A record-breaking stretch of time in October without rain means that wildfires could spread very quickly in the Northeast.
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00:00Well the story has been the same. It has been bone dry here across a lot of the Northeast and the Ohio Valley Great Lakes, a large chunk of the U.S. here over the past few weeks.
00:12Even if we look back to the start of October to where we are now in the month including yesterday, October 28th, we're at number one.
00:23We are first in the ranking in New York, Philly, Atlantic City for the driest start to October and as we are heading into the end of the month, we don't have a long ways to go to reach that driest October.
00:37Now if we look back at that old record of days without measurable rainfall in an area like Philadelphia, that old record was 29 days and that was all the way back in the 19th century.
00:51But as we look at the new record of 30, that was the last time we did not see measurable rainfall in that amount of days and that was set yesterday, September 28th.
01:03So a lot of different records there as we started our work week.
01:07Then by Wednesday, the story really stays the same as that warmth sticks around Pittsburgh, you're at 79, Washington, D.C., you're even at 80.
01:16As we have that warmth going and as we have those winds going out ahead of this storm, pair that together and you could see some wildfire risk.
01:25So we are tracking a heightened fire risk alert, so make sure you're not doing any outdoor burning.
01:31That's going to include a lot of the northeast, the east coast at I-95 corridor and a little bit inland.
01:37Heads up, you know there's a lot of dried out vegetation on the ground, those fallen leaves.
01:41Just make sure you're not doing any irresponsible burning in those areas as it has been so dry.
01:48As we look ahead to Halloween, high stay warm.