Key Facts Of The Day 07/06

Hurricanes

• On Tuesday, an intense and long-lived line of severe thunderstorms called a derecho swept across the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest. 
  • The line of thunderstorms produced wind gusts as high as 99 MPH in Howard, South Dakota, and 96 MPH in Huron, South Dakota, while carving a path of damage across at least half a dozen different states. 
• On Wednesday, severe storms are possible again for 30 million from the Ohio Valley to the Mid-Atlantic.
  • The late-day storms will be capable of severe wind gusts up to 70 MPH and isolated hail as the storms propagate southeastward from the Ohio Valley into the Carolinas.
  • Additional severe storms capable of very large hail and severe wind gusts are possible across the western High Plains of northeastern Colorado, western Nebraska, northwestern Kansas, Montana, northeast Wyoming, and potentially the western Dakotas. 
  • About 15 million are under flood alerts from the Ohio River Valley to the Washington metro area to Montana.
  • Washington is expecting storms through Wednesday evening that could drop several inches of rain in a short period of time.
  • On Thursday, there will be similar severe weather set up for 30 million people spreading from the lower Ohio Valley into the southern Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, as well as the northern Rockies.
• Cyclists on one of the country’s longest and most grueling races are having to adapt to conditions made newly dangerous by extreme weather.
  • Riders on this year’s nearly 2,700-mile Tour Divide bikepacking race faced harmful smoke from wildfires, floodwaters from torrential rainstorms, and drought that dried up much-needed water sources.
  • Eleven cyclists — airlifted out of the mountains of British Columbia following an unseasonal snowstorm — were treated for hypothermia after trying to push their bikes through the snow.

Wildfires

• As of Wednesday, there are currently 53 large active wildfires that have burned 2,626,642 across AK, AZ, CA, NV, NM, NC, OR, WA, and WY. As of Wednesday, 34,822 wildfires have burned 4,606,828 acres across the country.
• In Alaska, 41 fires have burned 1,880,917 acres as of Wednesday.
• In Arizona, 3 fires have burned 27,970 acres as of Wednesday.
• In California, 2 fires have burned 4,804 acres as of Wednesday.
• In Nevada, 1 fire has burned 1,966 acres as of Wednesday.
• In New Mexico, 2 fires have burned 666,871 acres as of Wednesday.
  • The Black Fire has burned 325,136 acres and is 70% contained as of Wednesday.
  • The Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire has burned 341,735 acres and is 93% contained as of Wednesday.
• In North Carolina, 1 fire has burned 1,938 acres as of Wednesday.
• In Oregon, 1 fire has burned 40,274 acres as of Wednesday.
• In Washington, 1 fire has burned 1,800 acres as of Wednesday.
• In Wyoming, 1 fire has burned 102 acres as of Wednesday.

Extreme Heat

• About 64 million are under heat alerts Wednesday from Texas to Ohio, and parts of the Carolinas. 
  • Cities like Wichita, Kansas, St. Louis, Missouri, and Memphis, Tennessee, are expected to be 10 degrees above average.
  • The addition of very high humidity to already hot temperatures in some of these places will cause heat indices to climb nearly 10+ degrees higher.
• On Tuesday, heat advisories and excessive-heat warnings covered northern Louisiana to southern Minnesota and Wisconsin, affecting over 60 million people. 
  • Temperatures 10 to 15 degrees above normal are affecting much of this zone, with highs in the 90s and triple digits.
  • The core of the heat — with high temperatures from 100 to 105 degrees — is affecting the zone from northern Texas and Arkansas through Kansas and Missouri.
  • The combination of elevated temperatures and tropical humidity in the air poses a danger to vulnerable populations, including older adults, outdoor workers, and anyone without access to air conditioning.
  • Over the coming week, the heat dome will move west, backtracking before settling over the Four Corners region and potentially remaining anchored until at least mid- to late- July.
    • Unlike the heat dome in June, this one will arrive at the wettest time of year across the Southwest.
• On Sunday, the Great Salt Lake dropped to an elevation of 4,190.1 feet, breaking a record low level for the second time in less than 12 months.
  • The U.S. Geological Survey officials said that based on historic data, the lake is expected to shrink further through autumn or early winter.

New Reports And Data

• A July 2022 study found a large, year-round ozone hole over the tropics that is roughly seven times bigger than the Antarctic ozone hole.
• A July 2022 study found that heat-related child deaths could double in sub-Saharan Africa by mid-century if high emissions continue.