into a stretch of days in the 70s and even 80s later this week. Temperatures across the area this morning started in the upper 20s for places like Macclenny and the mid-30s for Jacksonville and the coast.<\/p>\n
But things are changing. Today\u2019s high is expected to reach 72 degrees with even warmer weather building in \u2014 close to 80 by Thursday, and 81 by Friday. Even our morning lows are expected to stay above average for the next several days, with our average low around 48 degrees.<\/p>\n
Fire danger and drought remain top concern<\/p>\n
As much as we want to celebrate these wonderful temperatures, there\u2019s something else we need to keep a very close eye on \u2014 fire risk.<\/p>\n
We\u2019re still in that dry stretch, and a look at the drought monitor shows severe to extreme drought conditions for our area. Combine that with wind gusts expected in the low to mid 20s mph this afternoon, and you\u2019ve got the ingredients for fires to start and spread quickly, especially with lower humidity.<\/p>\n
On our Exact Track 4D radar and hazard maps, you can see hot spots forming just west of us in places like Brunswick and down toward Gainesville and Green Cove Springs. Some early signs of smoke are already popping up in those areas.<\/p>\n
We\u2019re also under a frost advisory and freeze warning in places, so if you have young plants or sensitive gardens, you\u2019ll want to pay extra attention over the next day or so.<\/p>\n
Weekend brings potential rain relief<\/p>\n
Now for the silver lining: it looks like rain is on the way by the weekend! Our Exact Track 4D shows very low rain chances through tomorrow, but showers and some thunderstorms are forecast to move in late Friday. That rain is likely to linger through Saturday, with about a 50% chance, and even stick around in some spots on Sunday and Monday.<\/p>\n
This should help chip away at those drought levels and offer at least some relief from the higher fire danger we\u2019re experiencing right now.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re a gardener, the weekend will be the time to watch for rain\u2014until then, keep conserving water where you can. For playground time or recess, today is still cool in the morning, but it warms up nicely.<\/p>\n
By early next week, sunshine returns and temps hold steady in the 70s. So while it\u2019ll cool off just a bit after the rain, it\u2019s expected to stay mild.<\/p>\n