Wildfire danger to increase across the West this week

 By Maura Kelly, AccuWeather meteorologist

Published Aug. 29, 2020 1:35 PM

As fire crews continue to battle numerous large wildfires across the western third of the United States, no additional help can be expected from Mother Nature as more dry weather and stifling heat are in the forecast for the region.

While a storm system moving through the West to close out the weekend and into the beginning of the week will keep temperatures near normal into Monday, very little moisture associated with this system has led to a high fire threat across the Northwest.

Normal high temperatures for the end of August range from the 80s F in Portland, Oregon; Boise, Idaho, and Los Angeles to 90 F in Sacramento, California, and lower 100s in Las Vegas and Phoenix.

Gusty winds and low relative humidity levels will create conditions to allow any ongoing fires or new flames to spread quickly.

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On Monday, this storm system will dig far enough south to pull in moisture from what will be left of Iselle, currently a tropical depression in the East Pacific Ocean, that could bring some high clouds to parts of the Southwest.

After this storm sweeps through, an area of high pressure is forecast to build over the region into the middle of the week. As the high settles in at midweek, temperatures are expected to trend higher.

"High temperatures across the region are expected to reach 6-12 degrees above normal for this time of year," stated AccuWeather Meteorologist Nicole LoBiondo. "This will also help to worsen drought conditions that have been building throughout the summer."

As air stagnates with high pressure over the region, air quality will deteriorate further throughout the week. Dense smoke advisories in parts of the region, including in Tahoe, have been extended through the remainder of the weekend.

A storm system expected to track into the Northwest will act to increase winds, especially across this region. The fire danger with each passing storm will depend on how much precipitation the storm will bring.

Any rain from these storms may be too spotty to offer any relief from the drought conditions or aid fire crews battling the blazes across the region.

Fire crews have been setting records across the western third of the United States this season. Fires from California to Colorado have grown to some of the largest each state has recorded.

The SCU Lightning Complex and LNU Lightning Complex fires, both located in Central California, have each grown to about 375,000 acres burned each, falling short of the largest fire in California history set back in 2018.

Both fires are about 40 percent contained as of midday Saturday, according to California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE).

The fires burning across the state have claimed seven lives in recent weeks, according to The Associated Press. Nearly a quarter of a million people were placed under evacuation orders and warnings, the AP reported.

The fire near Grand Junction in Colorado grew to about 140,000 acres on Thursday, according to The Denver Post, making it the largest fire in state history. This surpassed the Hayman fire that burned near Denver in 2002.

"More than 900 firefighters have continued battling the fire since it first ignited by a lightning strike July 31, about 18 miles north of Grand Junction," reported the Associated Press.

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