This week’s very warm temperatures, occasional gusty winds and dry weather could spark additional brush fires in West Virginia.
Leaf litter is available now that peak fall foliage is in the rear-view mirror. Each day will bring warmth to near record heat and breezy wind is expected this morning and again Tuesday afternoon. Less than 0.25″ of rain is also expected this week, best chance Wednesday and Thursday. The map above shows where current brush fires are burning across the Mid-Atlantic.
Looking down the road, the global wind pattern will shift around November 15, allowing for temperatures to return to seasonal averages in our region. Additionally, the winds around the polar vortex will weaken and there’s a signal for weak blocking in the Arctic. This pattern will be short-lived and temperatures will return above average after about November 18-20.
The cold blast will likely push southeast along the eastern flank of the Rockies (known as a Blue Norther to natives there) and then push into Texas with a significant surge expected in heating demand for ERCOT between November 13-14. It will then slide into our region November 15 and likely exit by November 18-20.
Nationally: Santa Ana wind events this week will likely spark brush fires in southern California. Another healthy Santa Ana wind event looks to occur during the middle of next week as the weather pattern shifts and eventually brings the colder, more seasonable changes to our region.
