Latest news with #NationalIntegratedDroughtInformationSystem
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
With record-breaking snowmelt, is the western US at risk for wildfires like those in Canada?
DENVER – A rapid snowmelt across the western United States is setting records for how quickly the frozen precipitation is disappearing and also raising alarms about future wildfire activity. According to the National Integrated Drought Information System, many mountainous regions in states such as Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and New Mexico saw near- to above-average snowfall, but now many of the same basins are experiencing drought. The rapid loss of snowpack, combined with elevated evaporation rates, can quickly dry out soils and vegetation, creating ideal conditions for wildfires. "Snowmelt this time of year is common, but such rapid melt rates are not normal," experts with NIDIS stated. "In some instances, above-normal temperatures such as these can cause snow to sublimate (transition from a solid to a gas) and reduce runoff into streams and reservoirs." Examples of snowless mountains include Wolf Creek Pass in Colorado and Baldy Mountain in Arizona. Canadian Wildfires Bring Poor Air Quality, Hazy Skies, Red Sunsets Across Central, Eastern U.s. Large sections of Canada have also seen a shorter snowmelt period, which has coincided with an uptick in wildfire activity. According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, more than 200 wildfires continue to burn across the country, with nearly 6.4 million acres destroyed since the beginning of the year. While the figures appear to be staggering, they are still far short of 2023, when some 37 million acres burned, setting records for the country's worst fire season on record. The previous record-breaking season led to significant smoke infiltration of the U.S., impacting air quality readings for millions of residents across North America. Similar plumes of smoke have been observed during recent weeks, but due to the jet stream, most of the particles have remained elevated well above the surface. A pattern shift would undoubtedly allow more of the hazardous air to reach the surface, leading to health concerns in addition to visibility issues. With a lack of snow and fire dangers increasing across the western U.S., it might only be a matter of time before firefighters are racing to contain wildfires from the Desert Southwest to the Northern Rockies. Because of the general west-to-east wind flow across the U.S., any large wildfire that pops up in the West naturally sends smoke eastward, potentially impacting a large chunk of the country. Before And After Images Show The Extent Of Wildfire Damage Around Los Angeles So far, the U.S. has been experiencing only an average wildfire season, but some of the worst months are still ahead. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, 1.2 million acres have burned in 2025, which is below last year's figure, which was in excess of 2 million through the first five months of the year. Outside of Florida, most counties facing drought conditions are in the western U.S., with nearly a third of the nation officially in significant deficit, according to data from the U.S. Drought Monitor. As the calendar year heads deeper into summer, forecasters expect drought conditions to expand in many locations west of the Mississippi River, including in the Northern Plains and throughout article source: With record-breaking snowmelt, is the western US at risk for wildfires like those in Canada?
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
New Mexico faces increased fire danger in June, after moist end to May
Thunderheads build over the Organ Mountains in the afternoon of Tuesday August, 1, 2023. (Danielle Prokop / Source NM) New Mexico's relatively cool and moist weather so far this spring will dry and warm up in coming weeks, putting fire managers and forecasters on high alert for wildfires before the start of the seasonal monsoon rains this summer. This year's low snowpack has already put much of the state in drought conditions, and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham recently declared a state of emergency and additional actions to prevent fires over the coming weeks. Recent rains around the state offer some relief, as May and June typically emerge as some of the driest months, said George Ducker, a wildfire prevention and spokesperson at the New Mexico Forestry Division. But the projected warm temperatures through the next several weeks could mean the recent spouting of new plants could aggravate the problem, he said. 'We could see a substantial dry up of these flashy fuels, the grasses and even shrubs,' Ducker said. 'Then, if you get a start, get a little bit of wind — there would be more fuel to burn.' The recent rains did not herald the start of the monsoon, the seasonal tropical patterns that provide Arizona and New Mexico with critical moisture, said Andrea Bair, a forecaster with the National Weather Service Western Region based in Salt Lake City, at a National Integrated Drought Information System presentation Tuesday. Rather, she said monsoons are expected to start in mid-June and could be stronger than past years, but hot temperatures will continue to dry out the soils and stress plants across much of the Southwestern U.S. 'The drought looks to continue throughout the season and the monthly outlook forecasts,' she said. 'So not a lot of relief is expected.' The rains lessened the acute risks of fire in the Southwest, said Jim Wallmann, a senior forecaster for the National Interagency Coordination Center Predictive Services. But other parts of the county are seeing wildfires 'extremely early' in the fire season, he said, noting the 1,000-acre Banana Lake fire in Montana. 'We're having to spread our resources over a much greater footprint of the country,' Wallmann said. 'That could affect how big a fire gets in California, if we're stretched and can't send everything to California while it's burning; we'll be on fires burning everywhere else.' Ducker said the concerns about availability for resources to fight wildfires is 'a bridge we'll cross when we come to it,' and said the state is working to be prepared. 'We have the resources to be able to jump on fires as they start,' Ducker said. Our federal partners seem to be in the same place where they're ready to respond, so right now we're just waiting for June to see what it shows us.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
San Francisco Chronicle
21-05-2025
- Climate
- San Francisco Chronicle
Snow is melting rapidly in parts of the West. Here's why
