Fire Weather Watch; fire weather watch Alerts in Effect Amid Drought Concerns

Mo. Basuony

Published: February 21, 2026 9:07 PM ET

Fire Weather Watch; fire weather watch Alerts in Effect Amid Drought Concerns

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A fire weather watch is in effect as officials warn of elevated fire risk amid expanding drought and gusty winds. A red flag warning also covers Sunday, and forecasters say conditions through early next week will bring much cooler temperatures and frost concerns.

Red Flag Warning Details

At 12: 23 p. m. on Saturday, the National Weather Service issued a red flag warning valid for Sunday between 1 p. m. and 7 p. m. The warning covers Coastal Levy and Inland Levy as well as Citrus, Hernando and Sumter counties. Residents can expect winds to be northwest 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph and relative humidity as low as 28 percent.

Fire Weather Watch Monday

A FIRE WEATHER WATCH is also in effect on Monday. That designation means the fire weather threat is elevated due to dry ground and gusty winds. Forecasters repeated the advisory to exercise extreme caution if outdoors and to take note of any burn ban in place.

Winds, Humidity and Gusts

Sunday will be breezy behind a front that moves through overnight. Highs on Sunday are expected to be in the 60s with a mostly cloudy sky; lows Sunday night will be back in the 30s and 40s. Forecast details list Sunday as "A Few AM Showers. PM Sun. High 68, Low 34. " Winds northwest 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph and relative humidity as low as 28 percent are central to the heightened fire risk.

Precautions and Burning Rules

The warnings underline that warm temperatures, very low humidities, and stronger winds can combine to let fires spread rapidly. Officials advise exercising extreme caution and being prepared to take immediate action if a fire starts. If burning is authorized in your vicinity, ensure that all burn barrels feature a weighted metal cover with holes no larger than 3/4 of an inch. Responsible disposal of smoking materials is advised: avoid haphazardly discarding lit cigarette butts and avoid flinging cigarettes or matches from moving vehicles.

Prudent fire extinguishing practices were highlighted: diligently extinguish all outdoor fires, drown them with an ample amount of water and stir to confirm everything is cold to the touch. Submerge charcoal in water until it is thoroughly cooled and never dispose of live charcoal on the ground. Avoid abandoning any fire without supervision; even minor sparks or drifting embers can incite dry vegetation and potentially spawn a wildfire.

Week Ahead and Drought

A front will bring a few showers overnight tonight through Sunday morning, but activity is not expected to be widespread and rainfall should be generally under a tenth of an inch. Behind the front, temperatures will be much cooler and breezy on Sunday and into early next week. Monday will be the coolest day of the week with morning temperatures near 40 degrees and highs only in the low to mid 50s, driven by a northerly flow bringing cooler air into the area.

Another major forecast concern is a widespread frost and freeze likely Tuesday morning, with lows in the 20s and 30s and wind making it feel like the 20s for most of the area. The rest of the upcoming week looks fairly dry thanks to an area of high pressure overhead. Another front could approach later in the week, but rainfall accumulation looks minimal and not enough to get the area out of the drought.

Speaking of the drought, the latest drought monitor reflects the overall pattern over the past few months: the area of "extreme" drought continues to expand in coverage each week and now covers most of our area. Forecasting later in the week lists WEDNESDAY as "Mostly Sunny. High 70, Low 45. "

Local Notes and Attribution

Forecasters noted cloud cover will increase tonight and that conditions will be mild for this time of year, with low temperatures in the 50s and 60s. A red flag warning is in effect on Sunday and a fire weather watch is in effect on Monday; both alerts mark an elevated fire weather threat because of dry ground and gusty winds, and both recommend taking note of any burn ban in place.

At least one local meteorologist profile in the bulletin states that Chris Holtzman joined the station in October 2025, is a member of the American Meteorological Society and is a Certified Broadcast Meteorologist designated by the American Meteorological Society. For assistance with the public file, the notice lists a contact number: 393-9801. The automated red flag summary noted that the article was produced using artificial intelligence and publicly available data.

Closing: The combination of northwest winds, low humidity near 28 percent, gusts up to 25 mph, and expanding extreme drought has prompted a red flag warning for Sunday and a fire weather watch for Monday; residents in the listed counties should exercise extreme caution and heed any local burn bans.