WILDFIRES: Red Flag Warnings in 6 States

Dangerous wildfire conditions will exist across the South Plains today: NWS

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 5:05 AM CDT SUN APR 10 2011

URGENT: DANGEROUS WILDFIRE EPISODE EXPECTED TODAY

MORE THAN A DOZEN WILDFIRES BURNT THOUSANDS OF ACRES AND DESTROYED HOMES ACROSS PORTIONS OF WEST TEXAS AND SURROUNDING STATES YESTERDAY.

EARLY THIS MORNING, LARGE WILDFIRES CONTINUE TO BURN ON THE SOUTH PLAINS IN CROSBY, KENT,  AND KING COUNTIES. TODAY, AN INTENSE STORM SYSTEM WILL EJECT OVER THE PLAINS BRINGING VERY STRONG WESTERLY WINDS BETWEEN 30 AND 40 MPH WITH GUSTS NEAR 60 MPH. ALTHOUGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE COOLER THAN RECENT DAYS, RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL REMAIN CRITICALLY LOW BETWEEN 5 AND 15 PERCENT. THIS WEATHER WILL COMBINE WITH AN EXTREME AMBIENT FIRE DANGER IN GRASSES TO RESULT IN A DANGEROUS ENVIRONMENT FOR WIND-DRIVEN GRASSLAND WILDFIRES. IN ADDITION TO THE ONGOING FIRES, ADDITIONAL IGNITIONS ARE LIKELY TODAY GIVEN THAT WINDS WILL BE STRONG ENOUGH TO ARC OR DAMAGE ELECTRICAL LINES. DANGEROUS AND POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING FIRE WEATHER WILL EXIST ON THE SOUTH PLAINS TODAY. RESIDENTS ARE URGED TO EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION WHILE OUTDOORS. STRICTLY OBEY BURN BANS. AVOID ACTIVITIES THAT MAY PROMOTE OPEN FLAMES OR SPARKS. DO NOT THROW CIGARETTES ONTO THE GROUND OR OUT OF VEHICLES…AND KEEP VEHICLES ON DRIVING SURFACES AWAY FROM GRASS. MONITOR THE LATEST NEWS AND WEATHER INFORMATION, AND BE PREPARED TO ADHERE TO EVACUATION ORDERS FROM LOCAL OFFICIALS SHOULD WILDFIRE THREATEN YOUR AREA. IF YOU SMELL SMOKE OR SEE FIRE, .SEEK A SAFE LOCATION IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF THE FIRE IMMEDIATELY.

US Weather Hazard Map

Click image to enter NWS portal.

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK:

• FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL ARKANSAS, SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS, NORTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA, NORTHWEST LOUISIANA, SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA, EAST TEXAS AND NORTHEAST TEXAS.
• PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS, SOUTHWEST INDIANA, WESTERN KENTUCKY, AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI.
• FOR NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST WISCONSIN.

Click image to enlarge.

Related Weather News

• Results of Storm Damage Surveys from Severe Weather on April 4, 2011

Related Links

• Extreme Weather Conditions in the US Posted on April 9, 2011
• 2011 Disaster Calendar – APRIL

U.S. Climate: Warming Trend Continues

U.S. had above normal temperatures and precipitation in March: NOAA

March temperatures and precipitation in the contiguous United States averaged above normal, according to NOAA.

• The average temperature in March:  44.0ºF
• Long term average (1901-2000) temps: 42.6ºF

March precipitation, save for record dry in Texas and other areas in the south and southwest, was 0.22 inch above the long-term average.

January to  March

• Average Temps: Near-normal
• Average Precipitation: Below-normal

Source: NOAA. Click images to enlarge.

Saharan Sandstorm Kills a Dozen Motorists on German Highway

Sandstorm causes deadly multiple pile-up in NE Germany

A Saharan sandstorm blinded motorists causing  multiple pile-up on the Rostock-Berlin autobahn, leaving up to a dozen people dead and dozens more injured.

“This is the worst traffic accident the state of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania has ever seen,” a police spokeswoman said.

A truck carrying inflammable material  sparked multiple fires as it crashed into dozens of vehicles.

About 84 cars and three trucks were involved in the pile-up, with about 2 dozen vehicles set ablaze, a report said.

A sandstorm swept across the four-lane A19 highway near Rostock, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania state, NE Germany.  Image is a frame grab from a video report.

Map of Germany. Source: US Govt. Map enhanced by FIRE-EARTH

Saharan Sandstorm off Europe

Saharan sandstorm off the coast of Europe. Photo-like image acquired by MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite on April 8, 2011. Source: NASA-EO. Click image to enlarge.