Record Warmth in the South/Wildfires in North Carolina

A ridge of high pressure formed over the Gulf of Mexico, which brought record-high temperatures across most of the Southern U.S. for most of the week. Record highs were reached in states like Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, and even as far north as Kentucky.

This so-called "fall heatwave" will not last long though, which is certainly good news for those who love fall weather, but not so much for those who embrace the warm temperatures.

This will be due to a cold front that will bring much cooler air down south, with some areas in the South forecasted to see temperatures as much as 10 degrees below average, which is quite a stark difference compared to what these areas experienced throughout much of the past week.

The front will also bring some much-needed rain to the South, particularly the Deep South, where there is an ongoing extreme drought.

Speaking of droughts, there are multiple ongoing wildfires in North Carolina and Tennessee that have been burning for much of the week.

It all started on October 23, when a lightning strike caused a fire to start burning near Andrews, North Carolina. The fire, dubbed the Collett Ridge Fire, was caused mainly by dry fuel and windy conditions, and spread rapidly in size in the past few weeks. To give an idea of how fast this particular fire grew, it burned an area of 90 acres on November 3 and reached just over 2,000 acres three days later.

The Collett Ridge Fire burning in Nantahala National Forest in North Carolina (image by USDA Forest Service).

The fires caused poor air quality in much of the Southeast last week due to heavy smoke. That is the only thing in terms of impacts the fires have caused thus far, as the National Forest Service reported that no structures have been damaged or are threatened by the fires. 


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