Last summer I was in Cottage Grove, Oregon buying gas as I traveled toward Mt. Rainier National Park, Vancouver, Canada, Whistler and Victoria. My wife and I and daughter really enjoy Canada the last few years during the summer.
I spoke with the Gas station attendant since there is no self serve in Oregon(something to remember if you travel there by car). He said that the droughts had reached up as far as Portland, Oregon. I could tell because there were fires as far north as Eugene, Oregon and beyond.
This year in Northern California where I live though we thought we would wash or blow away from all the wind in January and February along the coast, there was little if any significant rain after the beginning of March. This is very unusual(in the last 100 years) because we usually get significant rains into March, April or May and sometimes even in June. So, as a result of this historic lack of rain in March through June and incredible rains in January and February we have incredible fires here this early in June. Lightning this early in June is also very strange because where I live at least lightning is usually(if it comes at all) in August and September and maybe October. However, for most of the Northern California area there is significant lightning in July and August, especially in the Sacramento Valley and in the Sierras and Cascade mountain areas. So more lightning fires even if small are basically inevitable during those later summer storms. I suppose we could see some of the most remote and inaccessible fires now still burning when that occurs then as long as no legal structures are in jeapordy.
However, I think because of the melting northern Ice Cap, we should all prepare for the droughts on the west coast to slowly move northward and eventually all the way up into Canada. Desalinization anyone?
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