Overnight storms should bring relief to dry conditions fueling Georgia fires

Winds could gust up to 35 to 40 mph, the NWS warns. A wind advisory is in effect for much of west and North Georgia from 1 p.m. Tuesday through 7 a.m. Wednesday.

That could spell trouble for the wildfires that have erupted across the southeast amid abnormally dry conditions.

Credit: Anadolu via Getty Images

Credit: Anadolu via Getty Images

In the Carolinas, fires continue raging as they also await Tuesday night storms. But as with Georgia, gusty winds could cause more trouble before the moisture comes.

Just in the Myrtle Beach area, wildfires have burned more than 1,600 acres and are threatening homes near the Carolina Forest, according to The Sun News.

In Georgia, from Feb. 24 through Sunday, 490 fires have burned nearly 6,200 acres, Georgia Forestry Commission spokesperson Wendy Burnett said.

For context, the average number of fires in January over five years is 173. This January, there had been 280 fires.

The fuel for those fires has been provided by a rainfall deficit that dates to December. Since then, the southern half of the state is missing up to 8 inches of the rain it usually sees, leading to abnormally dry conditions — the precursor to drought.

Moderate drought conditions have set in for portions of Middle Georgia. That’s where the highest level of fire danger is, and it’s also where one of the more stubborn fires has been raging.

The Twiggs County fire had burned 510 acres as of Monday, according to the Forestry Commission’s website. It remained active Tuesday morning.

With fires comes concern about air quality. Much of the state is under a “moderate” air quality reading. That level is considered acceptable but pollutants could pose a health concern for a very small number of people.

Credit: Georgia Forestry Comm

Credit: Georgia Forestry Comm

Storms are expected to weaken as they approach Georgia on Tuesday night.

“But this time of year, when you’ve got really strong wind above the ground, it doesn’t take a whole lot of energy — or fuel, or gasoline, if you will — to cause these storms to get severe,” Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan said.

The main impact of the storms is expected to be strong, damaging wind gusts. A brief, spin-up tornado also cannot be ruled out, the NWS warns.

By sunrise Wednesday, the stormy weather should have moved out of the area, and cold air will filter in behind it.

Wednesday’s high will be in the mid 60s, just a few degrees lower than Tuesday’s anticipated high. But the lows are expected to dip into the 30s on Wednesday and Thursday, when the high will top out in the 50s before climbing back into the 60s on Friday.

Another round of rain is expected this weekend.