2020 - 2021 California and Southwest Weather Discussion Thread

[Thunder98]

Smoke is now reaching ground level and the AQI is almost code red

[Anti Marine Layer]

Dewpoints have dropped into the 40s.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Suddenly there a smoky and skunky smell.

[Reg]

Smoke was thinner today, but I could smell it unlike the past few days.

[Pn1ct0g3n]

AQI could reach code purple even in some coastal areas tomorrow, unless that changed.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Smoke has made it all the way to Texas this morning.

[Pn1ct0g3n]

Another thing I’ve noticed is there seems to be less sea breeze in the coastal areas; must be from the smoke cooling the inland areas down. 

[Anti Marine Layer]

Sun is quite dimmed out today, but it's not as bad as what Portland has. Still reached into to mid 80s regardless of the smoky skies.

[Reg]

The smoke is much denser and low to the ground this afternoon than in previous days here. Most of the surrounding mountains and foothills are hardly visible.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Number one reason California has such bad fires

Quote

1. FOREST “FUEL LOADS” ARE HIGH.

The forest floor grows dense with flammable dead branches and brush when it’s not cleared out, either manually or when burned. In many parts of California’s wildlands, these forest "fuels" have not burned or been cleared for decades, due in part to fire suppression policies by state and federal agencies.

"One of the reasons we're observing more fires is because of 100 years of poor Forest Service policy where we didn't allow prescribed fire or wildfires to burn," says Craig Clements, Ph.D., director of the San José State University's Fire Weather Research Laboratory and associate professor of meteorology and climate science.

To understand the history and context of wildfire suppression in the U.S., you have to go back to the Great Fires of 1910. After these enormous wildfires ravaged three million acres across Idaho, Montana and Washington, the then-young U.S. Forest Service made it their singular policy to stop fires whenever possible.

It wasn’t until the 1970s that policy shifted from fire control to fire management, with the recognition that some fire—including prescribed burns—is a necessary part of the wildland ecosystem. But decades of still-unburned forest means today’s wildlands are dense with vegetation that’s ready to spark. Drought conditions have only intensified the impending threat in many parts of the state. (See below for more on this.)

In a 2009 report, Chris Dicus, Ph.D., professor of wildland fire and fuels management at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, wrote that before the Gold Rush, there were approximately 50 to 70 trees per acre in California’s forestlands. Today, there are more than 400 trees per acre.

Another contributing factor to the growing forest fuel load is the increasing number of dead or dying trees caused by bark beetle infestations. These insects, along with the drought, are responsible for killing 129 million trees across California since 2010, quite literally adding fuel to the fire.

 

[Anti Marine Layer]

Smoke is clouding up the skies as far as St Louis, Missouri tonight.

[TT-SEA]

3 hours ago, Mr Marine Layer said:

Smoke is clouding up the skies as far as St Louis, Missouri tonight.

At least their air is clean over there...

 

[Anti Marine Layer]

Another warm and smoky day today. Really strange weather, but it's 2020. What less than you expect?

[Anti Marine Layer]

Smoke seems to be a little thinner this morning.

[Pn1ct0g3n]

I can actually see a little blue in the sky again. 

[Anti Marine Layer]

The sun is a little bit brighter today.

[Pn1ct0g3n]

Shadows are sharper and the sun definitely feels stronger than before.

[Pn1ct0g3n]

Breezier today. Looks like some fog blew ashore with it.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Looks like flames are visible in the daylight on the satellite in the big fire in Northern California.

[Anti Marine Layer]

We seem to be getting some less stinky air from the ocean today.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Seeing that temperatures have reached the 90s in some areas with all the smoke the last few days, it is interesting to know what they would have reached without it.

[Reg]

99F here yesterday, just as smoky as usual. Red sun.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Sky seems to have a little more blue in it today.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Nice to see those marine layer clouds under the thin smoke in the Bay Area, considering that San Francisco had dark orange skies last week during the middle of the day.

[Pn1ct0g3n]

Slowly but surely our sky is getting blue. Nice temps too, got into mid 70s after a few days barely cracked 70.

[Pn1ct0g3n]

See how much bluer the sky is today. Still a lot of low level haze and I can smell it from time to time.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Still remember Thursday afternoon when the smoke aloft became opaque. It was a lot higher up than what passed over San Francisco at the time they had their dark orange skies, but the thickest stuff passed by overnight.

[Reg]

Still smoky here, 98F.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Here is last Thursday afternoon.

 

 

[Anti Marine Layer]

Skies looked the same on the East Coast last night as they do here.

[Anti Marine Layer]

New York last night

[Pn1ct0g3n]

Can’t see as much blue today. Visibility has been poor for the last week straight.

[Pn1ct0g3n]

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Karina (no T!) swirls off the tip of Baja and sends surf our way.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Quote stopped working from my smartphone.

I wish the remnants of a hurricane could hit us and bring some warm tropical rain, like we had in 2015.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Sky looks a little bit more blue again today.

[Pn1ct0g3n]

It’s almost back to normal here, but I can still smell the smoke.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Hot and smoky, even though the sky is bluer, it stinks more today.

BBQ Anyone?

 

[Pn1ct0g3n]

Good day to get out and do it. A nice 81, downright toasty for Manhattan Beach.

[Anti Marine Layer]

KFUL 101 with smoke. How about that?

[Pn1ct0g3n]

Wow. Anaheim also close to the century mark at 97. Hottest day since the heatwave.