Hot, dry conditions to linger through next week
TENNESSEE VALLEY – Above-normal temperatures and dry conditions for the Tennessee Valley will continue through next week, according to the weather service in Huntsville, and the Tennessee Valley Authority is reaching power demands it hasn’t seen in its 86-year history.
National Weather Service Meteorologist Geoff Heidelberger said today’s temperatures are expected to be in the upper 80s and lower 90s with low humidity, but will be in the 90s during the weekend and through next week.
“There’s a relatively low chance of rain, about 20%, on Monday,” Heidelberger said. “But the temperatures are staying higher than normal and we’re expecting the same through the end of next week. Expect it to stay hot and dry.”
TVA spokesman Scott Fiedler said the agency has seen eight days in September with a power demand that exceeded 28,000 megawatts.
“That’s the most for any September in TVA history,” he said. “Heat is the driver. We’re seeing high temperatures across the entire Tennessee Valley region.”
Through its river monitoring system, Fiedler said TVA was able to store some of the record rainfall in February and March in tributaries along the Tennessee River to meet the record power demand now.
“Mother Nature plays a smart game, and we are always striving to stay a step ahead of her,” he said. “Next month the fuel cost adjustment will be 17% below the three-year average for October.”
He said lower fuel prices and an abundance of hydro power have led to the lower rates.
Earlier this week, the Alabama Forestry Commission issued a fire danger advisory for all 67 counties until rainfall is received.
“Current drought conditions and persistent high temperatures have combined to create a high probability of fuel ignition and an atmosphere favorable for wildfires,” AFC said in a written statement. “In the last 30 days, AFC wildland firefighters have battled 192 wildfires burning approximately 2,221 acres of land across the state.”
The commission said even though the state is not under a burn restriction, it recommended people to delay outdoor burning until conditions improve.
“During these dry conditions, we are asking everyone to use extreme caution when starting campfires, discarding cigarettes, driving or visiting national forests in Alabama,” Tammy Freeman Brown, spokeswoman for National Forests in Alabama, said Thursday. “Drivers in the forest should stay on designated roads and never park on dry brush or grass, to avoid risk of starting a fire.”
