In Northern California, authorities have expanded evacuations from the Tamarack Fire in Alpine County in the Sierra Nevada to include the mountain town of Mesa Vista.
Started by lightning and fanned by high winds, the fire exploded over the weekend and has burned more than 60 square miles.According to the California Office of Emergency Services, more than 700 people remain evacuated from the fire and more than one thousand firefighters have been assigned to the blaze.
The Tamarack Fire was one of many fires burning in a dozen states, most of them in the US West.
Extremely dry conditions and heatwaves tied to climate change have made wildfires harder to fight.
Winter Storms Are Driving , California's Unprecedented , Snowpack Recovery.
'Newsweek' reports that California's snowpack has
recovered at an unprecedented rate, increasing at
a magnitude never before seen in this century.
As of the beginning of January 2024,
California's snowpack was at 28% of normal. .
As of April 2024, the snowpack
measured 110% of normal. .
According to weather analyst and storm chaser
Colin McCarthy, a snowpack recovery to this
degree "has not happened in the 21st century.".
Before 2000-2001, it's been difficult
to find a consistent database for
California's statewide snowpack, Colin McCarthy, weather analyst
and storm chaser, via 'Newsweek'.
There hasn't been a year in the 21st
century close to replicating this
pattern: a much below average
snowpack at the beginning of
February [less than 55%] and then
finishing above normal by spring, Colin McCarthy, weather analyst
and storm chaser, via 'Newsweek'.
A series of winter storms, including a number
of atmospheric rivers and a blizzard in the
Sierra Nevada, have occurred in California this year.
'Newsweek' reports that last year also had record
amounts of snowpack accumulation in the mountains.
The increased snowpack comes as a good sign
for the state's water supply which relies on
melting snow to feed rivers and reservoirs.
Growing up in California in the 21st
century, I have seen three separate
record-setting multiyear droughts
plague the state, so it's fantastic
to see two years in a row of
above-normal snowpack, Colin McCarthy, weather analyst
and storm chaser, via 'Newsweek'.
Following last year's record-setting
snowpack, this year's slightly above
[normal] snowpack is a perfect case
scenario for California's water supply, Colin McCarthy, weather analyst
and storm chaser, via 'Newsweek'
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
California Could Get up to 10 Feet of Snow , as Blizzard Approaches.
A blizzard will reach the Sierra Nevada on the night of Feb. 29 and last until March 3, NBC News reports. .
The storm's peak could bring
1 to 2 inches of snow per hour.
Wind gusts up to 100 mph are also possible.
Donner Pass could see up to 10 feet of snow, while Blue Canyon could accumulate as much as 7 feet. .
Lake Tahoe is forecast to get 3 to 6 feet of snow, and Pollock Pines could get up to 3 feet. .
Up until now, below average snowfall
has accumulated in the Sierra,
leading to as much as an 8-foot deficit.
This storm has the potential to
set a new record, NBC News reports.
It could also create a surplus in
areas where there are deficits. .
Experts are warning about the
possibility of avalanches, "especially
in the backcountry," NBC News reports. .
Meanwhile, states to the east
are experiencing record warmth.
Cities that have experienced their
warmest February on record include
Albany, Chicago, Des Moines, Fargo.
Cities that have experienced their
warmest February on record include
Albany, Chicago, Des Moines, Fargo.
Green Bay, Little Rock, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Syracuse and Tulsa. .
Green Bay, Little Rock, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Syracuse and Tulsa. .
Green Bay, Little Rock, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Syracuse and Tulsa.
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
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