Outdoor burning will be either banned or strongly discouraged across the KVOE listening area and much of Kansas through the upcoming weekend.
Conditions Friday will involve high temperatures in the low 40s, northwesterly winds as high as 40 mph and slight chances of snow in the morning and afternoon. National Weather Service meteorologist Nathan Griesemer (GREES-mur) says the snow chance means a slightly higher relative humidity level, which means the fire danger won’t be as extreme as one might initially think.
Having said that, Griesemer still urges caution because fires will likely spread quickly if they get started.
0:17 – 0194-Griesemer Once things start
Griesemer says winds will likely be lower for the weekend, but the fire danger may well be higher.
Burn bans remain in place for Chase, Coffey and Osage counties at this time.
Conditions will remain dry through most or all of next week. Griesemer says occasionally breezy conditions, along with at least one wind shift by mid-week, will keep the fire danger elevated through late next week.
The pattern reset back to our winter standard of dry conditions follows anywhere from 0.75 inches to 1.2 inches of rain a week ago, which was enough to remove the abnormally dry conditions developing across most of the KVOE listening area since early December. The US Drought Monitor’s latest update has the southeast half of Greenwood County as abnormally dry, along with far south Coffey County.
Stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for updates.
