Special Weather Statement
Expires 12:00 PM EST on February 12, 2012
Statement as of 2:59 am EST on February 12, 2012
... Enhanced fire danger today...
Despite very cold air entrenched across the region... exceedingly
dry air will allow relative humidity values to drop to between 20
and 25 percent this afternoon. Gusty northwest winds of 20 to 30
mph this morning... will taper off to 15 to 20 mph this afternoon.
These factors... combined with an overall lack of rainfall across the
area... will increase the fire growth potential today... particularly
in grasses... leaves and bushes. Controlled burning is discouraged
today due to gusty winds and very dry air.
8
202 am EST sun Feb 12 2012
... Enhanced fire danger today...
Despite very cold air entrenched across the region... exceedingly
dry air will allow relative humidity values to drop to between 20
and 25 percent this afternoon. Gusty northwest winds of 20 to 30
mph this morning... will taper off to 15 to 20 mph this afternoon.
These factors... combined an overall lack of rainfall across the
area... will increase the fire growth potential today... particularly
in grasses... leaves and bushes. Controlled burning is discouraged
today due to gusty winds and very dry air.
1248 am EST sun Feb 12 2012
... Arctic blast to bring wind chills into the single digits early
this morning...
Falling temperatures combined with brisk northwest winds will make
it feel like temperatures are in the single digits to around 10
degrees early this morning.
Maximum temperatures will struggle to reach the lower 40s today.
This combined with breezy conditions will make it feel as though
temperatures are in the 20s to low 30s much of this afternoon.
Layered clothing... gloves... and ear protection will help greatly.
333 PM EST Sat Feb 11 2012
... Enhanced fire weather danger through Sunday...
Gusty winds along with critical relative humidity will result in
an enhanced fire weather danger through Sunday. Winds will
increase tonight in the wake of an Arctic cold front and the
relative humidity will drop below critical thresholds during
Sunday. The last weather system failed to provide any significant
rainfall to the region... thus fuels are dry.
For these reasons... a significant fire growth potential exists
through Sunday. Small fires could quickly grow out of control and
any type of burning is discouraged.
Winds will gradually diminish during Sunday afternoon... and light
winds will prevail by Monday. However... low relative humidity will
persist through Monday given the dry Arctic air-mass that will be
in place over the area.
Public Information Statement
Statement as of 5:19 am EST on February 12, 2012
... Peak wind gusts across southeast North Carolina and northeast
South Carolina...
Arctic high pressure plunged into the area late yesterday and overnight.
The following are peak wind gusts recorded across the area from our local
mesonet sites and Airport automated observations.
--Location-- --wind gust--
.Pender County NC...
Watha-Horse Branch Rd... ... . 28 mph
Holly shelter-Back Island... 41 mph
Hampstead-Castle Bay... ... .. 41 mph
N Topsail Beach-marker 3... . 56 mph
N Topsail Beach-Fire Dept... 36 mph
.New Hanover County NC...
Wrightsville bch-Mercer pier 48 mph
Wrightsville Beach-stone St. 39 mph
Wilmington-state port... ... . 48 mph
Wilmington Intl Airport-kilm 45 mph
.Brunswick County NC...
Supply-nature conservancy... 38 mph
Sunny Point military terminl 33 mph
Bald Head Island-West Beach. 52 mph
Southport-Cape Fear pilots.. 39 mph
Sunset Harbor... ... ... ... ... 32 mph
.Columbus County NC...
Whiteville-2 miles west... .. 40 mph
.Bladen County NC...
Bladen Lakes State Forest... 36 mph
.Robeson County NC...
Lumberton Airport-klbt... ... 40 mph
.Horry County SC...
Loris-farm at Fox Bay... ... . 29 mph
Myrtle Beach-springmaid pier 38 mph
Socastee-near schwartz plant 42 mph
north Myrtle Airport-kcre... 35 mph
Myrtle Beach Airport-kmyr... 32 mph
.Georgetown County SC...
North Inlet-Winyah Bay... ... 36 mph
.Florence County SC...
Florence Airport-kflo... ... . 39 mph
.Marlboro County SC...
Bennettsville-Justice complex 33 mph
Bennettsville-County EOC... . 35 mph
.Marine observations...
Buoy 41038-5 mi se writsvl b 38 mph
buoy 41037-35 mi se wrtsvl b 38 mph
buoy 41013-Frying Pan Shoals 45 mph
