Aggregator

The Hawaii State Drought Council met on Aug. 30 and discussed drought impacts and mitigation actions. Hawaii News Now (Honolulu, Hawaii), Sept 15, 2023

Dry vegetation on Oahu contributed to a large brush fire near Wahiawa on Aug. 17 and a brush fire near Maili. Hawaii News Now (Honolulu, Hawaii), Sept 15, 2023

Hawaii farmers noted that pasture conditions were poor in the Mauna area and in the Kau district on Hawaii Island. Hawaii News Now (Honolulu, Hawaii), Sept 15, 2023

Drought continued to worsen in Hawaii and contributed to several fires, such as the Kohala Ranch and Mauna Kea Beach Hotel areas on Aug. 8, in Puuanahulu on Aug. 18, and in the South Point area on Aug. 19. Hawaii News Now (Honolulu, Hawaii), Sept 15, 2023

SPC Day 3-8 Fire Weather Outlook
Day 3-8 Fire Weather Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 0352 PM CDT Mon Sep 18 2023 Valid 201200Z - 261200Z A midlevel cut-off low will evolve southward from the Pacific Northwest into parts of the Great Basin on Days 3-4/ Wednesday-Thursday, as a substantial mid/upper-level jet streak advances southward along the Pacific Northwest coast. On the backside of the midlevel low, breezy northerly surface winds will develop over portions of OR, northern CA, and northwest NV on Day 3/Wednesday (and to a lesser extent on Day 4/Thursday). While the strengthening winds may influence any ongoing fires across the region, cool surface temperatures and limited RH reductions should generally limit the fire-weather threat. Along the southern and eastern peripheries of the midlevel low, strong deep-layer southwesterly flow will overspread parts of the Great Basin, the Southwest, the central/southern Rockies, and the central High Plains on Days 3-5/Wednesday-Friday. Deep boundary-layer mixing into the strong flow aloft will yield dry/breezy conditions across these areas. While these meteorological conditions would typically warrant Critical probabilities, above-average rainfall and generally unreceptive fuels cast uncertainty on the overall fire-weather risk. ..Weinman.. 09/18/2023 ...Please see www.spc.noaa.gov/fire for graphic product... Read more

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has reinstated burning permits in twelve counties. The counties are Green Lake, Waupaca, Waushara, Columbia, Crawford, Marquette, Portage, Richland, and Sauk, and portions of Dane, Grant, and Iowa counties. The permit reinstatement will remain in effect until further notice. WBAY TV (Green Bay, Wis.), Sept 15, 2023

Oats in Big Stone County averaged less than 60 bushels per acre. Brownfield Ag News (Jefferson City, Mo.), Sept 15, 2023

Hay production was down, and farmers were hauling water for cattle as ponds went dry. MissouriIndependent.com (Jefferson City, Mo.), Sept 15, 2023

Sedan in southeast Kansas was running dangerously low on water. The local water supply in Chautauqua County was so low that the drinking water for several cities and rural water districts was in jeopardy. The intake pipe to a floating pump was at a steep angle as the water level went lower, stressing a flexible joint. If the joint were to break, thousands of people in three counties would lose their water supply. The southeast corner of Kansas does not have aquifers underground and relies instead on lakes and rivers. Sedan closed its city pool mid-summer to conserve water. The town’s only car wash also closed. Schools shut off drinking fountains and provided bottled water. Residents may not use municipal water for lawn or garden watering, so air conditioner condensation was being collected and used to water plants. Sedan has trimmed its water use by about 30% since entering a stage 3 water emergency in early August. The water district was moving the floating dock further into the lake to access a deeper part of the lake. MissouriIndependent.com (Jefferson City, Mo.), Sept 15, 2023