The western U.S. is experiencing a late-season snow drought, according to an update Wednesday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Integrated Drought Information System. The diminished snowpack could result in water supply issues and increased wildfire risk in the coming months, the authors wrote. Above-normal temperatures and a lack of precipitation in April and early May caused depletions even in basins where snow had piled up in prior months. '(These basins) had near normal snowpack for that time of year, but then fell into what we call late- season snow drought due to unseasonably warm conditions and dry conditions,' said Jason Gerlich, regional drought information coordinator at NOAA's Integrated Drought Information System for the Pacific Northwest and Missouri River Basin. The authors defined a location as being in 'snow drought' if the measured snow water equivalent — the amount of water contained in the snowpack — was below the 20th percentile of historical conditions. Some automated monitoring sites in the western U.S., including in California and Colorado, experienced record-breaking drops in snow water equivalent in mid-April. 'Snowmelt this time of year is common, but such rapid melt rates are not normal,' the authors wrote. Quickly melting snow can create floods; it can also lead to problems with the water supply in future months. 'A lot of the basins across the western United States are snow-dominated (and) get most of their flows from the melting of snow,' Gerlich said. Early melt means less water available throughout the summer. California's major surface reservoirs are generally in good shape, with reservoir storage across the state at 116% of normal as of Wednesday. 'While the rate of the snowmelt has not had a major impact on forecasted April through July seasonal runoff, below average spring precipitation has lowered runoff projections slightly,' said Andy Reising, manager of the California Department of Water Resources' snow surveys and water supply forecasting unit, by email. That said, there is variation between watersheds across the state. 'Despite a near-average snowpack statewide this season, the seasonal runoff projections for some watersheds are as low as 70 percent of average in some cases,' Reising said. The statewide snowpack, an average of snow measurements across California, has been steadily declining since April, coming in at 38% of normal for this time of year, as of Wednesday. The state could face a separate challenge associated with premature snowmelt: increased potential for wildfires. Typically, snow that gradually melts into the warmer months keeps landscapes moistened, dampening the chances for blazes to take off. 'One of our biggest concerns is that due to snow drought … the heightened risk for wildland fire development across the West,' Gerlich said. National Interagency Fire Center outlooks for May and June call for above-normal wildfire potential in areas experiencing snow drought, including Arizona and New Mexico. Portions of California are also predicted to have increased fire potential during the summer months.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
‘Rapid snowmelt' increases fire danger across the West
This story was originally posted on According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, record-breaking snowmelt is underway across the West due to above-average temperatures and below-normal precipitation. The agency warned it could lead to an early start to wildfire season. NOAA reported that nearly all Western basins, including the Columbia River Basin, are experiencing similar conditions, despite receiving above-average snowfall during the winter. As of May 13, the National Integrated Drought Information System estimated that 3.3 million Washington residents were living in drought-affected areas, an increase of 0.8% from the previous week. NOAA reported that precipitation across the Columbia River Basin has been below 50% of normal for large portions of the state so far this year. The threat of a prolonged drought does not just mean a higher risk of wildfire. It could also deplete reservoirs, specifically those that rely on the Yakima River Basin. Earlier this year, the Washington Department of Ecology issued a drought declaration for the area, covering parts of Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton counties, after back-to-back droughts in 2023 and 2024. NOAA also noted that the Middle Snake River Basin, in Idaho, saw its 'snow water equivalent drop from the 70th percentile to the 30th percentile' in late April. For the rest of the West, NOAA said some basins in Nevada, Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico saw record early snow melt.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Rapid snowmelt jeopardizing summer water supply across the US West
Above-normal temperatures combined with paltry precipitation levels have led to rapid snowmelts across the U.S. West — reducing water supplies for the spring and summer, federal meteorologists are warning. Nearly all Western basins are now experiencing a late season 'snow drought,' or a period of unusually minimal snow accumulation for a given point in the year, according to reports released by the National Integrated Drought Information System on Tuesday. These dismal conditions are affecting almost the entire region, despite the fact that many monitoring stations showed above-average snow water equivalent — the amount of water contained in snow — during the accumulation season, the authors noted. The meteorologists attributed that downturn to record early 'melt out' in areas of Nevada, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico. The rapid disappearance of snow and subsequent evaporation, dubbed the 'thirst of the atmosphere,' has also been drying out soil and vegetation — creating prime conditions for an early start to fire season, the report warned. 'Snowmelt this time of year is common, but such rapid melt rates are not normal,' the meteorologists stated. In some cases, they explained, above-normal temperatures can also cause snow to sublimate — transform from a solid to a gas — and hamper the amount of runoff available in streams and reservoirs. The Intermountain West in particular is enduring a continued expansion and intensification of drought, with the U.S. Drought Monitor indicating that 27 percent of the region is in 'extreme or exceptional drought,' as opposed to just 20 percent two months ago. Water supply forecasts for both the Colorado River and Rio Grande basins have plummeted since previous projections issued on April 1, due to a dearth of April showers, the report authors explained. 'Existing drought conditions are likely to persist through summer, along with warmer-than-normal temperatures,' the meteorologists added. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
