Knob Fire (Wildfire)

3 years 9 months ago
Today's Update | Incident MapThe Knob Fire was reported on Sunday, August 29, 2021 at approximately 2:30 in the afternoon.  It began about 3 miles south-southwest of Willow Creek on the Six Rivers National Forest. By September 1, 2021 the fire was at 1,961 acres and 0% contained.  Several areas were under mandatory evacuation orders with other areas under warnings.  The forest decided to have the Knob Fire managed by the Incident Management Team working on the Monument Fire. After work concentrating to get the fire under control, 100% containment was achieved as of the morning of September 12, 2021. Total acreage as of that date was 2,421 acres.  All evacuation orders and warnings had been lifted. The final 209 report was produced the evening of September 14, 2021.  The cause of the fire remains

Bog Fire (Wildfire)

3 years 9 months ago
The lightning caused Bog Fire is approximately 380 acres burning on the Quemado Ranger District, Gila National Forest, Catron County, NM. It is on the east side of Gallo Mountain and approximately 18.5 miles south of Quemado,

Granite Pass Complex (Wildfire)

3 years 10 months ago
This Granite Pass Complex InciWeb Page is not being regularly updated after August 21, 2021. It will be updated as closure information changes or if fire behavior and conditions warrant. The Granite Pass Complex consists of four wildfires in the vicinity of Lolo Pass on the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests in Idaho and the Lolo National Forest in Montana. Managing the fires under one incident commander improves efficiency and simplifies incident management processes.  The fires were declared 100% contained along the perimeters on September 14. Shotgun Fire The Shotgun Fire on the Powell Ranger District is located seven miles north of Powell Junction on Highway 12. It is on the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest. Boulder Creek Fire The Boulder Creek Fire is 8 miles west of Lolo Pass Visitor Center. It is on the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest.  BM Hill Fire The BM Hill Fire is located ten miles north of Powell Junction, and is on both the Nez Perce-Clearwater and Lolo...

Five Spots Fire (Wildfire)

3 years 10 months ago
 Crews have been making good progress with containment of the Five Spot Fire, Fire activity has slowed, but a frontal passage from last night has brought high winds. TAMFS is still working in unified command with with local VFDs and Comanche County

Nevada boat harbor moved again as Lake Mead shrinks

3 years 10 months ago
The low level of Lake Mead, which has hovered around 1,068 feet above sea level for the past month, requires that Las Vegas Boat Harbor move 80 feet further into the lake. Moving the harbor also means relocating gas, sewer and electric lines. KSNV-TV NBC (Las Vegas, Nev.), Aug 25, 2021

Smaller produce at Minnesota's Twin Cities farmers markets

3 years 10 months ago
The lack of rain has left produce, such as apples, smaller at farmers’ markets in the Twin Cities. Farmers work to irrigate their crops, but it’s demanding to monitor irrigation systems around the clock. FOX 9 (Minneapolis, Minn.), Aug 22, 2021

Robertson Draw (Wildfire)

3 years 10 months ago
THIS FIRE IS NO LONGER BEING UPDATED The Robertson Draw Fire started at approximately 2:17 P.M. on Sunday June 13th. Local fire departments and engines from the Custer Gallatin National Forest responded. By June 15th severe fire weather and behavior resulted in significant fire growth, as it grew from 2,000 acres to over 21,000.  Cooler weather occurred on subsequent days, including a 1/4" rain on Sunday June 20th, which helped to moderate fire behavior. The fire has also received an inch of rain between 8/15 and 8/21, which has helped to greatly moderate fire behavior.  The fire area is in the midst of a warm/dry trend, and firefighters are remaining vigilant for changes in fire behavior and new fire starts due to the threat of thunderstorms and associated potential for strong, outflow winds. Incident Command and cooperating agencies have discussed the long-term management of the Robertson Draw Fire. The area of concern is a portion of the fire burning on the northwest side of Mt....

Extra power generation allowed in California

3 years 10 months ago
The Department of Energy approved a request from the California Independent System Operator for additional power generation, which “may be necessary for the CAISO to meet demand in the face of extremely challenging conditions including extreme heat waves, multiple fires, high winds, and various grid issues.” CAISO’s chief operating officer noted that drought was greatly affecting the availability of hydroelectric power. For September, CAISO was expecting “a significant supply deficiency to meet planning reserve requirements during evening hours,” officials stated. The additional gas-fired capacity is essential to CAISO maintaining reliability and meeting its load obligations. The emergency order approved by DOE will remain in effect until Nov. 9. Natural Gas Intelligence (Washington, D.C.), Sept 13, 2021 California is getting five 30-MW gas-fired emergency generators to temporarily provide additional electricity as heat, wildfires and drought strain the electric grid this summer. Gov. Gavin Newsom declared an energy state of emergency previously. The Golden State has dealt with electric supply shortages of up to 3.5 GW during various peak demand times this summer. Just two years ago, hydropower made up 19% of California’s net electricity generation. Power Engineering Magazine (Tulsa, Okla.), Aug 23, 2021

The Caldor Fire in California

3 years 10 months ago
The Caldor Fire burned nearly 144,000 acres, or 225 square miles, in California near the Nevada border southwest of Lake Tahoe and was just 12% contained. Associated Press News (New York), Aug 27, 2021 The Caldor Fire in El Dorado County consumed more than 73,000 acres and continued to defy containment. The blaze began on Aug. 14 and eventually destroyed the community of Grizzly Flats. “With historic drought conditions there is heavy dead and down fuels through the fire area,” according to Cal Fire and Forest Service officials. The Modesto Bee (Calif.), Aug 20, 2021

