DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. — It’s time for another Weather Rewind, where we look back at this past week’s weather, with a twist.
This week, we’re looking back at a fire on a nearby Dauphin County mountain Tuesday afternoon.
Dry conditions kept us at risk for rapid spread of fires through much of the week, and we might have to stay on guard for some time through the spring.
LET’S REWIND
FOX43 received incredible drone video of the flames near the top of Peter’s Mountain, located around Mountain Top Road in Middle Paxton Township.
The fire started around 1:40 p.m., and it wasn’t long before smoke was seen from miles away.
The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) showed up to the scene to assist in putting out the fire. Officials with the Dauphin-Middle Paxton Fire Company say air tankers were eventually needed to drop water on the flames.
The Appalachian Trail was forced to close in the vicinity of the fire.
We’ve occasionally mentioned the dry start to the year since the end of winter, and we’re back to talking about it again.
Those prolonged dry conditions, along with others, prompted this week’s fire weather alerts.
WHAT’S HAPPENING
You might recall a Fire Weather Watch was issued Tuesday afternoon for Wednesday, and it was upgraded to a Red Flag Warning early Wednesday morning.
A Fire Weather Watch can be issued up to 72 hours in advance when fire conditions are possible.
Those vary by region, but the dry conditions, low humidity, warmer-than-normal temperatures and strong breezes forecasted Wednesday put the area under a very high risk.
A Red Flag Warning can also be called a “Fire Weather Warning,” but they mean the same thing: fire conditions are expected within 24 hours.
You’ll usually hear of local townships and municipalities issuing “burn bans” when that’s the case to spread the message.
Although the winds were lighter Thursday and the humidity a little higher, that doesn’t mean we were out of the woods.
There was still an elevated fire risk due to the weather conditions—it just didn’t meet the criteria for fire alerts in our area.
We need to stay alert.
As of the end of Thursday, we’re currently 4.36 inches behind for rainfall this year.
That’s a lot, and we need to start closing in on that number soon, or the fire risk will continue during these drier periods.
We’ll also need to watch for drought conditions.
We’re still okay there, but a good part of our area is highlighted in the “Abnormally Dry” category. That’s a step before drought conditions.
If we don’t get enough rain to put a dent in the deficit, drought concerns will rise by the end of spring.
The good news is a couple good, soaking rains can easily help with that.
That happened last fall, and it quickly eased drought watches for many counties across the state.
Stay tuned for all the “whys” behind the weather wonders that capture our attention each week.