It’s a special game we play all summer long here in Northern California called ‘Where is this smoke coming from?’ and this year the game started early with unseasonably warm temperatures and a valley full of smoke making it feel more like late August than mid-April.
So where is the smoke coming from? The National Weather Service says that the soupy atmosphere is caused by fires in Siberia! Major fires and dust storms have pushed smoke into the upper atmosphere where it takes 3 to 7 days to cross the pacific and affect the west coast of the U.S.
Here is a great explanation of the air currents and the effect of the smoke – http://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2015/04/siberian-smoke-reaches-northwest.html.
Thunderstorm Pattern for Most of the WeekÂ
According to Chris Smallcomb, Warning Coordination Meteorologist for the NWS’s Reno Office, forecasters are expecting numerous afternoon and evening thunderstorms today along the Sierra, from here in Lassen south to Mammoth. For the most part the NWS expects limited coverage over western Nevada and the eastern California valleys today with Tuesday being the day to watch for more widespread afternoon and evening storms.
Wednesday and Thursday have a good chance of seeing numerous showers areawide but thunderstorm potential is more uncertain.
“Storm motions are predicted to be relatively slow,” says Smallcomb, “so some locally heavy downpours are possible.”
Lightning strikes could result in new fire starts in areas where vegetation is sufficiently dry. Gusty and erratic outflow winds 40-50 mph are likely near any storms that develop.
Today and Tuesday storms could become numerous enough to impact air routes over the Sierra.
For accurate, dependable and current weather information click on lassenweathernetwork.com 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
