WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

A Red Flag (Fire Weather) Warning is up in effect for the entire Hudson Valley for Saturday as the combination of strong winds, dry air and very dry vegetation will lead to fires spreading easily or fires to start from any unsupervised flames/embers. Strong wind gusts will pick up overnight and into Saturday, at speeds of 30 mph. Please discard fully and properly all cigarettes. The winds will be at their strongest between 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., coming out of the northwest direction.

The winds will back down Saturday night into Sunday morning, but the risk of fires will still be running rather high. Please don't use an open flame on Sunday either. Even though the warning won't be in effect, the risk of fires starting or spreading will still be around. There just won't be the strong winds to blow any embers or smoke like there will be on Saturday.

The weekend temperatures will be trending milder than in the past several days. The air will still be cold enough to merit a thicker coat in the morning hours, but in the afternoon, a light jacket or hoodie will be just fine. Think "sweater weather" for those daytime hours. Grab the sunglasses though, as the sun will be out in full force all weekend long.

By Sunday night into Monday, clouds will increase and there is a chance for spotty showers Monday morning. That chance is very low, and we have seen time and time again that the chance fizzles out but it is still something to monitor. There is a higher chance (and it looks more promising) for rain to arrive Thursday and Friday. A chance of 60% is around for Thursday, which is the highest we've seen in quiet sometime in the Hudson Valley.

FALL FOLIAGE COLORS:

DROUGHT MONITOR:

There is a Severe Drought (a 3 out of 5 on our scale) all across all our counties. There hasn't been significant measurable rain in over 2 months.

TROPICS: There is one system being monitored by the National Hurricane Center.

Tropical Storm Sara is moving western, along the coastline of Honduras. It is forecast to deliver soaking rains in that portion of Central America and then shift towards Belize and pass the Yucatan Peninsula over the next several days. It could end up in the Gulf of Mexico by Monday.

FIRE WEATHER RISK:

A Red Flag (Fire Weather) Warning has been issued for the entire region for Saturday. Winds are expected to gust up to 30 MPH as the air remains dry and the vegetation very dry. The winds back down Saturday night into Sunday.

10-DAY FORECAST:

OVERNIGHT: Clear skies, cold temps and breezy winds. Feels Like: Upper 20s. Lows: Low 30s to low 40s.

SATURDAY: RED FLAG (FIRE WEATHER) WARNING - Sunny and windy. There will be a heightened fire danger all across the region. Highs: Upper 50s to low 60s. Lows: Upper 30s to low 40s.

SUNDAY: Mostly sunny with less wind. Highs: Low 60s. Lows: Low 40s.

MONDAY: Partly cloudy and breezy with a very small chance of some drizzle in the AM. Highs: Low 60s. Lows: Upper 30s to low 40s.

TUESDAY: Partly cloudy. Highs: Upper 50s to low 60s. Lows: Upper 30s to low 40s.

WEDNESDAY: Mix of sun and clouds. Highs: Upper 50s. Lows: Low to mid-40s.

THURSDAY: Mostly cloudy with a chance for rain. Highs: Mid-50s. Lows: Upper 30s to low 40s.

FRIDAY: Mostly cloudy with a chance for rain and breezy winds. Highs: Upper 40s to low 50s. Lows: Mid- 30s.

SATURDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs: Upper 40s to low 50s. Lows: Mid-30s.

SUNDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs: Upper 40s to low 50s. Lows: Mid-30s.

MONDAY: Cloudy skies with a chance of drizzle. Highs: Upper 40s to low 50s. Lows: Low to mid-30s.