Wind gusts of up to 45 miles-an-hour are possible today, according to the National Weather Service, and by noon today the Gainesville airport had recorded winds of around 30 mph. The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory for a large part of north Georgia and a Red Flag Warning because of the danger of grass and woods fires. (See below.) Freezing temperatures return tonight with lows of 25 expected in Gainesville.
TEXT OF WIND ADVISORY FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE:
GAZ001>009-011>016-019>023-030>034-041>045-052>055-311800-
/O.EXT.KFFC.WI.Y.0032.081231T1000Z-081231T2300Z/
DADE-WALKER-CATOOSA-WHITFIELD-MURRAY-FANNIN-GILMER-UNION-TOWNS-
CHATTOOGA-GORDON-PICKENS-DAWSON-LUMPKIN-WHITE-FLOYD-BARTOW-
CHEROKEE-FORSYTH-HALL-POLK-PAULDING-COBB-NORTH FULTON-GWINNETT-
HARALSON-CARROLL-DOUGLAS-SOUTH FULTON-DEKALB-HEARD-COWETA-FAYETTE-
CLAYTON-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CALHOUN...DAHLONEGA...CLEVELAND...
ROME...CARTERSVILLE...GAINESVILLE...MARIETTA...ATLANTA...
LAWRENCEVILLE...CARROLLTON...DOUGLASVILLE...EAST POINT...
DECATUR...NEWNAN...PEACHTREE CITY
500 AM EST WED DEC 31 2008
...WIND ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON...
THE WIND ADVISORY IS NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM EST THIS
AFTERNOON...FOR MUCH OF NORTH GEORGIA...GENERALLY NORTH OF A
FRANKLIN TO MCDONOUGH TO COMMERCE LINE.
A DRY COLD FRONT WAS PASSING THROUGH THE AREA THIS MORNING. A
STRONG AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO THE REGION BEHIND
THE COLD FRONT TODAY. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL INCREASE
SIGNIFICANTLY AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN...AND THUS WINDS BEHIND
THE COLD FRONT ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO BETWEEN 20 AND 30 MPH
WITH HIGHER GUSTS. WINDS AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE NORTH GEORGIA
MOUNTAINS WILL BE EVEN STRONGER...WITH GUSTS POSSIBLY AS HIGH AS
45 MPH.
A WIND ADVISORY MEANS THAT SUSTAINED WINDS OF 20 TO 35 MPH OR
WIND GUSTS OF AT LEAST 35 MPH ARE EXPECTED. WINDS THIS STRONG CAN
MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT...ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES.
USE EXTRA CAUTION.
TEXT OF SPECIAL STATEMENT REGARDING DANGER OF GRASS AND WOODS FIRES:
RED FLAG WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
510 AM EST WED DEC 31 2008
GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-045-047-049>051-062-312100-
/O.EXT.KFFC.FW.W.0049.081231T1001Z-081231T2300Z/
/O.EXT.KFFC.FW.A.0030.090101T1700Z-090101T2300Z/
DADE-WALKER-CATOOSA-WHITFIELD-MURRAY-FANNIN-GILMER-UNION-TOWNS-
CHATTOOGA-GORDON-PICKENS-DAWSON-LUMPKIN-WHITE-FLOYD-BARTOW-
CHEROKEE-FORSYTH-HALL-BANKS-JACKSON-MADISON-POLK-PAULDING-COBB-
NORTH FULTON-GWINNETT-BARROW-CLARKE-OCONEE-OGLETHORPE-WILKES-
DEKALB-WALTON-MORGAN-GREENE-TALIAFERRO-WARREN-
510 AM EST WED DEC 31 2008
...RED FLAG WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON
FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA DUE TO STRONG WINDS AND LOW
RELATIVE HUMIDITY...
...FIRE WEATHER WATCH NOW IN EFFECT THURSDAY AFTERNOON FOR NORTH
AND CENTRAL GEORGIA DUE TO LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...
THE RED FLAG WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM EST THIS
AFTERNOON. THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT THURSDAY
AFTERNOON.
THE WARNING AND WATCH INCLUDES THE CHATTAHOOCHEE AND OCONEE NATIONAL
FORESTS.
TODAY...DRY FUEL MOISTURE CONDITIONS WILL COMBINE WITH RELATIVE
HUMIDITIES OF 25 TO 35 PERCENT AND NORTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH
WITH GUSTS OF 25 TO 35 MPH. THIS WILL CREATE DANGEROUS FIRE
WEATHER CONDITIONS.
ON THURSDAY...DRY FUEL MOISTURE CONDITIONS WILL COMBINE WITH
RELATIVE HUMIDITIES OF 15 TO 25 PERCENT. THIS WILL CREATE
DANGEROUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. THIS WILL CREATE DANGEROUS FIRE
WEATHER CONDITIONS.
A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING...OR WILL OCCUR WITHIN 24 HOURS. A FIRE
WEATHER WATCH MEANS THAT THERE IS HIGH POTENTIAL FOR THE
DEVELOPMENT OF CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS IN 12 TO
72 HOURS. LISTEN FOR LATER FORECASTS AND POSSIBLE RED FLAG
WARNINGS.
PLEASE REFER TO THE LOCAL BURN PERMITTING AUTHORITIES ON WHETHER
YOU CAN BURN OUTDOORS. IF YOU DO BURN OUTSIDE...USE EXTREME
CAUTION.
PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE OFFICIALS OR FIRE CREWS IN THE
FIELD OF THE RED FLAG WARNING.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2008/12/216434