South-Central Pennsylvania faces elevated wildfire risk amid dry, breezy conditions
NOW THE WGAL NEWS EIGHT STORM TEAM FORECAST WITH CHIEF METEOROLOGIST CHRISTINE FERREIRA. GOOD MORNING. IT IS 645. YESTERDAY WE TIED THE RECORD HIGH OF 87 DEGREES. TODAY’S RECORD STANDS AT 89 AND WE’RE FORECASTING UPPER 80S. I THINK WE COULD GET THERE OR IT WILL BE VERY CLOSE IN THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY. LET ME SHOW YOU THE PREDICTOR. WE WARM FROM THE 60S THIS MORNING QUICKLY INTO THE 70S AND ALL THE WAY INTO THE UPPER 80S. LOOK AT THOSE TOASTY TEMPERATURES. NOT WHAT YOU’D EXPECT TO SEE ON THE THERMOMETER AT THE MIDDLE PART OF APRIL. BY THE TIME WE GET INTO TOMORROW, THOUGH, IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A COOL DOWN, I HAVE THE ANSWER FOR YOU. TOMORROW’S HIGHS ONLY REACH THE UPPER 70S. YES, THAT’S STILL ABOVE AVERAGE, BUT IT IS ABOUT A TEN DEGREE COOLDOWN FROM WHAT WE’LL SEE TODAY. AS FAR AS OUR RAIN CHANCES GO, SLIM TO NONE TODAY. UNFORTUNATELY, IT LOOKS LIKE WE’RE DRY THIS MORNING. THIS AFTERNOON. AND THEN AS WE HEAD TOWARD EVENING, THERE’S THE CHANCE FOR A FEW SHOWERS OR AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM. BUT THE CHANCE JUST DOESN’T LOOK GREAT. SO WE’RE NOT OUTLOOK FOR ANY SEVERE WEATHER. IF YOU DO SEE AN ISOLATED SHOWER OR THUNDERSTORM, IT’S GOING TO BE LATE IN THE DAY TODAY. NEWS EIGHT STORM TEAM FORECAST PARTLY SUNNY, WARMING QUICKLY THIS MORNING. WE’LL CALL IT HOT AND BREEZY THIS AFTERNOON WITH A HIGH OF 88 DEGREES. RECORD STANDING AT 89 AND THEN MAINLY DRY LATER THIS EVENING. TONIGHT PARTLY CLOUDY. LOWS IN THE LOW TO MID 60S. THE RECORD WARMEST LOW IS 60 DEGREES, SET IN 2002. SO I THINK WE HAVE THAT ONE BEAT BY TOMORROW. PARTLY SUNNY PLEASANT COOLER. NOT QUITE AS STICKY AS TODAY. NOT QUITE AS HOT. WE GO 76 TO NEAR 80 DEGREES TOMORROW. RIGHT NOW WE HAVE PLENTY OF 56 SECONDS ON OUR TEMPERATURE MAP. IT’S 59 IN LEWISTOWN, 57 IN LEWISTOWN AND 63 DEGREES IN YORK. GOOD MORNING. HARRISBURG 64. YOUR CURRENT TEMPERATURE, THAT’S OUR AVERAGE HIGH FOR THIS TIME OF THE YEAR. FEELS LIKE FORECAST FOR TODAY. YEAH, WE’RE STILL IN THAT STICKY ZONE. YOU MIGHT HAVE NOTICED YESTERDAY FELT A LITTLE STICKY FOR APRIL. SAME FOR TODAY. BUT TOMORROW WE GET MORE COMFORTABLE HUMIDITY LEVELS. SATURDAY LOOKS NICE AND SUNDAY HUMIDITY LEVELS REALLY DROP DOWN INTO THAT DRY CATEGORY. WEATHER IN HEALTH UPDATE TODAY. LOOK AT THE POLLEN FOR TREES. IS YOUR CAR YELLOW YET? VERY HIGH FOR THE MOLD. IT’S LOW AIR QUALITY LOOKING MODERATE AND THE UV INDEX IS MODERATE WITH A BURN TIME OF AROUND 30 MINUTES. STORM TEAM LIVE RADAR NETWORK. ALL OF THE STORMS HAVE BEEN MAINLY TO OUR NORTH THIS WEEK. WE CONTINUE TO SEE THAT TREND. BUT LOOK AT THIS COLD FRONT WAITING IN THE WINGS BACK TOWARDS CHICAGO SAINT LOUIS. TO KNOCK SOME DEGREES OFF OUR HIGH TEMPERATURES TOMORROW. AS FAR AS THE PREDICTOR GOES, TODAY WE’LL START OUT WITH PARTLY SUNNY SKIES. WE’LL CALL IT PARTLY TO MOSTLY SUNNY THIS AFTERNOON, A DAY MUCH LIKE YESTERDAY, WITH ANY RAIN CHANCE BEING SLIM AND LATE IN THE DAY. TOMORROW, WIND