AUSTIN, Texas — We've been tracking critical fire weather concerns throughout the course of this week and with forecast winds increasing, it is likely we'll be in our highest fire danger by Saturday.
Many sections of the Hill Country will be in the "extreme" category, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. It's important to remember not to burn anything outside and to be mindful of anything that may result in a spark.
The extremely dry ground across the entire region can contribute to our wildfire risk. While the drought monitor will be updated on Thursday with likely worsening drought conditions, most of Central Texas is in the two highest levels of drought, with portions of Gillespie and Blanco counties under the "exceptional" drought category and the remainder of the Hill Country under the "extreme" drought category.
But there could be a glimmer of hope soon after the weekend rounds out. We're tracking the potential of a tropical system developing in the Gulf of Mexico that has a 20% chance of developing over the next five days. It may be disorganized, but frankly, we're focused on the rain potential more than whether or not this system becomes Emily.
The 6- to 10-day precipitation outlook has picked up on this, with the highest precipitation chances nationwide – aside from the Pacific monsoonal flow – taking place in Central Texas, as well as the Rio Grande Valley.
Rain chances look to be minimal, but stick with KVUE for the latest, as we have a hunch that rain chances may increase closer to the event, depending on track.
In the meantime, your 7-day forecast is below.
