000
NOUS44 KMEG 101102 CCA
PNSMEG
ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115-MSZ001>017-
020>024-TNZ001>004-019>021-048>055-088>092-110300-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
600 AM CDT FRI OCT 10 2008

...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 THE DEGREE OF
FIRE DANGER. THESE TWO WEATHER INGREDIENTS...COMBINED WITH DRIER
VEGETATION...ARE MOST PREVALENT DURING THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY 
FIRE WEATHER SEASONS.

THE PRIMARY FIRE WEATHER SEASON OCCURS IN THE LATE WINTER AND EARLY
SPRING FROM FEBRUARY 15TH UNTIL MAY 1ST. IN LATE FEBRUARY AND 
MARCH...MOST OF THE VEGETATION IS DORMANT AS TEMPERATURES BEGIN 
TO WARM. THE WARMER TEMPERATURES INCREASE THE SURFACE EVAPORATION 
RATE...AND IN COMBINATION WITH HIGHER WIND SPEEDS...DRY OUT 
THE VEGETATION. WITH THESE INGREDIENTS IN PLACE...ELEVATED LEVELS 
OF FIRE DANGER TYPICALLY OCCUR UNTIL THE FOREST GREENS UP. 
SPRINGTIME IS WHEN MOST WILDFIRES OCCUR.

THE SECONDARY FIRE WEATHER SEASON OCCURS IN THE FALL FROM OCTOBER 
1ST UNTIL DECEMBER 15TH. NORMALLY FOR THE MIDSOUTH...THE MONTHS OF 
SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER ARE THE DRIEST MONTHS OF THE YEAR. DURING 
THIS TIME OF YEAR...COOLER TEMPERATURES REDUCE THE THREAT FOR 
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. ALSO...THE JET STREAM...WHICH BRINGS 
BETTER ORGANIZED WEATHER SYSTEMS WITH MORE WIDESPREAD RAINFALL...
IS LOCATED WELL NORTH OF THE MIDSOUTH. 

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 SOMETIMES LEADS TO AN EXTENDED PERIOD 
OF HIGHER FIRE DANGER. HOWEVER...IT IS COMMON TO HAVE LOW NUMBERS 
OF WILDFIRES DURING NORMAL FALL WEATHER. ALTHOUGH THE NUMBER OF 
WILDFIRES IS TYPICALLY LESS THAN IN THE SPRING...THE LARGEST FIRES 
ON RECORD HAVE OCCURRED DURING THE FALL...ESPECIALLY AFTER A 
PROLONGED DROUGHT SIMILAR TO THAT OF 2007.

ALTHOUGH WE HAVE DISCUSSED THE SEASONAL IMPACTS OF WEATHER ON 
FIRES...KEEP IN MIND THAT FIRES CAN OCCUR AT ANY TIME OF THE YEAR. 
WE SHOULD ALWAYS STRIVE TO STAY EDUCATED CONCERNING WILDFIRE 
PREVENTION. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY...BE CAREFUL AND ACT RESPONSIBLY!

&&

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

$$