It must be summer!

[MarkBC]

At over half a million acres, over 800 square miles, the Long Draw fire is now the largest wildfire in Oregon history (since the mid-1800s, anyway).
Not the kind of record anyone wants to see set.

(As bad as this is, this new record probably should have an asterisk with it, since the Long Draw fire is burning grass and brush -- not timber. The previous largest -- the Biscuit Fire of 2002 -- covered about 780 square miles of forest in the Siskiyou N.F. of southern Oregon.)

 

[MarkBC]

FIRE AND FLOOD?!?

For Central Oregon today the National Weather Service has issued both a Flash Flood Watch and a Fire Weather Warning -- for the same time in the same area.

Sounds like we're double-doomed!
(locusts and frogs next...?)

Flash Flood Watch
Statement as of 6:30 AM PDT on July 16, 2012
The Flash Flood Watch is now in effect for
* a portion of central Oregon... including the following area...
east slopes of the Oregon Cascades....
....Be prepared for flooding along creeks and streams as well as
mudslides in steep terrain. Some of the thunderstorms will
develop at night when it will be harder to recognize flooding.

Fire Weather Warning
Statement as of 5:18 AM PDT on July 16, 2012
... Red flag warning remains in effect from 11 am this morning to
9 am PDT Thursday for thunderstorms producing abundant lightning
across fire weather zones...
fire weather zone 610 east slopes
of central Oregon Cascades...

Yeah...it's really not as paradoxical as I make out -- they're both caused by thunderstorms....but it sounds weird to me.

 

[MarkBC]

Dry, dry, dry in the Sierras: Yosemite Falls is down to a whisp of a trickle...




Yosemite Webcams

 

[Smokecreek1]

No fun anymore, it's to dry; alas, then why is it overcast and acting like rain here, we went from the high 80's to 70's or so over night. I was waring cut-offs, now I'm waring my jeans. Oh, the wind is still blowing harder than usual, and they have wind warnings for Eagle Lake! Yet yesterday, the nightly news was talking drought in half of the US, what a messed up year this is and I'm almost afraid to drive intro the back country-with all the fires and red flag warnings. Anyway, in two-three days it's supposed to be back in the 90's again. I'm gone somewhere real soon, that's all I know!

Smoke

 

[ski3pin]

<snip> I'm gone somewhere real soon, that's all I know!

Smoke


Answer the call Smoke, answer the call!

 

[MarkBC]

This just-now satellite image shows why, if you live in the Pacific Northwest and gardening isn't your main hobby, you may prefer the east side of the Cascades.
A very common clouds/clear situation round these parts...

 

[Smokecreek1]

Yep, it's a strange summer!

Well, despite the high winds, above average heat, red flag warnings and T-storms, etc., The truck is loaded, and I'm heading out somewhere close on Monday, for maybe a week! Me thinks, I'll head to Eagle Lake first and if the blowing sands are bearable, could stay for a tad-need water for the dog. Thinking about checking out Ash Creek Prim FS CG near Aden, fly fishing is usually good there, but I understand there are on-going bear alerts in that country (like the deer, many of them came back from the high country early) but it's supposed to have more snow than here-i hope, hope! That fails, head to the Warner's like every one else around here! I had thought about going to one of the many dispersed BLM/FS CG's around here, but the above conditions have me worried that I'll start my own wild fire. Maybe I'll see wolf Or-7! It must be summer!

wish me good hunting!

Smoke

 

[MarkBC]

Another lovely morning on the west side of the Cascades...

Where "the West is best!" motto breaks down...

 

[ski3pin]

Another lovely morning on the west side of the Cascades... <snip>


Hope DirtyDog is staying warm........................

 

[MarkBC]

Hope DirtyDog is staying warm........................

Oh, it's never really cold in western Oregon -- just gray and damp.

That's why the Pacific Northwest has such a vibrant coffee culture and craft beer/brew-pub culture: A lot of time is spent indoors -- on the west side, that is. In central Oregon, brew pubs have outside decks.

 

[Ted]

I'm betting DD is doing all of the above - drinking brew and managing to stay warm indoors.

 

[ski3pin]

It must be summer.........................outdoor grilling season is here - garlic rosemary lemon chicken.

 

[MarkBC]

A new high temperature for the year - outside my house - today: 97°.
Yeah, I know: compared to many - maybe most - places, that's a pretty wimpy high...but when you don't have air-conditioning...
The hottest spot in my house (with summer sun) is the WSW corner, and that's also where my desktop computer sits...and another computer that runs as a server. Right now the thermometer on my computer desk is reading 93°. Maybe I should shut down the computer...but that seems kinda drastic - and cruel.

 

[ski3pin]

Last Sunday was a record for here on our outside thermometer, 95°. Previously the hottest I'd seen it was 92°. Today was a high of 91° with a low of 69°. Gadgets are fun. Current temp is 73°. Lowest I've ever seen it here is 5°.

 

[MarkBC]

Last Sunday was a record for here on our outside thermometer, 95°. Previously the hottest I'd seen it was 92°. Today was a high of 91° with a low of 69°. Gadgets are fun. Current temp is 73°. Lowest I've ever seen it here is 5°.

Ski, for how long have you been watching/recording temps at your place?

I looked over the years that I have an electronic record, back to 2008. It looks like 2009 was the year of extremes here. The high was 105° on August 1, and the low was -12° on December 8, and those are the high and low for the past 5 years.

I'd say that we usually experience an annual 100-degree (F) temperature range in Bend...sometimes more.

 

[ski3pin]

About 6 years or so.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

I'll have to add my 2$ opinion.Here on the coast we start out at 55ish some fog that about late morning we start to get sun all the way up to about 70ish.It's tough here dealing with all these temps,but someone has to do it. Mark I'll sent you some fog or may be a picture that may help you to cool off.
I see where it's one of those HOT times from Seattle down to Medford,yuck.
Frank

 

[MarkBC]

Very different weather today!
It's been darkly-cloudy all day -- like a regular storm-front day, not thunderclouds, and the high so far is just 73°.

Yesterday I bought a portable (free-standing) air conditioner...so I guess today's cool-and-dark weather -- no need for the new air conditioner -- is just the gods mocking me!

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Very different weather today!
It's been darkly-cloudy all day -- like a regular storm-front day, not thunderclouds, and the high so far is just 73°.

Yesterday I bought a portable (free-standing) air conditioner...so I guess today's cool-and-dark weather -- no need for the new air conditioner -- is just the gods mocking me!

View attachment 14974

Yeh we are getting some high clouds,frontal type,even a few sprinkles this morning.
Yeh Mark the gods will get you every time.
Have a good one,enjoy the cool.
Frank

 

[ski3pin]

Clouds and a little rain this morning. Currently it is 84°, around what we're used to. Lion woke us up again this morning. Local dogs sure have been quiet.