Fire danger has ramped up across the region, and a red flag warning has been issued for South Jersey between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Thursday. What does that mean?
The dry conditions combined with gusty winds will create the perfect conditions for wildfires that can ignite and spread quickly.
Thursday is also a NEXT Weather Alert Day because of this risk.
Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania suburbs, and Delaware are not currently in the warning area, but that may change by Thursday. All residents of the Delaware Valley are urged to avoid using flames outdoors and use caution when smoking.
A cold front that comes through dry on Thursday is partly to blame for the fire conditions.
It will usher in much cooler and drier air along with winds gusting to 30 mph. Another cold front will cross the area Saturday, but that front also looks devoid of rain, and it will deliver even colder air with highs on Sunday in the mid to upper 50s. Temperatures will then rebound to the mid-70s by early next week.