[BNAWX] Public Information Statement

[EMWIN Server]

NOUS44 KOHX 141318
PNSOHX
TNZ005>011-022>034-056>066-075-077>080-093>095-151300-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN
814 AM CDT FRI OCT 14 2005

FIRE WEATHER/FIRE PREVENTION AWARENESS WEEK CONCLUDES TODAY WITH A
LOOK AT OUR PRIMARY AND SECONDARY FIRE WEATHER SEASONS.

AS MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES AND HIGH WIND
SPEEDS ARE TWO KEY INGREDIENTS WHICH ACT TO INCREASE FIRE DANGER.
THESE TWO WEATHER INGREDIENTS...COMBINED WITH DRIER VEGETATION...ARE
MOST PREVALENT DURING THE FALL AND SPRING FIRE SEASONS.

THE FALL FIRE SEASON IN TENNESSEE BEGINS AS LEAVES DROP FROM THE
TREES. CLIMATOLOGICALLY FOR TENNESSEE...THE MONTHS WHICH LEAD INTO
THE FALL SEASON...SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER...ARE GENERALLY THE DRIEST
MONTHS OF THE YEAR. DURING THIS TIME OF YEAR...TEMPERATURES ARE
COOLING OFF. THIS SERVES TO REDUCE THE THREAT OF HEAVIER SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS...WHICH ARE USUALLY TRIGGERED BY WARMER SURFACE
TEMPERATURES. ALSO...THE JET STREAM...WHICH TYPICALLY BRINGS THE
BETTER ORGANIZED WEATHER SYSTEMS AND WIDESPREAD RAINFALL...IS
LOCATED WELL NORTH OF TENNESSEE.

TYPICALLY IN THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER...THE VEGETATION BEGINS TO DRY
OUT. BY OCTOBER...A COMBINATION OF DRIER VEGETATION AND THE END OF
THE GROWING SEASON CAN LEAD TO AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF HIGHER FIRE
DANGER.

THE SPRING FIRE SEASON IN TENNESSEE ACTUALLY BEGINS IN FEBRUARY AND
CONTINUES UNTIL THE VEGETATION HAS BECOME GREEN...USUALLY BY MAY
15TH. AS WE GET INTO LATE FEBRUARY AND MARCH...MOST OF THE
VEGETATION IS STILL DORMANT AND TEMPERATURES ARE BEGINNING TO WARM.
THE WARMER TEMPERATURES SERVE TO INCREASE THE SURFACE EVAPORATION
RATE THEREBY KEEPING THE VEGETATION RATHER DRY. FURTHERMORE...IT IS
NOW CLOSE TO KITE FLYING WEATHER AND SOON THE MARCH WINDS WILL BEGIN
TO BLOW. WITH THESE INGREDIENTS IN PLACE...ELEVATED LEVELS OF FIRE
DANGER CAN OCCUR.

IN CONCLUSION...ALTHOUGH WE HAVE DISCUSSED THE SEASONAL AND CLIMATIC
EFFECTS OF WEATHER ON FIRES... KEEP IN MIND THAT WILDFIRES CAN OCCUR
AT ANY TIME OF THE YEAR. WE SHOULD ALWAYS STRIVE TO PRACTICE FIRE
PREVENTION. REMEMBER TO BE CAREFUL AND FOLLOW THE FIRE SAFETY RULES.

&&

FOR ADDITIONAL FIRE WEATHER INFORMATION...PLEASE GO TO THE FOLLOWING
WEBSITE: WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/OHX/FIREWX.HTM.

$$

21/05

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