SPC 2000Z Day 1 Outlook
Day 1 Convective Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 0251 PM CDT Mon Sep 18 2023 Valid 182000Z - 191200Z ...THERE IS A MARGINAL RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE TEXAS PANHANDLE AND SOUTH PLAINS...AND ADJACENT PORTIONS OF SOUTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO AND WESTERN OKLAHOMA... ...SUMMARY... Isolated, marginal severe wind and hail will be possible across the Texas Panhandle vicinity from about 5 to 9 PM CDT. ...Discussion... Aside from minor line adjustments, the reasoning regarding, and the areal extent of, the potential/isolated severe-weather threat for this afternoon and early evening across the Texas Panhandle/South Plains and vicinity remains consistent with prior outlooks. Thus, no major changes appear necessary at this time. ..Goss.. 09/18/2023 .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 1059 AM CDT Mon Sep 18 2023/ ...TX Panhandle... Clear skies are currently present across the TX Panhandle and western OK, where dewpoints are in the 50s to lower 60s and afternoon temperatures will approach 90F. The result will be a deeply mixed boundary layer with steep low-level lapse rates. A weak surface boundary will stretch across the region by late afternoon. Roughly half of the morning CAM solutions suggest widely scattered high-based thunderstorms will form along this boundary. Winds aloft are rather weak, so those cells that form will likely be rather disorganized and transient in intensity. However, the strongest cells could produce locally gusty winds and hail for a few hours early this evening. ...Elsewhere... Elsewhere, another mesoscale area of modest concern for strong storms would be over parts of eastern NE. If a storm or two can form in this area, gusty winds might be possible for a couple of hours. Finally, scattered high-based showers and thunderstorms may occur across much of the intermountain west today from MT/UT into the Four Corners region. Any cell in this area could produce a locally intense wind gust, but the overall coverage is expected to be low. Read more

SPC Day 2 Fire Weather Outlook
Day 2 Fire Weather Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 0201 PM CDT Mon Sep 18 2023 Valid 191200Z - 201200Z Minor adjustments were made to the northern Plains Elevated highlights based on the latest guidance consensus. Farther west, locally elevated conditions are possible across portions of southeast Oregon, the northern Cascade gaps, and the Columbia Basin. However, the overlap of breezy winds and low RH is generally limited for these areas -- precluding highlights. For additional details, see the previous discussion below. ..Weinman.. 09/18/2023 .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 0151 AM CDT Mon Sep 18 2023/ ...Synopsis... Some elevated fire weather concerns are possible on Tuesday across northeast Montana and northwest North Dakota. The mid-level shortwave trough, currently over the northeast Pacific which will traverse the Pacific Northwest today, will move into the northern Plains on Tuesday. As this occurs, the surface front/low-pressure center will start to accelerate east. As it departs, some strong westerly/northwesterly winds are expected to the west of the surface low. There is still considerable spread within guidance regarding how dry/breezy conditions will be in this region. RH ranges from 15 percent to 40 percent and winds range from 10 to 15 mph all the way to 25 to 30 mph. An Elevated delineation should cover this threat and its associated uncertainties for the time being with additional refinement likely needed in later outlooks as the forecast evolution becomes more clear. Elsewhere, no significant fire weather concerns are anticipated on Tuesday. ...Please see www.spc.noaa.gov/fire for graphic product... Read more

000
ABPZ20 KNHC 181742
TWOEP

Tropical Weather Outlook
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL
1100 AM PDT Mon Sep 18 2023

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

Central East Pacific (EP95):
Satellite imagery indicates a broad area of low pressure located
well south-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California
peninsula is gradually becoming better defined. The system continues
to produce disorganized shower and thunderstorm activity, and
environmental conditions are expected to remain conducive for
further development through midweek. A tropical depression is likely
to form during the next couple of days while the system moves
generally west-northwestward over the central and western portions
of the basin.
* Formation chance through 48 hours...high...70 percent.
* Formation chance through 7 days...high...90 percent.

