Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Fire Season Already at its Peak

That was fast.  After a summer of light fire activity, we are suddenly in peak fire season.

According to a story in the Missoulian, a fire weather forecaster and meteorologist at the Northern Rockies Coordination Center says, "The next two weeks will be the most active part of our season, and computer models tell us we will have an extended summer into September, and the fire season will likely linger before going to sleep on us."


It should still be a light year overall.  To date, only 20,826 acres have burned in the Northern Rockies, well below the 10-year average of 314,692 acres.  But averages don't matter if a fire affects your summer activities:

Dude! (photo from the Missoulian)


Wildfire season usually ends when a fall storm brings cool temperatures and precipitation, but no such storms are in the forecast, and temperatures are expected to stay well above normal for a few more weeks.  This type of weather is more typical of late July, but due to the wet, cool spring, we are running about three weeks behind in terms of seasonal norms.


Full Story from the Missoulian.

2 comments:

  1. To plagiarize your earlier comment, when we get an normal season it will be dubbed unseasonsally seasonal. I kinda feel sorry for the dude floating the river, nothing like a water helicopter to interrupt your floating chi.

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  2. I have never ever in my life, where ever I've lived heard of a seasonal norm. Every year I hear, it's not usually this...insert cold, hot, wet, dry, etc.

    Let's hope the poor floater doesn't end up with a free helicopter ride...

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