Drought monitor: highest category again<\/p>\n
JACKSONVILLE, Fla.<\/strong> \u2013 Good morning, friends. I\u2019m Katie Garner with your News4JAX Weather Authority update.<\/p>\n Right now, Jacksonville and areas to our west including Lake City are in what\u2019s classified as extreme to exceptional drought conditions. That\u2019s the very highest level, and you honestly can\u2019t get any drier on the drought monitor.<\/p>\n I want to stress that we all need to keep water conservation in mind as we wait for rain to catch up. At this point, there\u2019s no official alert, but it\u2019s a good time to think about ways to save where you can\u2014Mother Nature isn\u2019t making it easy for us.<\/p>\n Warm days and mild nights forecast<\/p>\n Despite the early morning haze (and a little studio glare from my own earrings, I admit!), it\u2019s beautiful out this week.<\/p>\n Temperatures are running above average\u2014think upper 70s today, climbing into the low and mid-80s as the week goes on. Jacksonville started off at 54 this morning, with spots like Macclenny and Waycross in the low to mid-50s and the beaches up around 60.<\/p>\n Overnight lows keep things comfortable in the lower 60s, so it should feel nice for any plans you have after sunset.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t forget the sunscreen and your water bottle if you\u2019re heading outside\u2014the sun can still burn through clouds, and it\u2019s going to feel a little muggy at times.<\/p>\n Rain chances limited, drought expected to persist<\/p>\n Our Exact Track 4D radar is picking up a few light showers over The Gulf and the Atlantic, but most will fizzle out before they reach us on land.<\/p>\n If anything does push through, expect it during the early afternoon hours, maybe between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.\u2014nothing widespread, just those random sprinkles we wish could help more. Officially, we\u2019re tracking a 20 to 30 percent chance for rain each day this week, but it\u2019s unlikely to be enough to make a real dent in our drought.<\/p>\n As for fire and smoke, our forecast doesn\u2019t show anything significant at the moment, but this could change quickly if winds pick up or conditions stay this dry.<\/p>\n I\u2019ll keep you updated every morning on News4JAX and The Weather Authority app with every change.<\/p>\n Got weather photos? Share your SnapJAX<\/p>\n