$$
Forecaster A. Reinhart/B. Reinhart

SPC 1730Z Day 2 Outlook
Day 2 Convective Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 1232 PM CDT Mon Sep 18 2023 Valid 191200Z - 201200Z ...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS PORTIONS OF OKLAHOMA AND ADJACENT NORTH TEXAS... ...SUMMARY... Scattered severe thunderstorms are possible Tuesday and Tuesday night across portions of the southern Great Plains. Large to very large hail and severe wind gusts are the primary hazards. ...Synopsis... Relatively zonal mid-level flow is expected across much of the U.S. Tuesday, though an upper trough is progged to dig southward across British Columbia toward -- and eventually into -- the Pacific Northwest. Otherwise, multiple mid-level perturbations embedded within the quasi-zonal flow will cross central portions of the country. At the surface, lee troughing is generally progged across the Plains, as a result of the background upper-level westerlies across the interior West. Some northward transport of low-level moisture will support diurnally maximized destabilization, which -- combined with ascent provided by the aforementioned mid-level perturbations -- will support rounds of scattered strong to severe thunderstorms over the southern Plains during the period. ...Portions of the Southern Plains... Northward advection of low-level moisture, combined with diurnal heating beneath steepening mid-level lapse rates accompanying the short-wave troughing aloft will support moderate destabilization. By late afternoon, 1500 to 2000 J/kg mixed-layer CAPE is expected across much of Oklahoma and adjacent portions of western and central Texas. Meanwhile, with around 30 kt southwesterly 850 mb flow beneath 30-40 kt 500 mb westerlies, shear will support organized/rotating storms with initial convective development, with later, upscale growth into an MCS possible, that would shift across central Oklahoma and possibly adjacent portions of Texas. Other, more isolated storms may also develop southwestward along the trough/dryline, as far southwestward as roughly the Concho Valley area, where a few storms with mid-level rotation may evolve. Given the likelihood for supercells within the moderately unstable environment, large to very large hail will be possible with the initial convection, though locally damaging wind gusts may also occur given the deep mixed layer, and resulting sub-cloud evaporative effects. Damaging wind potential may continue into the overnight hours, particularly if storms grow upscale as anticipated. Additionally, redevelopment of smaller clusters of storms should occur near convective outflows as a nocturnal low-level jet strengthens, resulting in multiple rounds of storms in some areas. ...Southern Florida Peninsula... Latest guidance indicates that scattered thunderstorm development will occur Tuesday afternoon, initially focused near the southeastern FL coast but drifting inland with time in tandem with sea-breeze boundary advance. Model soundings depict 1000-1500 J/kg, though with relatively weak lapse rates aloft. Shear should remain rather modest, suggesting weakly organized storms at best. Still, potential for a damaging gust or two cannot be completely ruled out during the afternoon. ..Goss.. 09/18/2023 Read more

U.S. Hard Red Winter Wheat exports were forecast to be down 10 million bushels this month to 155 million bushels, the lowest since records began in 1973-1974. Corn and soybeans have gained in U.S. acreage, while HRW have endured a downturn in acres in many areas, leaving exports in this class less competitive on the global market. Drought has also affected the crop in consecutive years, contributing to lower crop prospects and this class being less competitive with other suppliers like Russia and the European Union. DRGNews (Pierre, S.D.), Sept 18, 2023

A winery in Elizabeth, Ill. was in its second to last week of harvest of grapes that were gorgeous and free of disease and rot, thanks to the dry weather. Mildew was almost non-existent. WQAD News 8 (Davenport, Iowa), Sept 18, 2023

Historic heat, drought and plenty of dry vegetation to burn were contributing to the unprecedented wildfire season, in which more than 550 blazes burned in August alone, charring more than 60,000 acres of land, incinerating homes and causing towns to evacuate. The largest fire in Louisiana, the Tiger Island Fire, has been burning for almost a month, has blackened more than 31,000 acres, which is more land than usually burns in a year. The entire town of Merryville, population 1,200 people, had to evacuate. Louisiana is typically dealing with hurricanes and flooding at this time of year rather than wildfires. Firefighters have been overworked this summer. The Associated Press (Baton Rouge, La.), Sept 17, 2023

Residents in the City of Oronoco were asked to use less water by the Rochester Public Utilities. Residents of Albert Lea were urged to reduce outdoor water use to guard underground drinking water supplies. The people of Lanesboro were also asked to conserve water. the Upper Mississippi-Black-Root watershed has been elevated to the Drought Restrictive Response Phase. KIMT 3 (Rochester, Minn.), Sept 18, 2023

Drought in Mississippi has dried up pastures and water supplies, forcing farmers to sell cattle. A sale barn in Scott County broke a record for cattle sales the first week of September when 2,800 livestock were sold. That record was broken the second week of September and is expected to be broken again next week. Altogether, about 8,500 cattle have been auctioned at the sale barn in the past three weeks. WLBT Online (Jackson, Miss.), Sept 18, 2023 Farmers across Mississippi have begun to sell livestock, due to drought. More than 3,000 head of cattle were sold on Monday, Sept. 11 in Forest at the Tadlock Stockyard for lack of grass for the cattle to eat. Calves were being sold early at lighter weights because the calves cannot gain weight on the sparse pasture. The stockyard owner said that 90% of the cattle were sold to out-of-state buyers. Water for livestock was getting low. Cattle got bogged down in an empty pond, trying to get the last of the water. The cattle had to be moved elsewhere. More farmers have taken their lives in the past couple of years, due to stress and unforeseen circumstances. WJTV TV 12 (Jackson, Miss.), Sept 13, 2023

No watches are valid as of Sun Sep 17 22:29:01 UTC 2023.