Storm Team 4

Don’t be surprised if you smell smoke from time to time this week as current fires burn and new ones flare up. After meager rainfall Sunday night, we’ve been back in high fire danger mode since Tuesday.  Most of the area is under a fire weather watch, while a red flag warning is in place for Connecticut’s Fairfield County....

Latest Forecast From Storm Team 4

After record-setting warmth last week – t-shirts and shorts weather in the 80s for many – get ready to break out your winter jacket Tuesday night. Morning lows will be in the 20s and 30s in the tri-state area, with wind chills making it feel even colder. These will be the coldest temperatures of the season so far.  We haven’t…

After meager rainfall Sunday night, we’re back to extreme fire danger in the tri-state area Tuesday.  A red flag warning is in place for the New York City metro area, the Hudson Valley, Catskills, Connecticut and Long Island. Elsewhere, the fire danger remains very high. Check the latest weather alerts for your neighborhood. Unfortunately, there is no appreciable rain in sight...

Latest Forecast From Storm Team 4

We finally got some measurable rain in the tri-state Sunday night, but it’s just not enough to alleviate our ongoing drought and wildfire threat. After an unprecedented dry stretch for much of the area, rainfall totals Sunday night were below a half inch area-wide and for most locations, below a quarter of an inch.  And, unfortunately, there is no...

Latest Forecast From Storm Team 4

A number of brush fires are burning right now in New Jersey, including the “Shotgun Fire” in Jackson Township and another blaze in Englewood Cliffs. The dangerous and dry conditions making things difficult for firefighters. NBC New York’s Sarah Wallace and Adam Harding report.

The latest update to the U.S. Drought Monitor was issued Thursday and the news isn’t good.  The tri-state area is withering in a prolonged and increasingly extreme drought situation.  It started in September, when we got off to a very dry start. We ended the month with a large rain deficit. And then came October, We got a whopping...

Latest Forecast From Storm Team 4

Latest Forecast From Storm Team 4

The latest update to the U.S. Drought Monitor was issued Thursday and the news isn’t good.  The tri-state area is withering in a prolonged and increasingly extreme drought situation.  It started in September, when we got off to a very dry start. We ended the month with a large rain deficit. And then came October, We got a whopping...

Latest Forecast From Storm Team 4

The fire danger across parts of the tri-state area stands at an extreme level, prompting a red flag warning. The combination of extremely dry ground, low relative humidity and gusty wind creates the perfect environment for wildfires to start and spread quickly. We’ve been saying it for weeks: this has been an exceptionally dry Fall. September managed only about...

Latest Forecast From Storm Team 4

Latest Forecast From Storm Team 4

A bone-dry October preceded by an arid September has left us with a season-to-date deficit of seven inches across the two months. This is the driest start to fall since the 19th century (for history buffs, it dates back to the Benjamin Harrison administration).

After frost and freeze warnings Monday, we’re looking ahead to another taste of summer as temperatures soar through Halloween. In fact, parts of our area will be near 80 degrees on the afternoon of Halloween. This October has been no stranger to mild temperatures. As recently as last week, we had a run of three consecutive days approaching record high…

Latest Forecast From Storm Team 4

Thursday is not the first day this week of elevated fire concerns and it likely will not be the last. All of the key ingredients needed for rapid fire growth are present in our forecast.