BC fires haze drifts in, softens heat wave
BC fires haze drifts in, softens heat wave
02 August 2017
published by http://www.lyndentribune.com
USA – WHATCOM A predicted days-long heat wave of temperatures in the 90s started to hit the north county on Tuesday. However, it may be moderated by haze drifting across the border from British Columbia wildfires that have burned for weeks.
The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning for Tuesday through Friday.
Direction of wind, what little there is, has shifted from being cooling sea breeze to coming from the Canadian interior.
Lynden was predicted by The Weather Channel to reach 90 on Tuesday (it didnt happen), 97 on Wednesday, 95 on Thursday, and 90 on Friday, before receding slowly into the mid-80s over the weekend.
Sumas was predicted to be at 100 this week Wednesday and Thursday and in the 90s otherwise.
Also, because of the extended dry weather, a full ban on open burning was declared for all of Whatcom County, effective at 8 a.m. today.
The National Weather Service Clearbrook station on Van Buren Road recorded about six-tenths of an inch of rain July 20-22. Prior to that, only about four-tenths inch had fallen since May 16.
The predicted heat wave was sending many in search of cool relief and prompting assorted safety advisories.
Forecasters stress the importance of staying hydrated and avoiding prolonged outdoor activities to reduce the risk of heat exhaustion or heat stroke, which can be deadly.
AAA Washington warns that this heat makes it extra dangerous and deadly for children or pets if left, even for a short time, in a vehicle.
The auto organization recommends that parents, caregivers and pet owners never leave a child or pet unattended in a vehicle, even if it is parked in the shade or has a window open. Even on a mild or overcast day with an outside temperature of 70 degrees, the internal temperature of a vehicle will increase to 104 degrees in just 30 minutes.
As well as the burning ban by Whatcom County, the state Department of Natural Resources on Tuesday raised its fire danger rating to high and restricted campfires on DNR-protected lands across northwest Washington. Campfires are allowed only in campgrounds with approved fire pits and onsite camp hosts.
July 2007 may be the last time it was this hot in the Lynden area. The temperature then officially got to 96 on the 10th, 98 on the 11th and 92 on the 12. Two of those days set new records.
An international team of climate researchers from the US, South Korea and the UK has developed a new wildfire and drought prediction model for southwestern North America. Extending far beyond the current seasonal forecast, this study published in the journal Scientific Reports could benefit the economies with a variety of applications in agriculture, water management and forestry.
Over the past 15 years, California and neighboring regions have experienced heighteneddrought conditions and an increase inwildfire numbers with considerable impacts on human livelihoods, agriculture, and terrestrial ecosystems. This new research shows that in addition to a discernible contribution from natural forcings and human-induced global warming, the large-scale difference between Atlantic and Pacific ocean temperatures plays a fundamental role in causing droughts, and enhancing wildfire risks.
“Our results document that a combination of processes is at work. Through an ensemble modeling approach, we were able to show that without anthropogenic effects, the droughts in the southwestern United States would have been less severe,” says co-author Axel Timmermann, Director of the newly founded IBS Center for Climate Physics, within the Institute for Basics Science (IBS), and Distinguished Professor at Pusan National University in South Korea. “By prescribing the effects of man-made climate change and observed global ocean temperatures, our model can reproduce the observed shifts in weather patterns and wildfire occurrences.”
Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2017-07-atlanticpacific-ocean-temperature-difference-fuels.html#jCpAn international team of climate researchers from the US, South Korea and the UK has developed a new wildfire and drought prediction model for southwestern North America. Extending far beyond the current seasonal forecast, this study published in the journal Scientific Reports could benefit the economies with a variety of applications in agriculture, water management and forestry.
Over the past 15 years, California and neighboring regions have experienced heighteneddrought conditions and an increase inwildfire numbers with considerable impacts on human livelihoods, agriculture, and terrestrial ecosystems. This new research shows that in addition to a discernible contribution from natural forcings and human-induced global warming, the large-scale difference between Atlantic and Pacific ocean temperatures plays a fundamental role in causing droughts, and enhancing wildfire risks.
“Our results document that a combination of processes is at work. Through an ensemble modeling approach, we were able to show that without anthropogenic effects, the droughts in the southwestern United States would have been less severe,” says co-author Axel Timmermann, Director of the newly founded IBS Center for Climate Physics, within the Institute for Basics Science (IBS), and Distinguished Professor at Pusan National University in South Korea. “By prescribing the effects of man-made climate change and observed global ocean temperatures, our model can reproduce the observed shifts in weather patterns and wildfire occurrences.”
Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2017-07-atlanticpacific-ocean-temperature-difference-fuels.html#jCp
