Fire restrictions for southwest Utah, Arizona Strip

3 years 1 month ago
Fire restrictions took effect on June 2 on the Arizona Strip and all unincorporated county, state, and federally administrated public lands in the Utah counties of Washington, Kane, Garfield, and Iron. ABC4 (Salt Lake City, Utah), June 1, 2022

Some support, some defiance toward new watering restrictions in Los Angeles, California

3 years 1 month ago
As strict water restrictions took effect in Los Angeles on June 1, not all residents were on board with the rules. Some residents observed the new restrictions on lawn watering, while others were less supportive and thought that they would rather just pay the fines for violating the rules. An estimated 14,000 trees died in Los Angeles’ city parks alone, due to watering restrictions during the previous drought. City officials have underscored the importance of watering trees amid the current drought. Los Angeles Times (Calif.), June 1, 2022

Mesquite Heat Fire (Wildfire)

3 years 1 month ago
The Mesquite Heat Fire started along HWY 277 about 7 miles southwest of Abilene on May 17, 2022. The fire is now 10,960 acres and 93% contained.The Southern Area Gold Incident Management Team will transition the Mesquite Heat Fire back to the Texas A&M Forest Service at 6 p.m. on May 29, 2022.Incident Commander Debbie Beard would like to thank the Texas A&M Forest Service, local fire departments and many other cooperators and resources who have supported operations since the Gold Team assumed command on May 21, 2022. She also wants to thank the residents in the local community for their hospitality during the team’s

SPC Jun 2, 2022 1300 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook

3 years 1 month ago
SPC 1300Z Day 1 Outlook
Day 1 Convective Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 0740 AM CDT Thu Jun 02 2022 Valid 021300Z - 031200Z ...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PARTS OF THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION... ...SUMMARY... Scattered damaging winds are most likely across parts of the Mid-Atlantic States, mainly between 2 to 8 PM EDT. ...Mid-Atlantic States... An MCV over southern OH will shift east towards NJ/DE, aiding in scattered thunderstorm development along the lee surface trough this afternoon. Greatest boundary-layer heating will be focused from MD south, with nearly full insolation underway across much of VA. Here, surface temperatures will rapidly rise into the 80s and low 90s, leading to steep low-level lapse rates. Poor 700-500 mb lapse rates between 5-6 C/km as sampled by area 12Z soundings will curtail buoyancy magnitude with MLCAPE holding around 1000-1500 J/kg. Nevertheless, a belt of 35-45 kt mid-level westerlies should support updraft rotation within short clusters that spread east towards the coast through about sunset. While most measured surface wind gusts should hold from 40-55 mph, a few may reach 60-65 mph. Scattered tree damage appears probable, but marginally severe hail will also be possible. ...Lower MS Valley... A gradually decaying MCS in the Ark-La-Tex vicinity will likely persist east-southeast across the Lower MS Valley and intensify this afternoon. Boundary-layer heating will be subdued immediately ahead of it owing to a broad cloud canopy. But large PW values of 1.6 to 1.9 inches in area 12Z soundings will support a plume of moderate buoyancy with MLCAPE around 2000 J/kg. Damaging wind potential will be largely cold-pool driven given weak tropospheric flow fields ahead of the MCS, and MCV-related flow enhancements confined in the wake of the cold pool. Even though the MCS may only become loosely organized, sporadic wind damage is expected from strong to locally severe wind gusts. ...NM to far southeast CO and far west TX... Isolated to widely scattered thunderstorms are expected from central NM into far southeast CO this afternoon along the western periphery of the southern Great Plains moisture plume that has spread across the Upper Rio Grande Valley. Modest deep-layer shear, but steep low to mid-level lapse rates will support a few cells capable of isolated severe hail and wind. Convection will largely weaken as it spreads east into the adjacent high plains where low-level stratus will likely persist through much of today and maintain MLCIN. There is some potential for a loosely organized cluster to emanate east-southeast tonight across southeast NM towards parts of west TX within the ribbon of greater elevated buoyancy in the Permian Basin. As such, have expanded the cat 1-MRGL risk to account for these scenarios. ..Grams/Mosier.. 06/02/2022 Read more

Bouquet Fire (Wildfire)

3 years 1 month ago
A wildfire ignited shortly after 2 p.m. on May 30, 2022 on the Angeles National Forest. The fire is located southeast of Bouquet Canyon Road, north of Santa Clarita.The fire is moving upslope in medium to heavy vegetation. The smoke column can be seen from the communities of Agua Dulce and the Rowher Flat OHV area.  The Angeles National Forest has initiated a second alarm response and Los Angeles County Fire Department is responding with multiple resources as well. Air tankers and helicopters are over the fire to support ground crews.At this time, no structures are threatened, but there are road closures on Bouquet Canyon Road and Rowher Flat OHV area. An overturned vehicle was located below the fire, a full investigation is in progress to confirm it as an official cause. As of 6:30 p.m., the Bouquet Wildfire was holding in size. An airplane, helicopters, wildland fire engines, water tenders, hand crews, and other resources were on the scene still working to put the fire out. As...

