Sunday, September 13, 2015

Cooldown to Arrive in West as Fires Continue to Blaze

By Jordan Root, Meteorologist
September 13,2015; 9:45PM,EDT
 
 
After a week of relentless heat across the West, a much-needed cooldown is on the horizon.
A trough of low pressure is expected to dive into the western half of the United States this week sending a much-cooler air mass into the region, one that will drop high temperatures 5 F to 10 F in most places when compared to this past week.

While temperatures will end the weekend on a warm note, the majority of the West will experience some form of cooldown by the middle of this week.
"Cooler weather will spread south across the West through Tuesday," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Alyson Hoegg.
Folks in Seattle, Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Diego, Boise, Idaho, Missoula, Montana, Salt Lake City, and areas in between will all see a temperature drop between Monday and Wednesday.
"Cities along the I-5 corridor, such as Seattle, Portland, and Medford, Oregon, will see daytime highs similar to those of mid-October," said Hoegg.
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California, a state devastated with wildfires, will get some relief. Thermometers that read in the 100s across the Central Valley are expected to read in the lower 80s by Monday, certainly a noticeable and welcome change.
Last week and this week will have quite the contrast in the West, with temperatures dipping below average for the first time since the beginning of September in some locations.
Exceptional drought and the recent stretch of scorching heat has caused problems, including turning California into a tinder box. Many fires are currently raging across the state, including the Butte Fire, which exploded in growth early on Friday, and the Valley Fire, which began on Saturday afternoon.
Nearly 65,000 acres have been burned and the fire is only 15% contained as of Saturday night, according to the California government website.
Firefighters watch as the flames of the Butte Fire approach a containment line near San Andreas, Calif., Friday Sept. 11, 2015.(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
A state of emergency was declared in Amador and Calaveras counties on Friday as thousands were forced to evacuate after the fire threatened and burned homes near the town of San Andreas. 86 homes have already been destroyed by the fire as of Saturday night, Over 6,000 structures are threatened as 450 fire engines and thousands of fire personnel battle the blaze. Four firefighters were sent to the hospital Saturday with second-degree burns, according to the Associated Press.
The Valley Fire began on Saturday afternoon and had already burned 25,000 acres by Saturday night. Mandatory evacuations were in place for parts of Napa and Lake counties. This out-of-control fire was approaching the communities of Middletown and Hidden Valley Lake.
A vehicle destroyed by the Butte Fire sits on tireless rims at a home in Mountain Ranch, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015. Firefighters gained some ground Saturday against the explosive wildfire that incinerated buildings and chased hundreds of people from mountain communities in drought-stricken Northern California. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
According to the USDA Forest Service, 40 large fires are currently burning across the West. Five states are dealing with these dangerous blazes and they include California, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana.
The Rough Fire east of Fresno is threatening to sweep through an ancient grove of Giant Sequoia trees, according to the Associated Press. This lightning-caused fire is only at 31 percent containment as of midday Sunday as firefighters rush to get it under control.
While the weekend will end warm, the drop in temperature this week will help firefighters battling the blaze in some ways, but also could hurt efforts in other ways. The unsettled weather may bring some rain to parts of the West, although thunderstorms could cause more wildfire problems due to lightning.

"Anytime a cold front pushes through the west during the fire season, problems ensue," said AccuWeather Meteorologist and firefighter Evan Duffey.
Duffey noted that cold fronts usually bring stronger and sometimes unpredictable winds that could rapidly spread fire, making it hard for incident managers to position teams.
Smoke can be seen over a large portion of the western United States on Friday. Image/NASA

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