ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Unseasonably warm and dry conditions are expected to build across Western North Carolina and much of the Southeast in the coming days, raising concerns about early-season heat and increased fire danger.

Forecasters with the National Weather Service say temperatures will climb steadily through the weekend and into next week, with highs in the Asheville area reaching the upper 80s by midweek. Some locations across the western Carolinas and northeast Georgia could approach 90 degrees, signaling what meteorologists describe as an early arrival of summerlike conditions.

Low humidity and mostly sunny skies are expected to persist through at least the middle of next week. The dry air, combined with warming temperatures, is expected to heighten fire weather concerns across the region.

Officials warn that the combination of dry conditions and low relative humidity could allow fires to start and spread more easily. Residents are urged to use extreme caution with outdoor burning and to follow any local restrictions or permitting requirements.

In addition to fire risk, forecasters are also monitoring the potential for “flash drought” conditions — a rapid onset of drought driven by heat and lack of rainfall — across parts of the Southeast.

In Asheville, temperatures are expected to reach near 80 degrees Saturday and climb into the upper 80s by Wednesday, with overnight lows generally in the 40s and 50s. Skies are expected to remain mostly clear to partly cloudy throughout the period.