Little wildfire relief in sight for West as sweltering heat expands
By
Jessica Storm, AccuWeather Meteorologist
Updated Sep 8, 2021 12:34 PM EDT
Many families have been forced to flee their homes due to growing fires and thick smoke that blankets areas far beyond the fires themselves.
Sizzling heat that has been challenging records in the Southwest the past several days has expanded into the Northwestern states as of midweek and will continue to elevate the risk for wildfires through Thursday.
"Temperature departures will average 15-25 degrees Fahrenheit above normal in many parts of the West this week," said AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Senior Meteorologist Paul Pastelok.
The highest temperatures are expected to occur through Thursday. While normal high temperatures are generally in the 80s this time of year from Southern California and western Arizona northward to southeastern Washington, temperatures can rise into the 90s and even over 100 degrees this week.
In places like Las Vegas, Nevada, and Fresno, California, temperatures have already begun to shoot above normal. Las Vegas had temperatures rise 7 degrees Fahrenheit above normal on Labor Day with a high of 106 F. Temperatures soared nearly 10 degrees above normal on Tuesday in Sin City, trying the 1977 record of 108 for Sept. 7. Las Vegas is expected to rise to 108 F again on Wednesday.
Temperatures in Fresno are also anticipated to toy with records this week. After soaring above 100 Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, temperatures can rise to over 10 degrees above average on Wednesday, approaching the Sept. 8 record of 108 F, set in 1904.
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"There's a strong high pressure in place sitting over the West locking in that warm air," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Thomas Geiger.
Several areas of the Southwest are under an excessive heat warning or heat advisory this week. Las Vegas, Nevada, and Palmdale, California, are among the cities included in the excessive heat warning, while Sacramento and Fresno are under a heat advisory. The core of the heat is expected to expand northward, so residents elsewhere can anticipate the possibility of further heat alerts this week.
As the heat expands, it won't necessarily be record-challenging in the Northwest, but dangerously hot nonetheless. It's already been a sweltering and record-challenging summer in the region. Earlier in the year, the Northwest experienced a historic heat wave, which set all-time temperature records and contributed to hundreds of deaths.
So far this year, Portland, Oregon, has recorded five days with temperatures at 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, which ties 2021 with 1941 and 1977 for the most number of days where high temperatures were 100 degrees or higher. If the City of Roses experiences just one more day this year with a high of 100 or higher, then a new record will be set.
While another triple-digit temperature day isn't looking likely any time soon, AccuWeather forecasters expect Portland to have at least one more day of temperatures 80 degrees or higher Wednesday. Temperatures have been above normal in the city since last Thursday.
The heat will generally be less intense across the Pacific Northwest, according to Pastelok, but it will remain stronger farther south, where enormous fires like the Dixie Fire and Caldor Fire are burning in California.
The Dixie Fire, east of Chico, California, is the largest single fire in state history and was larger than the state of Rhode Island at the end of August. It has burned over 919,300 acres and was 59% contained as of Wednesday morning. The Caldor Fire, east of Sacramento, California, has been causing several evacuations recently, having burned over 217,000 acres and only 50% contained.
As of early Monday morning, there were 20 large active fires across Idaho, 17 in Montana and 13 in Washington, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Expanding heat will be a problem for those fighting the fires in the Northwest.
"Intense heat will impact firefighters, leading to potential dehydration," said Pastelok.
Ash and smoke from these fires have also spread to Northern California and Washington, and as far east as Iowa.
The ash and smoke can impact air quality and can be especially harmful for the young, elderly and those with underlying conditions such as asthma, according to Geiger.
Directly east of the Dixie and Caldor fires, special weather statements have been issued that warn of smoke filling the Tahoe Basin and western Nevada valleys. This smoke, dependent on ongoing fire activity, can greatly reduce air quality in these areas. Some of the cities included in this statement are Reno and Carson City, Nevada.
To further complicate the situation, a dip in the jet stream can also bring a slew of two-faced impacts to the West this week.
"An upper-level storm can produce higher-elevated thunderstorms with some sporadic rain possible in the Washington Cascades," said Pastelok.
About 60% of the West is in an extreme drought, according to the United States Drought Monitor, with nearly 40% of Washington experiencing exceptional drought conditions. In August, Spokane, Washington received only 32% of its average rainfall, and Seattle reported a measly 11% of average.
"Unfortunately, it doesn't look like [the storm] will bring much relief to the areas currently on fire, and the rainfall amounts will be fairly low," said Geiger.
With such little precipitation expected, this storm may spell more trouble than relief for most of the West.
"There is also a dry lightning threat with this system as well for Wednesday and Thursday," said Geiger. Dry lightning is a term used during a thunderstorm that produces little to no rainfall.
AccuWeather meteorologists predict the dry lightning risk could be fairly high from Northern California to western Montana Thursday.
With ongoing fires and the current heat wave, it's been so hot and so dry that any lightning strike is incredibly dangerous and could start new fires. And while breezes from this storm can disperse smoke and increase air quality, the wind will also allow fires to spread more easily.
Correction: The Dixie Fire is the second-largest fire in California history and the state's largest single fire. The August Complex Fire, which burned in 2020, is the largest fire overall. The August Complex Fire included more than 30 fires that burned together.
For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, DIRECTVstream, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeatherNOW is streaming on Roku and XUMO.
