Parched Northwest to see increased fire risk despite arrival of thunderstorms
By
Courtney Travis, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Jul 27, 2020 5:14 PM EDT
When a wildfire is burning, you most likely won’t have a lot of time to evacuate. Follow these tips to help you and your family leave safely and quickly.
The difficult weather situation across parts of the Northwest could be made even worse into Wednesday evening as thunderstorms threaten a portion of the region.
"A disturbance moving into the Northwest and northern Great Basin will combine with just enough moisture across the region to create some towering thunderclouds over the mountains over the next couple of days. However, these thunderstorms will not have enough moisture to produce widespread rain," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Jake Sojda.
Instead of bringing drought relief, these thunderstorms can instead bring lightning dangers, which can act as a large spark to start a wildfire.
Fortunately, winds across the Northwest do not look particularly strong into midweek. Sustained winds or even stronger wind gusts can rapidly spread any flame.
"Despite the lack of widespread winds, the thunderstorms themselves can produce some locally gusty winds near the storm, which could fan flames for a time," Sojda added.
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Hikers and those spending time outdoors should be keeping an eye on the sky, watching for towering thunderstorm clouds. Lightning can strike several miles away from these thunderclouds.
Residents living in the area should already have a wildfire plan in place, should a fire start nearby, and be prepared to evacuate should officials ask them to do so.
As of Monday night, Inciweb reported only one wildfire in Oregon, the Ben Young Fire, which was 90 percent contained. However, another three fires are clustered near Modoc National Forest in northeastern California. The largest, the July Complex, had burned over 66,000 acres and was only 30 percent contained.
Any nearby storms could also cause these fires to flare up and grow quickly, making it difficult for firefighters to battle the blaze.
The weather has not been very forgiving in this part of the country so far this summer, leaving the region in a serious drought.
During any drought, dry vegetation in parts of Oregon, Nevada and California is plentiful, which acts as a kindling for a fire to ignite or fuel to keep it burning.
This drought currently expands across much of the West and Southwest, all the way to parts of Oklahoma and Texas.
The middle of summer is climatologically a dry season in this part of the country, so a lack of rainfall is not uncommon. In fact, it is this drying during the hot, summer months that is instrumental in the yearly wildfire dangers the region experiences each summer and fall.
Temperatures are forecast to throttle up on Thursday over the Northwest. Record highs will be challenged.
"The threat of dry thunderstorms will diminish midweek but could return again late in the week or during the start of the weekend," Sojda warned.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo
News / Severe Weather
Parched Northwest to see increased fire risk despite arrival of thunderstorms
By Courtney Travis, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Jul 27, 2020 5:14 PM EDT
When a wildfire is burning, you most likely won’t have a lot of time to evacuate. Follow these tips to help you and your family leave safely and quickly.
The difficult weather situation across parts of the Northwest could be made even worse into Wednesday evening as thunderstorms threaten a portion of the region.
"A disturbance moving into the Northwest and northern Great Basin will combine with just enough moisture across the region to create some towering thunderclouds over the mountains over the next couple of days. However, these thunderstorms will not have enough moisture to produce widespread rain," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Jake Sojda.
Instead of bringing drought relief, these thunderstorms can instead bring lightning dangers, which can act as a large spark to start a wildfire.
Fortunately, winds across the Northwest do not look particularly strong into midweek. Sustained winds or even stronger wind gusts can rapidly spread any flame.
"Despite the lack of widespread winds, the thunderstorms themselves can produce some locally gusty winds near the storm, which could fan flames for a time," Sojda added.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Hikers and those spending time outdoors should be keeping an eye on the sky, watching for towering thunderstorm clouds. Lightning can strike several miles away from these thunderclouds.
Residents living in the area should already have a wildfire plan in place, should a fire start nearby, and be prepared to evacuate should officials ask them to do so.
As of Monday night, Inciweb reported only one wildfire in Oregon, the Ben Young Fire, which was 90 percent contained. However, another three fires are clustered near Modoc National Forest in northeastern California. The largest, the July Complex, had burned over 66,000 acres and was only 30 percent contained.
Any nearby storms could also cause these fires to flare up and grow quickly, making it difficult for firefighters to battle the blaze.
Related:
The weather has not been very forgiving in this part of the country so far this summer, leaving the region in a serious drought.
During any drought, dry vegetation in parts of Oregon, Nevada and California is plentiful, which acts as a kindling for a fire to ignite or fuel to keep it burning.
This drought currently expands across much of the West and Southwest, all the way to parts of Oklahoma and Texas.
The middle of summer is climatologically a dry season in this part of the country, so a lack of rainfall is not uncommon. In fact, it is this drying during the hot, summer months that is instrumental in the yearly wildfire dangers the region experiences each summer and fall.
Temperatures are forecast to throttle up on Thursday over the Northwest. Record highs will be challenged.
"The threat of dry thunderstorms will diminish midweek but could return again late in the week or during the start of the weekend," Sojda warned.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo