Facts Of The Day 8/09

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Report

• Extreme heatwaves now occur five times as often compared to before, and they will hit 14 times as often if warming reaches 2°C

• Droughts that used to occur once every 10 years now occur 70% more frequently.

• Fire weather will increase as temperatures warm to 1.5°and grow even further at 2°C.

• Heavy downpours that used to occur once every 10 years now occur 30% more frequently

• Certain extreme weather events have been locked in due to the damage that has already occurred, including melting glaciers, more intense heat, wildfires, and drought, and sea-level rise.

• In order to limit warming to 1.5°C, carbon pollution must be cut by half in the next 10 years and carbon pollution must be reduced to zero by 2050.

Extreme Heat

• Walla Walla Valley, Washington vineyards fear that June’s heatwave plus the rainy weather of 2020 will lead to poor grape yields.

• Despite the rising temperatures, OSHA has repeatedly refused to consider recommendations from the CDC and petitions from occupational and environmental groups on setting protections for workers regarding extreme heat.

• On Friday, the Oregon Medical Examiner’s office released the names, addresses and other information of 96 people who died during the late June 2021 heatwaves.

• Due to the drought, Minnesota beef operations are selling cattle they can no longer afford to feed, with 21 dairy farms in the state being sold in July.

• Drought and extreme heat has driven one California farm to re-drill 2 wells for water and reschedule onion harvesting for nighttime so farmworkers are not forced to cope during days that can reach 114 degrees.

• As of Friday, North Dakota’s wetland index was down 80%, which was the largest one-year percentage decline in 74 years of measurement.

• The town of Corcoran, California has begun sinking into the ground because farm operators have been pumping so much water from underground sources.

• After the second warmest June on record, central Oregon’s glaciers could see a rapid snowmelt that will affect the ability of reservoirs to fill and lower river levels.

• Red tide conditions around Tampa Bay and beaches in Pinellas County have improved as of Saturday, but officials remain concerned with summer still warming waters.

• Blue-green algae that may have resulted from heat, rain, and run-off has closed Jamaica Pond in Boston, Massachusetts.

• Public sunscreen dispensers may help combat the rise in melanoma that may be partially caused by extreme heat driving people to spend more time outdoors.

• The Texas grid operator expects a peak in demand this week due to another heatwave that is expected for the state.

• Ann Arbor, Michigan city officials have been discussing a $20 million investment with a utility company in order to meet the city’s carbon-neutrality goals and increase reliable electricity in various city wards.

Wildfires

• There are currently 108 large wildfires that have burned 2,325,263 acres across AZ, CA, CO, ID, MN, MT, NE, NM, NV, SD, UT, WA, and WY.

• 6 new large fires were reported across Montana and Washington and 4 large fires were reported contained on Thursday.

• In California, 6 of the state’s 7 largest wildfires in its history burned in the past year.

• Schoolchildren returning to the classroom also face wildfire threats in states like California.

• In California, The Dixie Fire burned 489,287 acres and was 21% contained as of Monday. The Dixie Fire is now the largest fire in California’s history. As of Monday morning, almost 2 dozen people have been reported missing during the Dixie Fire. California utility provider PG&E has been ordered to explain its role in possibly igniting the Dixie Fire.

• Two new fires sparked in Montana on Sunday – the Richard Spring burned 2,500 acres and was 0% contained and the Trout Creek Fire burned 2,000 acres and was 0% contained. Three fires were contained – The Bradshaw Fire burned 833 acres, the Sharp Trail Fire burned 509 acres, and the Taylor Fire burned 22,909 acres.

• Four new fires sparked in Washington on Sunday – the Chickadee Creek Fire burned 490 acres and was 0% contained, the Muckamuck Fire burned 117 acres and was 20% contained, the Spur Fire burned 1,935 acres and was 0% contained, and the Upper Lime Creek fire burned 175 acres and was 0% contained.

• One new fire was contained in Wyoming on Sunday – the Shale Creek burned 189 acres.

Hurricanes

• Two disturbances that could become tropical depressions or storms in the next 5 days could affect the Caribbean.

  • One disturbance of low pressure located several hundred miles east of the Windward Islands continues to produce disorganized showers and thunderstorms as of Monday morning.

    • Conditions are forecast for the disturbance to have some gradual development over the next few days to become a tropical depression

    • The system is moving west-northwestward at 10 to 15 mph as of Monday morning and is forecast to reach portions of the Lesser Antilles late Monday, and then move near the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico on Tuesday, and near Hispaniola around the middle of this week.

    • There is a 40% chance it could develop in the next 48 hours and a 50% percent chance it could develop in the next 5 days.

  • One disturbance of low pressure located over the tropical Atlantic about midway between the Cabo Verde Islands and the Lesser Antilles as of Monday morning.

    • This system could become a tropical depression sometime this week as it moves toward the west-southwest or west at around 10 mph.

    • There is a 30% chance it could develop in the next 48 hours and a 40% percent chance it could develop in the next 5 days.

Climate Studies