Post by bsnlark on Mar 27, 2010 11:57:01 GMT -5
We all want dry weather, but not as predicted here :
Nation
Summer Forecast: Drought, Fire Danger and Lots of ACUpdated: 1 day ago
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Paul Yeager
Contributor
(March 26) -- The summer is fast approaching, and the latest Climate Prediction Center forecast for June through August indicates that we may be in for a season of heavy energy use, a worsening drought in the Pacific Northwest and a high fire danger in the West.
June through August is forecast to be hotter than normal in the West and a large portion of the Southeast, with the greatest likelihood of higher-than-normal temperatures in the Four Corners area of the desert Southwest. As Americans try to keep cool, overall U.S. energy demands are likely to be higher than during most summers, especially if the hot weather extends west into highly populated West Coast cities or north into the large cities of the Mid-Atlantic.
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Precipitation is always scarce during the summer, but the CPC forecast projects that it will be even drier than average in the Pacific Northwest, a region where drought conditions are already widespread. The drought will become more intense during the summer, and Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire has asked the state Legislature to set aside $4.1 million for drought-relief projects that might be needed.
The worsening drought, combined with the hotter-than-normal weather, will increase the fire danger in the Pacific Northwest, and the high fire danger will most likely extend south into California. Drought conditions in California aren't nearly as severe as they were this time last year because of an abundance of winter rain and mountain snow; however, winter rain has also spurred the growth of native plants. As the vegetation dies during the long summer, which is inevitable given the climate, it will provide potential tinder by late summer.
Nation
Summer Forecast: Drought, Fire Danger and Lots of ACUpdated: 1 day ago
.Print Text Size E-mail More
Paul Yeager
Contributor
(March 26) -- The summer is fast approaching, and the latest Climate Prediction Center forecast for June through August indicates that we may be in for a season of heavy energy use, a worsening drought in the Pacific Northwest and a high fire danger in the West.
June through August is forecast to be hotter than normal in the West and a large portion of the Southeast, with the greatest likelihood of higher-than-normal temperatures in the Four Corners area of the desert Southwest. As Americans try to keep cool, overall U.S. energy demands are likely to be higher than during most summers, especially if the hot weather extends west into highly populated West Coast cities or north into the large cities of the Mid-Atlantic.
(/
Precipitation is always scarce during the summer, but the CPC forecast projects that it will be even drier than average in the Pacific Northwest, a region where drought conditions are already widespread. The drought will become more intense during the summer, and Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire has asked the state Legislature to set aside $4.1 million for drought-relief projects that might be needed.
The worsening drought, combined with the hotter-than-normal weather, will increase the fire danger in the Pacific Northwest, and the high fire danger will most likely extend south into California. Drought conditions in California aren't nearly as severe as they were this time last year because of an abundance of winter rain and mountain snow; however, winter rain has also spurred the growth of native plants. As the vegetation dies during the long summer, which is inevitable given the climate, it will provide potential tinder by late summer.