Blue Fire (Wildfire)

3 years 1 month ago
At approximately 6:36 p.m., Angeles National Forest Dispatch received a call about possible smoke in the forest. Staff located a 50-foot x 50-foot spot on fire along the edge of the Angeles Crest Highway (State Hwy. 2), near Inspiration Point. Resources arrived on the scene and quickly cut a fire line around the burning area. A helicopter has dropped water on the fire multiple times. Excellent progress is being made to put the fire out quickly. Cooperators include: Los Angeles County Fire Department and San Bernardino County Fire Department.As of 9 p.m. on May 30, the Blue Fire was 100% contained with a fire line dug by hand by firefighters around it. Firefighters through the night into the morning in heavy fuels to extinguish or remove burning materials and to ensure that burning materials won't roll away from the burned area.As of 12 noon on May 31, the Blue Fire was placed in patrol status. U.S. Forest Service staff will patrol through and check the area for the next 2-3

Midpoint Fire (Wildfire)

3 years 1 month ago
 At approximately 6:45 pm, May 28, 2022,  a wildfire had started in Deaf Smith county just 9 miles east of Glenrio south of I-40. The Texas A&M Forest Service was requested for assistance and is working in unified command with Vega Volunteer Fire Dept. SSW winds are pushing the fire Northeast. Multiple fire departments were on scene initially including Adrian Volunteer Fire Dept. Vega Volunteer Fire Dept. Bootleg Volunteer Fire Dept. Hereford Volunteer Fire Dept. Dawn Volunteer Fire Dept. and county motor graders from Oldham and Deaf Smith counties. The fire had pushed north  all night, but fire crews were able to keep the fire south of I-40.On the second day of the fire, suppression aircraft was able to fly and make retardant drops. Crews are continuing to tie in lines and mop up of the

SPC Jun 1, 2022 1300 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook

3 years 1 month ago
SPC 1300Z Day 1 Outlook
Day 1 Convective Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 0751 AM CDT Wed Jun 01 2022 Valid 011300Z - 021200Z ...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS TO MID-SOUTH AND THE NORTHEAST... ...SUMMARY... Scattered severe thunderstorms are possible from the southern High to the Mid-South and in parts of the Northeast. Damaging winds and large hail will be the primary hazards, although a tornado or two is possible. The most intense storms will likely occur in west Texas and southeast New Mexico between 3 to 9 PM CDT. ...West TX to southeast NM... A surface cold front will accelerate its southward push as surface ridging builds across the High Plains in the wake of a shortwave trough passage in the central Great Plains. The 00Z HRW-ARW has best handled this morning's regenerative convection in the TX Panhandle, along with the placement of convective outflow attendant to the decayed remnants of an overnight MCS in OK. Robust boundary-layer heating will be confined to the south of the outflow in TX with the western extent of upper 50s to mid 60s surface dew points holding in the Permian Basin and Trans-Pecos. Initial surface-based thunderstorm development is expected in the early afternoon over the higher terrain, spreading east-southeast into this evening. A corridor of around 2500 J/kg MLCAPE along the southern periphery of moderate mid-level westerlies will support initial supercells with a very large hail threat, especially in the southeast NM and TX South Plains area. The undercutting nature of the surface front and amalgamation of robust updrafts might yield forward-propagating clusters, increasing the potential for 60-80 mph severe wind gusts. But the lack of a stronger low-level jet this evening, suggests overall severe coverage may be confined. ...OK to the Mid-South... Regenerative convection is ongoing across the TX Panhandle to northwest OK, just north of a pronounced surface cold front slowly sinking south. Low-level isentropic ascent along the frontal zone should sustain elevated convection through at least midday, with a threat for mainly isolated severe hail. See MCD 998 for additional short-term discussion. Remnants of this activity could eventually intensify this afternoon as it impinges on a destabilizing air mass in southeast OK where low 70s surface dew points remain prevalent. Farther downstream, decaying morning convection still persists from southwest MO to central IL. Weakening low-level warm theta-e advection should result in much of this activity further weakening into midday. Differential heating is anticipated with scattered thunderstorms developing in the mid-late afternoon along residual outflows/MCVs. Much of this corridor will lie on the southeast periphery of moderate mid-level southwesterlies, suggesting that multicell clusters will dominate. But an MCV drifting east from northeast OK may help focus greater potential for multicell clustering into the Mid-South, which would offer a threat of scattered damaging winds, isolated severe hail, and a brief tornado. ...NY/PA... Scattered elevated thunderstorms are ongoing across parts of southeast Ontario and will spread across northern NY this morning. Intensifying boundary-layer heating to the southwest of this activity should yield pronounced differential heating, which will be further aided by a north/south-oriented quasi-stationary front from eastern NY to the Lower DE Valley. Suppression of a mid-level ridge with approach of an upstream shortwave trough should aid in scattered surface-based thunderstorms this afternoon. Westerly low-level winds will limit SRH in the warm sector, but will be locally enhanced along the surface boundaries. Adequate mid to upper-level speed shear will exist for a few supercells and organized clusters capable of producing damaging winds and marginally severe hail. ..Grams/Mosier.. 06/01/2022 Read more

