Heat, Drought, and Fire Concern for the West
While the West continues to experience drought conditions, small wildfires have popped up across some states.
Meanwhile, California continues to be very dry! 🔥 The #bluefire flared up near San Bernardino on Tuesday. North bound Intersate -15 in Cajon Pass had to be closed! #CAwx #Wildfire #drought
Video Courtesy Caltrans District 8 pic.twitter.com/4Rr9Lpgmzk— WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) May 11, 2021
Temperatures will be running well above average, especially in northern California where temperatures are pushing the triple digits. Let’s take a look at the forecast:
Northern California
As of now, there are no active fire alerts (red flag warnings, fire weather watches, etc) for northern California as north winds will continue to subside. But conditions will remain favorable to fires in the extended outlook.
Because the drought has been extreme in these areas and we unfortunately are well-below average for our seasonable precipitation we will have to keep a close eye on the wind forecast because otherwise, hot temperatures and dry fuels will remain. This means that once we add in the wind element, if wildfires ignite they may easily get out of control.
The heat is also a top story in these areas. Redding, CA typically sees high temperatures around 80 this time of year. Sacramento, CA is running 10-15° above average with highs in the 90s through the end of the week.
New Mexico/ Desert Southwest
Occasionally gusty winds, dry grounds, and temperatures gradually warming show us that these areas across the southern Four Corners will need to be monitored over the next few days in case of wildfires.
For the latest on these forecasts you can always tune into WeatherNation 50 minutes past the hour for your west regional forecast.