4:30 p.m. Discussion

From Chief Meteorologist Craig Carnesi...

After starting today off at a chilly 27 in Abilene and 21 in Brownwood, we warmed up quickly to highs in the upper 60s. The reason is simply because of the very dry air in place. We are almost in a desert like climate. Dry air is much easier to warm and in turn very easy to cool at night with clear skies and calm winds.

The winds are still forecast to be a problem across the area this weekend. Red Flag Warnings are already posted across almost the entire viewing area through Saturday night. The only exceptions are Stonewall, Scurry and Mitchell counties, you are under a Fire Weather Watch for right now, but don't be surprised if the National Weather Service upgrades that watch to a Red Flag Warning tonight.

Winds will increase from 10 miles per hour Saturday morning to 20 to 30 miles per hour by Saturday afternoon. What is going to make this weekend particularly dangerous is that winds are not forecasted to calm until Sunday night. Plus, winds will be shifting direction over the course of the weekend. Usually on an afternoon the winds will begin to calm after sunset, this weekend they will not. The system that will create these winds will keep the pressure gradient tight across the area overnight Saturday into Sunday, so the winds will remain strong, around 15 to 20 miles per hour.

Sunday, if there are any active fires, changing wind direction will be a huge concern. Winds will begin to shift to the West and then eventually to the Northwest Sunday evening. As those winds change direction the direction of fire movement will change as well. Again, this will only be a major concern IF any fires are burning.

For now, please continue to use extreme caution when outdoors. No outdoor burning, no trash burning of any kind, no bar-be-cues and also please no welding or cutting torches of any kind. Also, please use extreme caution with any and all farm equipment and vehicles on the dry ground. Believe it or not, but your engine block could be hot enough to spark a fire. So please keep all vehicles on paved surfaces for the time being.

Again, as with previous forecasts, there is still no precipitation expected over the next 7 to 10 days.