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News / Weather Forecasts
Little wildfire relief in sight for West as sweltering heat expands
By Jessica Storm, AccuWeather Meteorologist
Updated Sep 8, 2021 12:34 PM EDT
Many families have been forced to flee their homes due to growing fires and thick smoke that blankets areas far beyond the fires themselves.
Sizzling heat that has been challenging records in the Southwest the past several days has expanded into the Northwestern states as of midweek and will continue to elevate the risk for wildfires through Thursday.
"Temperature departures will average 15-25 degrees Fahrenheit above normal in many parts of the West this week," said AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Senior Meteorologist Paul Pastelok.
The highest temperatures are expected to occur through Thursday. While normal high temperatures are generally in the 80s this time of year from Southern California and western Arizona northward to southeastern Washington, temperatures can rise into the 90s and even over 100 degrees this week.
In places like Las Vegas, Nevada, and Fresno, California, temperatures have already begun to shoot above normal. Las Vegas had temperatures rise 7 degrees Fahrenheit above normal on Labor Day with a high of 106 F. Temperatures soared nearly 10 degrees above normal on Tuesday in Sin City, trying the 1977 record of 108 for Sept. 7. Las Vegas is expected to rise to 108 F again on Wednesday.
Temperatures in Fresno are also anticipated to toy with records this week. After soaring above 100 Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, temperatures can rise to over 10 degrees above average on Wednesday, approaching the Sept. 8 record of 108 F, set in 1904.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
"There's a strong high pressure in place sitting over the West locking in that warm air," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Thomas Geiger.
Several areas of the Southwest are under an excessive heat warning or heat advisory this week. Las Vegas, Nevada, and Palmdale, California, are among the cities included in the excessive heat warning, while Sacramento and Fresno are under a heat advisory. The core of the heat is expected to expand northward, so residents elsewhere can anticipate the possibility of further heat alerts this week.
As the heat expands, it won't necessarily be record-challenging in the Northwest, but dangerously hot nonetheless. It's already been a sweltering and record-challenging summer in the region. Earlier in the year, the Northwest experienced a historic heat wave, which set all-time temperature records and contributed to hundreds of deaths.
So far this year, Portland, Oregon, has recorded five days with temperatures at 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, which ties 2021 with 1941 and 1977 for the most number of days where high temperatures were 100 degrees or higher. If the City of Roses experiences just one more day this year with a high of 100 or higher, then a new record will be set.
While another triple-digit temperature day isn't looking likely any time soon, AccuWeather forecasters expect Portland to have at least one more day of temperatures 80 degrees or higher Wednesday. Temperatures have been above normal in the city since last Thursday.
The heat will generally be less intense across the Pacific Northwest, according to Pastelok, but it will remain stronger farther south, where enormous fires like the Dixie Fire and Caldor Fire are burning in California.
SEE ALSO:
The Dixie Fire, east of Chico, California, is the largest single fire in state history and was larger than the state of Rhode Island at the end of August. It has burned over 919,300 acres and was 59% contained as of Wednesday morning. The Caldor Fire, east of Sacramento, California, has been causing several evacuations recently, having burned over 217,000 acres and only 50% contained.
As of early Monday morning, there were 20 large active fires across Idaho, 17 in Montana and 13 in Washington, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Expanding heat will be a problem for those fighting the fires in the Northwest.
"Intense heat will impact firefighters, leading to potential dehydration," said Pastelok.
Ash and smoke from these fires have also spread to Northern California and Washington, and as far east as Iowa.
The ash and smoke can impact air quality and can be especially harmful for the young, elderly and those with underlying conditions such as asthma, according to Geiger.
Directly east of the Dixie and Caldor fires, special weather statements have been issued that warn of smoke filling the Tahoe Basin and western Nevada valleys. This smoke, dependent on ongoing fire activity, can greatly reduce air quality in these areas. Some of the cities included in this statement are Reno and Carson City, Nevada.
To further complicate the situation, a dip in the jet stream can also bring a slew of two-faced impacts to the West this week.
"An upper-level storm can produce higher-elevated thunderstorms with some sporadic rain possible in the Washington Cascades," said Pastelok.
About 60% of the West is in an extreme drought, according to the United States Drought Monitor, with nearly 40% of Washington experiencing exceptional drought conditions. In August, Spokane, Washington received only 32% of its average rainfall, and Seattle reported a measly 11% of average.
"Unfortunately, it doesn't look like [the storm] will bring much relief to the areas currently on fire, and the rainfall amounts will be fairly low," said Geiger.
With such little precipitation expected, this storm may spell more trouble than relief for most of the West.
"There is also a dry lightning threat with this system as well for Wednesday and Thursday," said Geiger. Dry lightning is a term used during a thunderstorm that produces little to no rainfall.
AccuWeather meteorologists predict the dry lightning risk could be fairly high from Northern California to western Montana Thursday.
With ongoing fires and the current heat wave, it's been so hot and so dry that any lightning strike is incredibly dangerous and could start new fires. And while breezes from this storm can disperse smoke and increase air quality, the wind will also allow fires to spread more easily.
Correction: The Dixie Fire is the second-largest fire in California history and the state's largest single fire. The August Complex Fire, which burned in 2020, is the largest fire overall. The August Complex Fire included more than 30 fires that burned together.
For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, DIRECTVstream, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeatherNOW is streaming on Roku and XUMO.
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