New Utah Hazard Planning Tool Examines Past, Present, and Future Natural Hazards in the American West, Including Avalanches Western Water Assessment (WWA), a NOAA RISA team, has just released the Utah Hazard Planning Tool, which provides resources about the historical incidence, current risk, and future projections of natural hazards in Utah and the West as a whole. The resource provides links to online tools and data, and brief descriptions of the information and how to access it. The […] Industry News SnowBrains | June 27, 2022 1 Comment
4 Intuitive Ways to Construct and Prepare for Wildfires Article by Rachel Perez Wildfires are some of the most destructive forces of nature. Over the past few decades, unfortunately, wildfires have become more common and more consuming. In the past 15 years alone, nearly 90,000 structures were burned by wildfires. When building in wildfire-prone areas, preparation and foresight will help prevent even more structures from succumbing to the flames. […] Fire Guest Author | April 25, 2022 1 Comment
NOAA: Extreme Heat, Ongoing Drought and Wildfires Plague Much of the Western Contiguous U.S. During July The July 2021 contiguous U.S. temperature was 75.5°F, 1.9°F above the 20th-century average, tying with 1954 and 2003 for 13th warmest in the 127-year record. For the year-to-date, the national temperature was 53.0°F, 1.8°F above average, ranking 14th warmest on record. The July precipitation total for the contiguous U.S. was 3.36 inches, 0.58 inches above average, and sixth-wettest in the […] WeatherBrains | August 11, 2021 1 Comment
83 Large Wildfires Have Burned 1,366,587 Acres Across Western US Wildfire activity continues in 13 states where 83 large wildfires have burned 1,366,587 acres, reports the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC). Almost 22,000 wildland firefighters and support personnel are assigned to incidents. To date, 36,172 wildfires have burned 2,697,108 acres in the United States. Related: Brain Post: Burn Scars – How Wildfires Can Cause Dangerous Flash Flooding The National Preparedness Level remains […] Fire Firebrains | July 20, 2021 1 Comment
Utah Governor Asking All Citizens to Pray For Rain This Weekend to End Drought Amid dangerous drought conditions, we’re inviting all Utahns — regardless of religious affiliation — to join us this weekend in collective and humble prayer for rain. Read more: https://t.co/uJzFARl7BI pic.twitter.com/HS755aXEy3 — Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox (@GovCox) June 3, 2021 The drought situation in Utah is bad right now––really bad. 97.9% of the state is in severe drought. Governor Spencer Cox […] SnowBrains | June 4, 2021 1 Comment
As Wildfires Intensify New Smoke Forecasting Models Are Needed New smoke forecasting models are being developed in response to wildfires intensifying across the western United States. The NOAA Smoke Forecasting System is good for predicting smoke movement across the US, however not as effective on a smaller scale. Related: The Intensity of California’s Wildfires is Causing Rare Volcanic Clouds Climate change is driving the intensification of wildfires worldwide. Increased […] Fire Alex Camerino | September 12, 2020 0 Comments
Hurricane Force Winds Toppled Semi Trucks in Utah On Tuesday, September 8th a cold front pushed into Utah and much of the west bringing hurricane-force winds that toppled Semi Trucks. The Utah Highway Patrol reported a record 45 overturned trucks in the greater Salt Lake area. There were multiple road closures stretching from Salt Lake City to the Idaho border. “If you’re stuck in traffic, do not exit […] Alex Camerino | September 12, 2020 0 Comments
Almost 50 Large Wildfires Are Burning Almost 600k Acres Across the US | Alaska Worst Affected There are currently nearly fifty large wildfires blazing across twelve US states right now. Wildfires in Alaska are the top priority, where the McKinley Fire has spread to more than 4,300 acres destroying at least 80 structures so far, and with approximately 250 people battling the blaze. According to the National Interagency Fire Center Alaska is battling eight wildfires; Texas 7; […] Fire Firebrains | August 22, 2019 0 Comments