March Climate Madness — Wildfires, Scorching Summer Heat Strike Central and Southwestern U.S. By Winter’s End
20
March, 2017
In
Colorado today the news was one of fire. There, a
wildfire just south of Boulder had forced emergency officials to
evacuate 1,000 residents as more than 2,000 others were put on
alert Sunday.
Smoke poured into neighborhoods as dead trees killed by invasive
beetles or
a developing drought,
exploded into flames. Depleted snowpacks along the front range of the
Rockies combined with temperatures in the 80s and 90s on Sunday to
increase the fire risk. Thankfully, so far, there have been no
reports of injuries or property loss. A
relieving contrast to the massive fires recently striking Kansas,
Texas and Oklahoma —
where farmers and communities are still recovering.
(The
ignition source for the recent fire near Boulder appears to be due to
human activity. But the on-the ground climate conditions enhancing
tree deaths, reducing snow packs, and blanketing the region with
record or near record heat increases the likelihood that a spark will
turn into a dangerous fire.)
The
record heat building into Colorado on Sunday and contributing to
increased wildfire risk had spread up into the Central U.S. from the
Desert Southwest.
There, cities like Phoenix have
experienced summer-like
heat for
at least the past week. On Sunday, the city saw a second day of
record temperatures as the mercury hit 96 degrees (Fahrenheit).
Saturday temperatures were almost as hot at 95 F. This was the 8th
consecutive day of 90 degree (F) or hotter temperatures (the record
stretch of 90 degree + readings for March was set in 1972 at 17
days). Meanwhile, forecast
highs in the mid 90s for Phoenix today set the possibility for
another record-breaker.
Much
of the southwest also experienced record or near-record
temperatures. Las
Vegas broke new records Sunday as the thermometer struck past 90 (F).
Meanwhile, Yuma broke
its previous daily record high on Sunday as temperatures rocketed to
98 F.
(Extreme
heat builds through the Central and Southwest U.S. on monday as a
wildfire forces evacuations south of Boulder, Colorado. Image
source: Climate
Reanalyzer.)
Today,
heat is also expected to again build into the central U.S. as parts
of Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma and Colorado are predicted to experience
temperatures ranging from the upper 80s to well into the mid
90s. Pecos
is expected to hit 96 F —
which is about 20 degrees (F) above average for
a typical March day.
And in some regions, such as parts of Kansas, these temperature
departures are as much as 25 F above normal. These extreme high
temperatures are expected to break numerous records for the region as
most of the previous record highs for this area range in the upper
80s.
The
heat will
bring with it more risk of wildfires and
a front sweeping in on Tuesday could increase windspeeds and dry
conditions for some regions. Record warm global temperatures,
(spurred by human greenhouse gas emissions primarily coming from
fossil fuel burning) which are aiding in the systemic, longer term,
loss of ice and snow cover while increasing the rate at which drought
sets in and spiking the top potential range of temperatures during
heatwaves, appears to be combining with a post La Nina trend that
typically favors heat and drying in the Central U.S. to set the stage
for these extreme conditions.
Links:
Hat
tip to Andy in San Diego
Hat
tip to Robert Prue
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