Key Facts Of The Day 3/2

Storms and Flooding

• Fast-moving Alberta clippers will sweep through the Midwest and Northeast this week, preceding a potential larger winter storm that will arrive by the weekend.

  • The clipper duo will generally bring a light, nuisance snowfall for many, but forecasters are monitoring the potential for some heavier bursts of snow showers.

  • During Tuesday morning, a combination of rain and snow showers extended across New York and New England as the system raced eastward.

  • Rain showers were occurring farther to the south across parts of Pennsylvania and Ohio during Tuesday afternoon.

  • By the middle of the week, the next clipper in the will be racing southeastward across the northern Plains and Upper Midwest, spreading into the Northeast late Wednesday into Thursday morning.

• An atmospheric river brought heavy rain to western Washington, causing flooding and the threat of landslides to the Puget Sound region.

  • According to the National Weather Service, Seattle recorded 2.97 inches of rain, making it the third wettest day in February.

  • Olympia recorded a daily record of 3.12 inches of rain Monday, making it the second wettest day in February.

  • In Bellevue, crews responded to a “water and debris flow” in the Somerset neighborhood Monday afternoon.

  • Landslides and road closures were reported across the Puget Sound region.

  • At least seven highways were closed due to landslides, water over the roadway or damaged pavement.

  • King County reported at least 19 road closures Tuesday morning due to landslides or water over the roadway.

Wildfires

• As of Friday, there are currently 6 large active wildfires that have burned 12,214 acres across CA, FL, MS, and OK. As of Friday, 7,087 wildfires have burned 149,774 acres across the country.

• Atmospheric chemists have found a chemical link between wildfire smoke and ozone depletion.

  • If wildfires become larger and more frequent, they might stall ozone recovery for years.

• Caldor wildfire survivors say FEMA did little to help those who lost homes.

  • Although FEMA has made funds available to reimburse the state and local governments for costs related to the Caldor fire, the agency did not approve a request from California Gov. Gavin Newsom to provide for individual assistance, which would go directly to uninsured or underinsured residents to help with temporary housing and rebuilding costs.

  • One Grizzly Flats family had insurance and owned the property outright, but estimates they are $100,000 to $200,000 short of being able to rebuild what they had. They also lost about a million dollars’ worth of timber, which was not covered by insurance.

  • A neighbor’s home was uninsured because their policy had been canceled four times due to fire risk.

• Colorado examines statewide building codes to address wildfires.

Extreme Heat

• California considers naming and ranking heatwaves to emphasize their deadly nature as a third year of drought looks likely.

  • More Americans die on average from heat-related illnesses than are killed by tornadoes and hurricanes combined.

    • In areas that experience extreme heat, individuals suffering in hospitals will often be diagnosed with kidney or heart failure, but those conditions can be brought on by extreme heat exposure.

  • Advocates for the naming and ranking systems say the move will help people engage more with the threats posed by the events.

• California drought continues after the state had its driest January and February on record.

  • The California Department of Water Resources announced Tuesday that statewide snowpack had dwindled to 63% of average for this time of year, following an extraordinarily dry start to the year.

  • Lake Shasta, California’s largest reservoir, is now at 37% of its average capacity for this time of year, according to state data. The second-largest reservoir, Oroville, was at 47%.

  • Nearly every part of the state has seen below-average precipitation this year, with many areas seeing almost no moisture at all.

  • The bone-dry months follow the driest 22-year period to grip the American Southwest in 1,200 years.

  • Water suppliers in Southern California have already been told to expect just 15% of their full allocations this year from the State Water Project, and the federal government has put the Central Valley on alert that it could receive minimal-to-no water from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

  • While some parts of the state are slated to see some rain later this week, the latest monthly precipitation outlook from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration offers no promise of measurable moisture in California in the weeks ahead.

• Nevada is the state at highest risk from climate change. Over the past century, the state has warmed by around 2 degrees, while in the future drought and heatwaves are expected to become more common.

  • Nevada also had one of the worst preparedness levels for wildfires, despite being one of the most at-risk states.

New Reports And Data

• A February 2022 study found a chemical link between wildfire smoke and ozone depletion.

• A February 2022 study found that the climate has warmed noticeably more with humidity factored in, compared to surface temperature alone.

• A February 2022 study found that substance derived from tire debris is toxic to two trout species.