DIRECTION CHANGES OUT OF THE NORTHWEST. SO YOU SEE IT THERE BRINGING IN THAT COOLER, DRIER AIR. STILL ABOUT 15 DEGREES ABOVE AVERAGE, BUT WE’RE STAYING OUT OF THE 80S FOR TOMORROW. SATURDAY. YOUR LAST SHOT OF GETTING 80 IN THE TEN DAY FORECAST. NOW WE WILL SEE INCREASING CLOUDS AND SOME RAIN MOVING IN SATURDAY EVENING. THIS IS AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT THAT COMES THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. SO PREDICTOR ESTIMATED RAIN TOTALS. MOST OF THIS FALLING LATER ON SATURDAY. WE COULD GET A COUPLE TENTHS OF AN INCH, MAYBE UP TO A HALF INCH OF RAIN. BY THE TIME IT’S ALL SAID AND DONE EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. SO NOTICE THAT RAIN COMES IN LATE SATURDAY WRAPS UP EARLY SUNDAY. THE TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE FROM SATURDAY TO SUNDAY IS A CHANGE IN SEASONS FROM SUMMER BACK TO SPRING. SUNDAY’S HIGH IS 58. MONDAY WE’RE AT 54. AND KEEP YOUR EYE ON THOSE OVERNIGHT LOWS. IF YOU HAVE TENDER CROPS OUTSIDE 30 SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY NIGHT NEXT WEEK, TEMPERATURES MODERATE BACK TO THE 60S. 70S, SOMETHI
South-Central Pennsylvania faces elevated wildfire risk amid dry, breezy conditions
Updated: 8:54 AM EDT Apr 16, 2026
There is an elevated wildfire risk in South-Central Pennsylvania today. A combination of dry and breezy conditions this afternoon and evening will create an elevated risk of wildfire spread.Minimum relative humidity values will range from 20 to 35 percent accompanied by wind gusts between 20 and 25 mph.Residents are urged to exercise caution if handling any potential ignition sources, such as machinery, cigarettes, or matches. If dry grasses and tree litter begin to burn, the fire will have the potential to spread rapidly.For more information about wildfire danger and wildfire prevention and education, please visit the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources website.SOUTH-CENTRAL PA WEATHER RESOURCES: INTERACTIVE RADAR | ACTIVE WEATHER ALERTS | CURRENT CONDITIONS | HOURLY FORECAST | 10-DAY FORECAST | WEEKEND FORECAST | MAP ROOM | DOWNLOAD THE APP | WEATHER EMAILS
There is an elevated wildfire risk in South-Central Pennsylvania today.
A combination of dry and breezy conditions this afternoon and evening will create an elevated risk of wildfire spread.Minimum relative humidity values will range from 20 to 35 percent accompanied by wind gusts between 20 and 25 mph.Residents are urged to exercise caution if handling any potential ignition sources, such as machinery, cigarettes, or matches. If dry grasses and tree litter begin to burn, the fire will have the potential to spread rapidly.
For more information about wildfire danger and wildfire prevention and education, please visit the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources website.
SOUTH-CENTRAL PA WEATHER RESOURCES: INTERACTIVE RADAR | ACTIVE WEATHER ALERTS | CURRENT CONDITIONS | HOURLY FORECAST | 10-DAY FORECAST | WEEKEND FORECAST | MAP ROOM | DOWNLOAD THE APP | WEATHER EMAILS