Extreme Carolina Fire Danger, Pollen Explosion & Artemis II Launch Preview [Ep. 577]

This week on the Carolina Weather Group: We are tracking a dangerous mix of weather conditions sparking a severe fire threat across North and South Carolina. Plus, we look ahead to a historic milestone in space exploration! Worsening Drought & Fire ThreatA prolonged lack of rain has plunged the Carolinas into severe and extreme drought. We break down the rainfall deficits, which are sitting around 5.2 inches in Charlotte, 4.3 inches in Raleigh, and 5.6 inches in Columbia over the last 90 days. The combination of bone-dry weather, plummeting humidity, and breezy conditions is fueling widespread wildfire risk. We discuss ongoing situations like the 300-acre Poplar Fire in North Carolina, which is complicated by downed trees from Hurricane Helene , and the 630-acre Woodlawn Fire in South Carolina.🤧 Pollen Explosion & Too Many TabsIt might not be raining water, but it's raining pollen! We talk about the massive amounts of pollen covering the Carolinas and its impact on allergies and asthma. Then, in our "Too Many Tabs" segment, we cover:The reopening of US 64 between Bat Cave after Hurricane Helene.A look back at the historic late-season snowstorm of March 1983.Upcoming changes to the National Hurricane Center's forecast cone to better show inland impacts.Meteorologist Scottie Powell drops by with your race weekend forecast for Martinsville.🚀 Countdown to NASA's Artemis IIFinally, we shift our focus from the ground to the stars to preview the highly anticipated launch of NASA's Artemis II. We discuss the launch windows opening on Wednesday, April 1 , as four astronauts prepare to take a test drive around the Moon.#weather #northcarolina #southcarolina #ncwx #scwx #podcast📹 Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmhGiYbMDccQcdSjpf87nGg/join🧢 MERCH: https://carolinaweathergroup.qbstores.com/💸 LEAVE A TIP: https://streamelements.com/carolinawxgroup/tip🎙️ SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PODCAST: https://anchor.fm/carolinaweather🔔 SUPPORT US ON PATREON: https://patreon.com/carolinaweathergroup💻 VISIT OUR WEBSITE: https://carolinaweathergroup.comThe Carolina Weather Group operates a weekly talk show of the same name. Broadcasting each week from the Carolinas, the show is dedicated to covering weather, science, technology, and more with newsmakers from the field of atmospheric science. With co-hosts across both North Carolina and South Carolina, the show may closely feature both NC weather and SC weather, but the topics are universally enjoyable for any weather fan. Join us as we talk about weather, the environment, the atmosphere, space travel, and all the technology that makes it possible.