Key Facts Of The Day 6/27

Hurricanes

• A monsoon has brought heavy storms to the Arizona High Country while another storm hit the Valley in the afternoon.
  • Downtown Flagstaff and an underpass on Route 66 were flooded.
  • The heavy rain liquified mud and ash in the areas near the burn scars of recent wildfires.
    • Some residents had to clean up mud in and outside their homes. 
    • Some residents are also still cleaning debris from burn scars of the Museum Fire that was 3 years ago.
• On Sunday, heavy rains fell over Roswell, New Mexico, leaving one bridge collapsed and at least a dozen homes underwater as flood water rose.
  • Roswell city officials are calling the event a 100-year flood after 3.3 inches of rainfall fell in only one hour’s time.
• Last Friday, some national forests in Arizona and New Mexico are relaxing fire restrictions and reopening, thanks to a strong start to the annual rainy season in the southwestern U.S.
  • The monsoon has delivered much-needed moisture to the parched region and relief from scorching temperatures.
  • Forecasters say Arizona has a good chance of getting above-average rain through the season that runs through September. 
  • New Mexico has equal chances of above, below, and normal rainfall.

Wildfires

• As of Friday, there are currently 17 large active wildfires that have burned 766,333 across AK, AZ, CA, FL, GA, NJ, NM, NC, SD, TX, and UT. As of Friday, 32,247 wildfires have burned 3,360,037 acres across the country.
• In Alaska, 30 fires have burned 925,548 acres as of Thursday.
• In Arizona, 6 fires have burned 66,167 acres as of Friday.
• In California, 1 fire has burned 2,466 acres as of Friday.
• In Florida, 1 fire has burned 415 acres as of Friday.
• In Georgia, 1 fire has burned 2,000 acres as of Friday.
• In New Jersey, 1 fire has burned 13,500 acres as of Friday.
• In New Mexico, 3 fires have burned 671,764 acres as of Friday.
  • The Black Fire has burned 325,133 acres and is 70% contained as of Friday.
  • The Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire has burned 341,735 acres and is 72% contained as of Friday.
  • The Midnight Fire has burned 4,896 acres and is 98% contained as of Friday.
• In North Carolina, 1 fire has burned 1,088 acres as of Friday.
• In South Dakota, 1 fire has burned 3,810 acres as of Friday.
• In Texas, 1 fire has burned 500 acres as of Friday.
• In Utah, 1 fire has burned 4,623 acres as of Friday.
• Multiple western U.S. cities cancel fireworks displays for the Fourth of July due to fire concerns amid dry weather.
  • Flagstaff in northern Arizona will carry out its annual Independence Day parade through the city’s historic downtown, but a new laser light show will replace the standard pyrotechnic display because of concerns about sparking wildfires.
  • In Lompoc, on California’s central coast, the annual Fourth of July fireworks show won’t be held because of concerns about potential fire hazards.
  • A popular northern San Joaquin Valley fireworks show that in pre-pandemic times brought tens of thousands of people to Lake Don Pedro, California, was canceled because of drought concerns, including the lake’s projected low level.
  • The fire danger also prompted Lakewood and Castle Rock in Colorado to cancel their pyrotechnic displays

Extreme Heat

• Last Monday, the temperature hit a record-breaking 101 degrees in Minnesota and metro area highways and freeways crumbled under the heat.
  • Minnesota Department of Transportation crews responded to more than a dozen simultaneous road explosions in the Twin Cities as the extreme heat caused concrete to heave, crack and buckle.
  • Since then, numerous road buckles have happened over the past week in greater Minnesota.
• Hotter-than-normal temperatures are predicted through the summer.
  • The final days of June and first days of July will likely bring above-average temperatures along the Gulf Coast, with building heat in the West.
  • There will also likely be above-average temperatures across much of the South and along the East Coast.
  • The next heat wave is forecast to also hit the Pacific Northwest, a region that experienced triple-digit temperatures twice in 2021 — something that would have been unheard of two decades ago.
  • The Midwest, which saw some of the highest temperatures during the most recent heat waves, will be one of the few regions to experience relief from the heat in the coming days.
  • Vulnerable populations, including impoverished and marginalized communities and those with pre-existing health conditions such as asthma and heart disease, are most at risk when temperatures begin to rise.
• As of Sunday, a heat advisory was issued for inland areas of Southern California.
  • Highs will reach 95-105 degrees in the San Fernando, San Gabriel, and Antelope valleys as well as inland Orange County and part of the Inland Empire.
  • Downtown Los Angeles will see highs in the low 90s on Monday, or about 10 degrees above normal.
  • Further inland, the highs will be closer to 15 degrees above normal.
  • The hot, dry weather will bring elevated fire conditions.
• Hot temperatures and a lack of rainfall are spreading drought conditions across many parts of North Carolina, and farmers in the state are feeling the impact.
  • In Union County, the dry conditions have damaged cornfields, turning them brown and withered, and extreme heat also has taken a toll on the cornstalks.
  • Temperatures in Union County have exceeded 90 degrees on 10 days in June, with a peak of 98 degrees on June 23.
  • The low rainfall also was making it difficult to plant soybeans.
• Climate Central released the Climate Shift Index tool, which gives a number to indicate the influence of climate change on daily high and low temperatures.
  • The CSI tool indicates how frequently certain temperatures now occur in a warming world.

New Reports And Data

• A June 2022 study found that environmental factors such as air pollution are highly predictive of people’s chances of dying, especially from heart attack and stroke. 
• A June 2022 study found that ​​built infrastructure, hunting, and climate change are linked to huge migratory bird declines.