Northern California could face a fire-prone summer — here are the wild cards
A thin snowpack is making Northern California and the West vulnerable to major summer fires as forests dry quickly. Fire activity is expected to be above normal in June for the Bay Area, Sacramento Valley, northern Sierra foothills, parts of the North Coast and much of northeast California, according to a forecast released Friday by the National Interagency Fire Center. By July and August, the fire danger will expand to mountainous regions. … California got plenty of rain this winter. But the weather was warm, and not enough snow fell. California’s snowpack stood at just 21% of normal Friday, with less in the north and more to the south. That means drier vegetation at high elevations as summer kicks in.
Other water and wildfire news:
- AGU: News release: Western U.S. wildfires have gotten less frequent, though larger
- California Department of Water Resources: California’s snowpack remains low, at just 21 percent of average for May 1
- NPR: Trump administration falls behind on wildfire prevention with risky fire season ahead
- inewsource (San Diego): Flood or fire? A disaster at Lake Hodges is looming, residents warn