Barley production in Idaho expected to be down 36%

3 years 10 months ago
Barley production in Idaho is forecast to be down 36%, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service, compared to 2020. Idaho is the top barley producing state in the nation and produced 55 million bushels of barley for 33% of the country’s crop. The USDA predicts barley production will be down 54% in Montana and 37% in North Dakota from last year. MagicValley (Twin Falls, Idaho), Aug 21, 2021

Heat, drought reduced grass seed yields in Linn County, Oregon

3 years 10 months ago
Grass seed farmers had much lower crop yields after an unusually hot and dry spring and summer. Tall fescue, annual and perennial ryegrass and even turf grasses were severely affected by the adverse conditions. The seeds are lighter and smaller than they would normally be. Albany Democrat-Herald (Ore.), Aug 23, 2021

Mormon crickets, drought causing problems in eastern Montana, Nevada, Oregon

3 years 10 months ago
On top of drought, Montana farmers had to contend with swarms of Mormon crickets, as did Nevada and eastern Oregon. Drought promotes Mormon cricket outbreaks, which can last from 5 to 21 years, and cause considerable economic losses to rangeland, cropland and home gardens. The Glasgow Courier (Mont.), Aug 25, 2021

Lick Creek Fire (Wildfire)

3 years 10 months ago
Lightning ignited several fires southwest of Asotin, WA on July 7. The Lick Creek Fire and the Dry Gulch Fire burned together on July 8 and are now being fought as one fire, called the Lick Creek

Route (Wildfire)

3 years 10 months ago
OverviewThe Route Fire started on September 11th at 3:54 P.M. The fire is located near the near I-5 freeway, one mile south of the Templin Hwy.  The fire burned in brush and chaparral with a moderate rate of spread and quickly jumped Interstate 5 prompting the California Highway Patrol to shut the interstate down in both directions.   Later in the evening as the threat to motorists was reduced, Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol were able to gradually open lanes to motorists and interstate commerce.The fire was declared fully contained on September 17th.Current Situation Firefighters continue to monitor for smoldering vegetation within the fire perimeter and motorists in the area have seen “dust devils.”The fire is currently being managed by fire officials on the Emigrant

SPC Sep 20, 2021 1300 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook

3 years 10 months ago
SPC 1300Z Day 1 Outlook
Day 1 Convective Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 0749 AM CDT Mon Sep 20 2021 Valid 201300Z - 211200Z ...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST... ...SUMMARY... Isolated severe thunderstorms are expected across parts of the Upper Mississippi Valley and Upper Great Lakes southward to the Ozark Plateau this afternoon and evening. ...Upper Midwest/Upper Great Lakes to Ozarks... DPVA/height falls will influence the Upper Midwest via the continued eastward progression of a prominent late-summer trough that is centered over the northern High Plains and Canadian Prairies early today. Attendant to the upper trough, a strengthening of cyclonically curved westerlies aloft will occur especially this afternoon through tonight, focused near/behind an east/southeastward-advancing cold front. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are prevalent this morning near the front and up to about 100-150 miles ahead (east) of it, and the potential lingering influence of this activity may effectively spatially influence downstream convective intensification this afternoon via outflow/differential heating. Particularly given the pre-frontal cloud debris and residual precipitation, relatively modest destabilization (perhaps up to 1000-1250 J/kg MLCAPE) is expected this afternoon across southeast Minnesota and much of Wisconsin, with moderately stronger destabilization (up to 2000 J/kg MLCAPE) expected across eastern Iowa/northern Missouri/far western Illinois. As the pre-frontal boundary layer warms, convective intensification appears most likely to initially occur across central/northeast Iowa and northwest Missouri northeastward into southeast Minnesota and far western Wisconsin by around mid-afternoon (circa 20-21Z). While the strongest winds aloft/vertical shear will tend to lag the east/southeast-moving front, stronger deep-layer winds will extend somewhat (eastward) into the warm sector across Iowa into eastern Minnesota and Wisconsin, where some low-level southeasterly backing of surface winds may also occur given relative proximity to the frontal wave/surface low. Some initial supercells are possible especially within the aforementioned corridor, while the influence of the cold front and front-parallel vertical shear otherwise leads to a prevalence of linear bands/clusters including some bowing segments. Some initial severe hail is possible, but damaging winds should become the more common severe risk through the evening. Some tornado risk will also exist as well via a mixed storm mode, including a QLCS-related tornado potential. Overall storm intensity is likely to wane into the late evening and overnight hours as boundary-layer convective inhibition nocturnally increases. ..Guyer/Smith.. 09/20/2021 Read more

Eastern North Pacific Tropical Weather Outlook

3 years 10 months ago

000
ABPZ20 KNHC 201134
TWOEP

Tropical Weather Outlook
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL
500 AM PDT Mon Sep 20 2021

For the eastern North Pacific...east of 140 degrees west longitude:

An area of low pressure is forecast to form several hundred miles
southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula
within the next couple of days. Thereafter, some gradual
development of this system is possible, and a tropical depression
could form by the latter part of this week while it moves
west-northwestward to northwestward at 10 to 15 mph.
* Formation chance through 48 hours...low...near 0 percent.
* Formation chance through 5 days...medium...40 percent.

$$
Forecaster Latto
NHC Webmaster