Excessive rain, drought cutting into wheat production in U.S.

3 years 1 month ago
Severe drought has reduced the Kansas winter wheat harvest potential by more than 25%. Kansas is the top winter wheat grower in the U.S. The USDA estimated that 6% of the crop may be abandoned, but a Kansas State University wheat agronomist put the number higher at maybe 8% to 10%. Abandonment in Colorado could hit 30%, according to Colorado Wheat executive director after a very dry May. Excessive rain in North Dakota prevented farmers from planting as much spring wheat as usual to benefit from the high prices for the grain. While North Dakota is the U.S.’s top grower of spring wheat, this year wheat planting is expected to involve the smallest number of acres on record. As of May 22, farmers had seeded just 49% of their intended spring wheat acres, on par with 2014 for the slowest pace since 1996, according to the U. S. Department of Agriculture. Reuters (New York), May 31, 2022

Stage 1 water alert for Phoenix, Arizona; Stage 0 for Tempe

3 years 1 month ago
A stage 1 water alert was declared during a city council meeting on June 1. Officials are urging the public to curb their water use. Reasons for the water alert include less water in the Colorado River and the record-low levels of Lake Powell and Lake Mead. Phoenix recycles almost all of its wastewater and uses it for agriculture, energy production, urban irrigation, aquifer recharge and riparian wetland maintenance. AZFamily.com (Phoenix), June 1, 2022 Tempe activated Stage 0 of its Drought Preparedness Plan due to a shortage on the Colorado River. Residents are not required to conserve water, but officials encourage the public to conserve. KTAR 620 News Radio (Phoenix, Ariz.), June 2, 2022

Elgin Bridge Fire (Wildfire)

3 years 1 month ago
The Elgin Bridge Fire is 100% contained at 2,149 acres. While the fire was determined to be human caused, fire investigators could not find an exact point of origin or ignition source and have therefore ruled the fire as human caused,

SPC Day 1 Fire Weather Outlook

3 years 1 month ago
SPC Day 1 Fire Weather Outlook
Day 1 Fire Weather Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 1025 AM CDT Tue May 31 2022 Valid 311700Z - 011200Z A few minor adjustments based on current observations and expected afternoon conditions. The forecast is on track otherwise. See the previous discussion for more details. ..Wendt.. 05/31/2022 .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 0155 AM CDT Tue May 31 2022/ ...Synopsis... Within broad western US troughing, the main shortwave is forecast to continues across the upper Midwest and into southern Canada weakening overall troughing across the western CONUS. A second and weaker wave embedded within the residual southwesterly flow will pass over the central Rockies through the afternoon while a cold front approaches. While flow aloft is forecast to gradually weaken through the day, a few hours of gusty winds will likely remain across NM and the southern High Pains supporting brief elevated fire weather concerns. ...Northern New Mexico and southern Colorado... Lingering mid-level flow behind the departing trough should support gusty low-level winds near and south of a slow moving cold front across the Four Corners and southern High Plains. Ahead of the front, area soundings show a warm and well-mixed boundary layer with RH of 10-20%. With surface winds expected to peak near 15-20 mph elevated fire weather conditions appear possible through the afternoon. Fire weather concerns will quickly subside later in the evening with weakening winds and recovering humidity after the frontal passage. ...Please see www.spc.noaa.gov/fire for graphic product... Read more