000
WWUS84 KCRP 151119
SPSCRP

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
619 AM CDT SAT MAR 15 2008

TXZ229>234-239>247-152100-
LA SALLE-MCMULLEN-LIVE OAK-BEE-GOLIAD-VICTORIA-WEBB-DUVAL-
JIM WELLS-KLEBERG-NUECES-SAN PATRICIO-ARANSAS-REFUGIO-CALHOUN-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...COTULLA...ENCINAL...TILDEN...
GEORGE WEST...THREE RIVERS...BEEVILLE...SKIDMORE...GOLIAD...
VICTORIA...LAREDO...RIO BRAVO...FREER...BENAVIDES...SAN DIEGO...
ALICE...PREMONT...KINGSVILLE...CORPUS CHRISTI...ROBSTOWN...
PORT ARANSAS...PORTLAND...INGLESIDE...ARANSAS PASS...SINTON...
MATHIS...ROCKPORT...REFUGIO...WOODSBORO...PORT LAVACA...
PORT O'CONNOR...SEADRIFT
619 AM CDT SAT MAR 15 2008

...ELEVATED WILD FIRE THREAT TODAY ACROSS SOUTH TEXAS...

A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS SOUTH TEXAS THIS MORNING.
NORTHWEST WINDS OF 10 TO 20 MPH WILL USHER VERY DRY AIR SOUTHEAST
INTO THE REGION WHILE TEMPERATURES CLIMB INTO THE UPPER 80S AND
90S DESPITE THE WEAK FRONT. THIS WILL LEAD TO RELATIVE HUMIDITY
VALUES DROPPING TO AROUND 10 PERCENT ACROSS THE SOUTH TEXAS BRUSH
COUNTRY AND RIO GRANDE PLAINS AND TO 15 TO 25 PERCENT ACROSS THE
COASTAL BEND BY THIS AFTERNOON.

VERY DRY CONDITIONS PERSIST ACROSS MOST OF SOUTH TEXAS. GRASSES
ARE CURED AND PLENTIFUL RESULTING IN AMPLE FUEL FOR GRASS AND
WILDLAND FIRES. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE ACROSS THE BRUSH COUNTRY
AND RIO GRANDE PLAINS WHERE LITTLE TO NO RAINFALL HAS OCCURRED IN
THE LAST FEW MONTHS. THERE IS ALREADY A LARGE WILD FIRE NEAR
COTULLA DUE TO DRY CONDITIONS THAT OCCURRED FRIDAY. ALTHOUGH WIND
SPEEDS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE STRONG BEHIND THIS FRONT BY SOUTH
TEXAS STANDARDS...THE HOT TEMPERATURES...VERY LOW RELATIVE
HUMIDITY VALUES AND SLIGHTLY GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS WILL BE ENOUGH
TO PROVIDE A HIGH WILD FIRE THREAT.

RESIDENTS SHOULD BE EXTREMELY CAUTIOUS ABOUT ANY OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
THAT MIGHT CAUSE SPARKS OR FIRES. SPARKS CAN EASILY ESCAPE FROM
BURNING TRASH. AVOID USE OF WELDING OR GRINDING EQUIPMENT NEAR WEEDS
AND GRASS. AVOID PARKING VEHICLES IN TALL...DRY GRASS AND WEEDS
THAT COULD BE IGNITED BY HOT CATALYTIC CONVERTERS. DO NOT TOSS
CIGARETTE BUTTS OUTSIDE. IN SOUTH TEXAS BURN BANS REMAIN IN EFFECT
FOR WEBB...DUVAL...LA SALLE...LIVE OAK...JIM WELLS...BEE...
REFUGIO...ARANSAS...NUECES AND KLEBERG COUNTIES. REPORT WILD FIRES
QUICKLY TO THE NEAREST FIRE DEPARTMENT OR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICE.

$$

MJG