Delaware to heat up Saturday as outdoor burning warning issued

Delaware will have the warmest day since Halloween 2024 on Saturday.

From Wilmington to Georgetown, expect high temperatures and partly cloudy skies on Saturday. The warm temperatures are unusual, but not egregious, according to data from the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, New Jersey. The warmth will flirt with records, but probably won't break them.

The record high temperatures for March 29 in Wilmington and Georgetown took place in 1945, when they reached 85 and 87 degrees, respectively. The highs in Delaware will be in the low 80s throughout the state.

A special weather statement warning against outdoor burning is in effect Saturday. Gusty winds in the afternoon and a persistent drought in New Castle and Kent counties create an elevated fire risk. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, New Castle County remains in a severe drought, and Kent County is in a moderate drought. Sussex County is "abnormally dry" after a rainy March and snowy winter.

"The winds are high enough and the ground is dry enough for it to be concerning that if fire does start, it could spread very quickly," weather service meteorologist Mike Lee said.

The warm, dry weather is the result of a warm front that passed by Friday evening ahead of a strong storm system in the middle of the U.S., according to Lee. That system will arrive Monday, bringing some potentially strong thunderstorms with it.