Progress battling the massive Rim Fire has been slow to come and while some gains have been made, the blaze continued to grow and now encompasses more than 280 square miles. The blaze has already intruded on Yosemite National Park and were perilously close to its infamous giant sequoia trees. Park officials were placing sprinklers in two groves of sequoias not far from the fire.
Read more about the Rim Fire and check out the video and photos on Examiner.com
While northeastern Colorado deals with unusually cold temperatures stubbornly dropping below freezing and even 0°, California has been seeing their own spell of “bitter cold” weather. Of course their definition of “cold” and ours are quite different as highlighted in a clip from Jimmy Kimmel Live.
Somehow we here at ThorntonWeather.com aren’t feeling too much sympathy for those in the Golden State. 😉
California and earthquakes go together like coffee and a cup but a new study suggests that an entirely different kind of disaster may have a bigger impact. The U.S. Geological Survey gathered 117 scientists to evaluate a hypothetical – but possible – “super storm” and its impact on the Golden State.
At the end of 1861 and into the beginning of 1862 a very wet Pacific storm inundated California with rain. This storm turned much of the Sacramento Valley into an inland sea and flooded an area hundreds of miles long.
Today, California is the United State’s most populous state and it has the equivalent of the eighth largest economy in the world. The study shows that if a similar storm were to occur today the result would be disastrous.
The implications of this disaster scenario are tremendous and stretch far beyond California’s borders. Further, one has to wonder ‘what if’ Thornton and the Denver area were presented with a similar scenario?
Read more about the study at the Natural Disasters Examiner.
Triple digit heat broiled the northeastern United States on Tuesday while record setting cool weather struck southern California. Denver may be next to see cool temperatures for the record books as the United States experiencing a wide variety of temperatures.
On the East Coast, temperatures exceeding 100 degrees struck from Virginia north to Massachusetts. Many of the temperatures recorded set new high temperature records for the date including:
On the opposite coast of the nation, record low maximum temperatures were recorded from San Diego up to Riverside. Low pressure and a thick marine layer of clouds held temperatures down and residents that would normally be wearing shorts and tank tops traded that clothing for jeans and sweatshirts.
Among the tied or broken record low maximums recorded in southern California on Tuesday were:
On Wednesday, both the northeastern United States and southern California may see those record-setting temperature trends continue.
Denver also stands a chance to see a record setting low maximum today. The forecast for Denver International Airport where Denver’s official temperature measurements are now taken is for a high of 63 degrees today. The current record low maximum is 65 degrees last set in 1952. Here in Thornton we will see similar temperatures.
The early morning quiet on Tuesday in Southern California was broken by a magnitude 4.4 earthquake near Los Angeles. The temblor, centered near Pico Rivera, caused no major damage but rattled area residents and put first responders on alert.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake occurred at 4:04am and originated 11.7 miles below the surface of the earth. The epicenter was less than a half mile from Pico Rivera or 10 miles east-southeast of downtown Los Angeles.
While the quake was relatively small, it was felt across a large swath of Southern California. Reports indicate it was felt as far north as Rosamond, as far east as Lucerne Valley and as far as Poway near San Diego to the south.
Get all the details on the temblor from the Natural Disasters Examiner.
The state of California and Google have been considered at the forefront of the fight against manmade climate change and the two have come together to help the state’s residents visualize the effects of global warming. The new interactive tool, dubbed CalAdapt and part of the Google Earth software, portrays a dismal future for the Sunshine State unless steps are taken to stem man’s effect on the earth.
Narrated by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the tour begins by zooming in and out of the state and highlighting the steps it has taken on its own. Investments in renewable energy, its commitment to reduce greenhouse gases to 1990 levels and the state’s green building program are all featured.
Graphic representation of the effects of manmade climate change are meant to drive home the dangers California faces. From a less reliable water supply to more frequent and more intense wildfires and rising sea levels, the state faces a number of risks according to the video.
The unveiling ceremony was held on Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay. The significance of the location was not lost on Schwarzenegger who said, “Within a century, Treasure Island, this place where we are right now, could be totally under water.”
Update, 5:30pm – The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has issued a smoke health advisory for northwest and north-central Colorado. The department warns that residents may wish to limit outside activity, particularly those with heart disease, respiratory illnesses, the very young, and the elderly.
Read the advisory in its entirety at the bottom of this story.
Original post, 9/1/09, 3:54pm: The hazy, orange tinted skies over Denver on Monday were an unusual sight and a result of smoke traveling hundreds of miles from wildfires across the western United States. Satellite imagery released by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) showed plumes of smoke moving northwest toward Colorado from as far away as Los Angeles.
The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) reported 17 fires burning in states from Colorado west. Seven fires in California, three in Utah and two in Colorado are the primary ones causing smoke over the Mile High City.
The largest of the blazes, the Station Fire in the foothills near Los Angeles, exploded to more than 120,000 acres in recent days. In Utah, the Mill Flats Fire burning in the Dixie National Forest grew to more than 10,000 acres.
Colorado reports two wildfires, the largest of which has been dubbed the Tabaguache Creek Fire in the Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests. That blaze is six miles north of Nucla and has scorched 1,260 acres.
Altogether, the fires that are actively burning have burned more than 150,000 acres of land. For the entire fire season which runs during the calendar year, 65,140 wildfires have been reported and an estimated 5,303,691 acres – more than 8,000 square miles – have been burned.
Tuesday the smoke has eased some over the Front Range and it should dissipate this evening.
From the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment:
COLORADO SMOKE ADVISORY & OUTLOOK:
Significant smoke from fires in Canada, Utah, Colorado, California and other western states will cause widespread haze in Colorado on Tuesday and from time-to-time this week. Fine Particulate levels are in the Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups category in Garfield County and are probably in the Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups range in other areas across Northwest and North-central Colorado due to the smoke from the forest fires. The highest concentrations are expected to occur in Northwest and North-central Colorado, generally north of I-70, possibly as far east as the Front Range. Much of the rest of Colorado will see concentrations in the Moderate range. IF VISIBILITY IS LESS THAN 5 MILES IN SMOKE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, SMOKE HAS REACHED LEVELS THAT ARE UNHEALTHY. If smoke is thick or becomes thick in your neighborhood you may want to remain indoors. This is especially true for those with heart disease, respiratory illnesses, the very young, and the elderly. Consider limiting outdoor activity when moderate to heavy smoke is present. Consider relocating temporarily if smoke is present indoors and is making you ill. Smoke should gradually diminish later this evening in most areas.
For satellite analysis of smoke over the U.S., visit: http://www.firedetect.noaa.gov/viewer.htm
Moderate to heavy smoke is also possible in the vicinity of a fire 6 miles north of Nucla, especially in areas down-valley of the fire during the nighttime and morning hours.
FRONT RANGE AIR QUALITY FORECAST:
Ozone is expected to be in the Moderate to Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups range Tuesday afternoon and evening (with the highest readings in the Denver metro area) and in the Moderate category on Wednesday. Active children, active adults, and people with respiratory illnesses should limit prolonged outdoor exertion from 2 PM until midnight tonight.
Visibility is expected to remain in the Poor Category on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Carbon monoxide levels are expected to remain in the Good category along the Front Range on Tuesday.
Fine particulate matter levels are expected to be in the Moderate category along the Front Range on Tuesday and Wednesday
