JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Let’s get straight to what matters most: Jacksonville and Northeast Florida are facing severe to even extreme drought right now. I’ve been seeing this reflected on our drought monitor, and I want everyone to be as careful as possible.
You’ve probably noticed fire warnings lately—in fact, we’ve already seen quite a few brush fires pop up this season. The dry spell is sticking around, and even though winds are pretty calm for now, it’s amazing how quickly even the lightest breeze (5 to 10 mph) can spread an ember.
Please don’t light up or toss cigarettes on the ground. I can’t say it enough: safety first, especially until we finally get some needed rain.
Temps climbing with rain on the way
Here’s the good news if you’ve been craving a warmer stretch: We’re heading into a mild pattern—highs expected around 70 today, and we’ll push all the way up to 77 on Tuesday, which likely will be the warmest day this week.
The lows are coming in above average as well. If, like me, you’re absolutely done with mornings in the 40s, you’ll be glad to see those numbers sliding up through the week.
Our Exact Track 4D radar is looking pretty quiet in the rain department, though. I really wish the rain would hurry up to dampen out this fire risk, but it’s forecast to hold off—likely until around Friday or Saturday, when we could finally get some moisture back and a break from this dry air.
So, for now: warm, dry, and a bit of cloud cover sticking around.
Did you notice that smell?
I have to talk about something you might have experienced this morning—a really strange, not-so-great smell outside. Around the station, folks have been mentioning it to me, and I checked for myself.
Think “left out milk” or “compost,” and you’ll get the idea. We’re not sure about the source right now, but I know I’m not the only one who noticed it.
If you caught anything odd in your neighborhood, I’d love to see what’s going on! Snap a photo or video and share it with us at SnapJAX.
I’ll keep an eye on conditions and share updates throughout the week. Warm, dry weather is sticking with us for now—just keep your guard up for fire risks, and maybe take a deep breath indoors until that smell moves on!