Tag Archives: drought

Pyrocumulus Cloud Forms Over Wildfire in Kings Canyon National Park

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Fueled by drought, wildfires have been blazing across the American West all summer.   Sixteen are currently burning in California alone. While hiking in Kings Canyon National Park in the state’s rugged Sierra Nevada Mountains recently, I crossed paths with the “Rough Fire” and saw it produce a billowing pyrocumulus cloud.

Pyrocumulus clouds form when intense heat at the surface – usually from a wildfire or volcanic eruption – causes air to rise rapidly. As it travels upward, water vapor in the air condenses into droplets and forms a cloud. Filled with ash and smoke, the swelling cloud generally appears more grey than white.

Ignited by lightning over three weeks ago, the Rough Fire continues to spread and has even caused parts of Kings Canyon National Park to close. According to the NPS, smoke from the massive fire has also impacted the air quality in and around the park. To date, the fire has charred close to 50,000 acres and is only 17% contained.

Pyrocumulus cloud rising over California's Rough Fire in Sierra National Forest and Kings Canyon National Park. August 2015. Credit: The Weather Gamut.

Pyrocumulus cloud rising over California’s Rough Fire in Sierra National Forest and Kings Canyon National Park, August 2015. Credit: The Weather Gamut.

2015 Wildfire Season on Track to Record Levels in US

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Summer is wildfire season in the American West, and it is off to a raging start.

So far this year, according to the National Interagency Fire Center, wildfires have burned 5.5 million acres across the US. That is an area roughly the size of the state of New Jersey. It is also the second highest total (as of this date) in the last 25 years.

As of Monday, 22 large wildfires – defined as greater than 100 acres – are burning in 5 states.  In California’s Napa Valley region, the Wragg Fire has scorched 7,000 acres and forced many residents to evacuate. In Montana, a massive blaze has burned approximately 5 square miles of Glacier National Park since it began last week. The majority of the acres burned, however, have been in Alaska. They have seen nearly 4.7 million acres charred, which is about 85% of the national total to date.

High temperatures and prolonged drought in the West have turned forests and brush areas into tinderboxes that are susceptible to any type of spark. While summer is usually hot and dry in California, the state is enduring its fourth year of drought. Alaska has also been unusually warm and dry. In fact, according to NOAA, they are in the middle of their second warmest year on record, year to date. These warm temperatures helped produce a dearth of winter snowfall, which has lead to drier than normal conditions across a large area of the state.

Overall, wildfires in the US seem to be getting worse. In Alaska, 3 of the worst wildfires have occurred in the last 12 years. In California, 12 of their 20 largest fires have taken place since 2000. In both states, wildfire records date back to the 1930s.

Nationally, summer 2015 is on track to be one of the worst wildfires seasons on record.

Credit: CBS

Wildfire rages in Glacier National Park, Montana. Image Credit: CBS

Drought Update: Summer 2015

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This summer has been marked by heavy rain and even flooding in many parts of the United States.  Drought, however, continues to plague large sections of the country.

According to the latest report from the U.S. Drought Monitor, 36% of the nation is in some form of drought. While this number represents improvement for some areas, such as Texas and the southern plains, the western states remain very dry. Conditions of moderate drought or worse cover 61% of that region.

In California, despite some unseasonably heavy rain recently, the long-term drought – now in its fourth year – continues. 97% of the state is experiencing conditions of moderate drought or worse and 46% is in extreme drought, the worst possible category.

On the other side of the country, drought is also impacting parts of Florida.  This is fairly unusual as summer is considered the rainy season there. Currently, 45% of the Sunshine state – mostly along the east coast – is experiencing some form of drought. That is up from 15% from just three months ago. Portions of the highly populated areas of Broward and Miami-Dade Counties, on the southeastern tip of the peninsula, are dealing with extreme drought.

The Drought Monitor is a weekly publication produced by a partnership of government agencies, including the National Drought Mitigation Center, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

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NYC Monthly Summary: May 2015

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May was unusually warm and dry in New York City this year.

With 26 out of 31 days posting above average highs, including 18 days with readings in the 80s, May felt more like summer than spring. Overnight lows were also well above average throughout most of the month. All together, the city’s mean temperature for the month was 68.5°F, which is 6.1°F above average.  That makes May 2015 the city’s 3rd warmest May on record.

In terms of precipitation, May was exceptionally dry. Coming on the heels of a parched April, the city, according to the latest report (5/28) from the US Drought Monitor, is currently in a state of moderate drought. All told, the city received a mere 1.86 inches of rain in Central Park. Of this meager total, 1.46 inches fell in a single day – the last day of the month – and caused localized flash floods. May, on average, typically brings NYC 4.19 inches of rain.

Graph Credit: The Weather Gamut

Graph Credit: The Weather Gamut

Graph Credit: The Weather Gamut

Graph Credit: The Weather Gamut

Drought Update: Spring 2015

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Drought has plagued the western and southwestern regions of the US for years, with the highly populous states of Texas and California being particularly hard hit. In recent weeks, however, plentiful spring rain has brought the Lone Star state some much needed, if not complete, relief.

According to the latest report from the US Drought Monitor, exceptional drought, the worst possible category is no longer present in Texas. This is the first time this has happened since July 2012. While this is good news, other categories of drought still persist across 36% of the massive state. The intense rain has also caused flooding.

California, in its fourth year of drought, also received some much-needed rainfall recently. On Thursday, San Diego received 1.63 inches of rain making it their wettest May since 1921. This impressive daily total was not only unusual as the region is now in its “dry season”, but was also more than that city typically gets all summer. Despite this recent rain in the southern part of the state, 98% of California remains in some form of drought with nearly 50% in exceptional drought.

