Wildfire season across the western U.S. is no longer confined to a few summer months. It’s stretching longer and growing more intense as rising temperatures, prolonged drought and earlier snowmelt dry out the landscape. Experts warn that with heat, wind and highly flammable vegetation aligning more often, even a single spark can quickly explode into a fast-moving, hard-to-control blaze.
Despite what’s climatologically normal, there are no severe storms in the forecast this week until the weekend. Meteorologist Sara Tonks explains what is going on and why an upper-level ridge has everything to do with it.
Fire crews in southern Florida are battling a growing wildfire in the Everglades. The blaze has grown to over 8 square miles. That’s the size of more than 4,000 football fields. It remains just 30% contained.