The Drought Monitor is a weekly publication produced by a partnership of government agencies, including the National Drought Mitigation Center, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

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Mandatory Water Restrictions Issued for Drought-Stricken California

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In response to the multi-year drought that has been plaguing California, Governor Jerry Brown issued an executive order on Wednesday that requires water usage across the state to be reduced by 25%. This is the first time statewide mandatory water restrictions have been enacted in California.

Standing on a dry patch of land in the Sierra Nevada Mountains that is normally covered with five feet of snow at this time of year, the governor said, “We are in a historic drought and that demands unprecedented action.” Last year, the state declared a drought emergency and asked residents to voluntarily reduce their water usage by 20%. This year, the reductions are compulsory and will be enforced with hefty fines for those who do not comply.

Statewide, according to the California Cooperative Snow Survey Program, the Sierra Snowpack is about 5% of normal for the date. Acting like a savings account, the snowpack is a critical part of the state’s water supply. They store water from the wet winter  season and slowly release it to rivers and reservoirs as they melt in the spring and summer.

The current California drought – now in its fourth year – is considered the worst drought on record in the state since 1895. Scientists who study historical climate proxies, such as tree-rings, say this drought is possibly the worst the region has seen in 1000 years.

California is no stranger to drought, but experts say warming conditions related to climate change are making this event worse than it would be otherwise. Once drought takes hold of a region, it tends to feed on itself in a vicious cycle. To start, high temperatures increase evaporation rates causing the soil to dry out.  Without plentiful rain to replace the moisture, the sun’s energy heats the ground and the air even further making the affected area even drier.   California, according to NOAA, just had its warmest winter on record. The previous record was set only last year.

Local water agencies across the state will be responsible for implementing the cutbacks required by the governor’s executive order and for monitoring compliance.

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Drought Update: Late Autumn 2014

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Over the past few weeks, rounds of intense rainstorms fueled by a phenomenon known as a Pineapple Express have soaked the west coast of the United States and helped put a modest dent in California’s nearly 3-year drought.

According to the latest report from the US Drought Monitor, 32% of California is currently facing conditions of “exceptional drought”, the worst possible category. That is an improvement from last week’s 55%.   Nonetheless, 100% of California – a state generally considered to be one the most productive agricultural regions in the world – is still in some form of drought.

Water levels in reservoirs throughout this country’s most populated state also remain low. Lake Shasta and Lake Oroville, the two largest reservoirs in California, are both currently at 33% of total capacity and only 55% of the historical average for the date.

With winter considered the “rainy season” in California, it is possible for additional storms to continue slowly reducing the region’s long-term drought conditions. Scientists working with NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites say that California needs 11 trillion gallons of water, enough to fill more than 16 million olympic-size swimming pools, to completely end the drought.

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Credit: US Drought Monitor

The Weather of the Future: Forecast for September 2050

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In advance of the U.N. Climate Summit later this month, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has launched a video series of hypothetical weather forecasts for different regions of the globe that are all set 36 years in the future. They are meant to show that today’s climate projections could really be tomorrow’s weather. The U.S. version of this project was released today and it focuses on sea level rise, heat waves, drought, and the warming arctic.

Produced by the Weather Channel, the scenarios presented are based on projections published in the latest IPCC report and the U.S. National Climate Assessment. Watch the video below to see what an American weather forecast could look like on the not so distant date of September 23, 2050.

Video Credit: WMO, TWC, and YouTube

Worst Wildfire in Washington State History

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A massive wildfire is raging in Washington State. Situated about 120 miles northeast of Seattle, it is known as the Carlton Complex Fire.

Starting off as four separate wildfires, they have now merged into one massive blaze. Charring 375 square miles of parched land since last week, it is now the largest wildfire the state has ever seen. As of Sunday, according to local officials, more than one hundred fifty homes have been destroyed, hundreds of people have been displaced, and at least one death has been reported.

Sparked by lightning, this fierce fire is being fueled by drought, unusually high temperatures, and gusty winds.  Currently only 2% contained, weather conditions are likely to change in the coming days and give firefighters a helping hand. Forecasters say cooler, moist air will move into the region and winds should ease. Nonetheless, if this incoming  weather pattern generates thunderstorms more fires could be ignited.

This blaze, according to the National Interagency Fire Center, is just one of 24 large wildfires currently burning in the drought stricken American West.

Carlton Complex Fire rages in Washington State. Credit: KING5

Carlton Complex Fire rages in Washington State. Credit: KING5

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Drought conditions across the American West. Credit: US Drought Monitor.

Drought Update: Spring 2014

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Drought has been plaguing the western and southwestern regions of the United States for months. Without any significant spring precipitation, the situation has gone from bad to worse.

According to the latest report from the US Drought Monitor, 100% of California – the entire state – is experiencing some form of drought. This is the first time this has happened in the Monitor’s 15-year history. Most of the state, 77%, is currently in extreme drought. That is up from 69% from just a week ago.  Experts say this situation is unlikely to improve anytime soon now that California’s so-called rainy season has ended.

These parched conditions have serious implications for this nation’s third largest state. With a population of nearly 40 million people, drinking water supplies are at risk and the threat of wildfires are on the rise. As a major agricultural producer, the drought there will also have impacts across the country in terms of rising food prices.

Another hard hit area is Texas, especially in the panhandle. Currently, 86% of the Lone Star state is in drought and 13% is suffering under conditions of exceptional drought – the worst possible category.

The Drought Monitor is a weekly publication produced by a partnership of government agencies, including the National Drought Mitigation Center, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Image Credit: US Drought Monitor

Image Credit: US Drought Monitor