http://inlandnorthwestweather.blogspot.com/2021/06/we-are-forecasting-hottest-day-ever-in.html

Inland Northwest Weather Blog

A discussion of weather and climate of the Inland Northwest.

Wednesday, June 23, 2021

We are forecasting the hottest day ever in Spokane history

 A heat wave like no other is becoming increasingly likely.  Prepare NOW!

The biggest heat wave to ever strike the Inland NW on record is becoming increasingly likely.  What makes this event unique?

• All time record high temperatures are in jeopardy for several locations
  • And this is during June (our peak heat season is late July through early August)
• 100+ degree temps will last for several days
• Mild overnight lows in the mid 60s to upper 70s will provide little to no relief at night
• Occurring during a period of severe to extreme drought
• Fire danger increasing to record levels next week and as we near the 4th of July (for this early in the season)

The Climate Prediction Center’s latest Risk of Hazardous Temperatures product shows our region in a high risk of Excessive Heat through next Friday, July 2nd.  Don’t be surprised by future outlooks extending this out further.

What is going to cause the excessive heat?  A very strong ridge of high pressure (record setting for late June by some model solutions).  Here is one ensemble solution showing the strong ridge centered right on top of us on Sunday.

Strong high pressure in late June spells trouble!  Why?  The lower atmosphere continues to warm as the ridge persists over the region as the late June sun angle brings an abundance of solar radiation towards the Earth’s surface which continues to warm things up each day.  Here is one model prediction of near surface temperature anomalies from this Thursday through the following week (June 24-July 3rd).  

Note the large area of warmth that persists into early July over the northwest US and southwest Canada.
So it looks like this heat wave will be around for awhile, but how hot will it get?  Our current forecast is calling for all time records to be threatened beginning Monday.

And if we don’t break the all time records on Monday, we will probably have another shot on Tuesday and Wednesday!  Here is our current forecast as of June 23rd for Tuesday.

It is worth noting that a few models (especially the GFS) want to take the heat up another notch, suggesting temps near or above 110F for Spokane and near 120F for Moses Lake.
Spokane

Moses Lake

While these values are not currently forecast, it does have our attention.  The record for the state of Washington and Idaho is 118 degrees at Ice Harbor Dam, WA and Orofino, ID so we will be watching for this potential closely.
What other impacts are expected?  As mentioned in a previous blog post, here, our region is currently experiencing severe to extreme drought over much of Eastern Washington into the Idaho Panhandle.  The unprecedented heat is not good news for the region.  Wheat and hay crops are already starving for soil moisture, and this upcoming heat will only make the soils drier than they currently are.

And what about fire danger?  Fuel moisture is expected to dry out considerably, reaching record low values for late June.  Fuel moisture comes in different sizes, but all are measures of how dry the grass, twigs, branches, and timber are.  
Forecast 100 hour (branch size) dead fuel moistures based off model data from the NWCC (Northwest Interagency Coordination Center) are shown below.  Red is observed, while blue is the forecast.   The bottom gray line is the minimum value on record.  The plot below is for NE Washington but the same idea applies to other areas of Central and Eastern Washington into the ID Panhandle.  As you can see the red line has dipped near the minimum value several times since mid-May (likely due to the drought).  The blue forecast line is expected to drop fuel moisture to record lows for this time of year.

Safety tipsSo what can you do to stay safe during this heat wave?  Here are some suggestions

• Drink plenty of fluids and wear light colored clothes
• Check on and take care of those vulnerable to heat (children, those with chronic medical conditions, elderly, pets)
• Stay inside during the hottest times of the day (afternoon and early evening)

https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/groups-file-legal-notice-over-montana-wolf-trappings-threat-to-grizzlies-lynx-2021-06-23/

For Immediate Release, June 23, 2021

New Montana Trapping Policies Could Cause Collateral Damage to Threatened Animals

BOZEMAN, Mont.— Citing the risk to other imperiled animals, Earthjustice sent a notice of intent to sue the state of Montana today for implementing new laws permitting snaring of wolves and expanding trapping seasons to reduce the wolf population.

These new laws increase the likelihood that grizzly bears and Canada lynx, both federally protected under the Endangered Species Act, may be injured or killed by snares and other traps set for wolves.

Earthjustice sent the notice on behalf of the Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the Clearwater, Humane Society of the United States, International Wildlife Coexistence Network, Sierra Club, Western Watersheds Project, Wilderness Watch, and Wolves of the Rockies.

“The Montana legislature and governor’s policies on wolf management are not about hunting, they are state-sponsored eradication the likes of which we haven’t seen since the 19th century,” said Ben Scrimshaw, Earthjustice attorney. “Traps and snares frequently capture, injure, and kill non-target animals, and to increase this activity in known grizzly and lynx habitat is going to result in a lot of dead federally protected wildlife.”

“Montana’s expansion of strangulation snares and other traps is an appalling attack on the wolf population, but many other imperiled animals will also die,” said Andrea Zacccardi, a senior attorney at the Center. “These unscientific and aggressive laws threaten to kill various native wildlife, including federally protected grizzly bears and Canada lynx.”

“The cruelty of strangling neck snares and steel-jawed leghold traps has no place in the twenty-first century,” said Nichols Arrivo, an attorney for the Humane Society of the United States. “These barbaric and indiscriminate devices will inevitably turn dogs, grizzly bears and Canada lynx into casualties of Montana’s egregious war on wolves.”

“Montana’s unwarranted, extreme new laws aimed at annihilating the wolf population are a sharp departure from the state’s historically more reasoned, science-based approach to wildlife management,” said Bonnie Rice, senior campaign representative for the Sierra Club. “The proliferation of strangling neck snares across Montana’s landscape will not only injure and kill countless wolves, but also threatened species including grizzly bears and lynx, as well as domestic pets.”

“Montana’s new anti-wildlife laws recall the anti-predator hysteria that led to the near extirpation of wolves from the lower 48 states in the early 1900s,” said Jocelyn Leroux, Washington and Montana director for Western Watersheds Project. “These laws completely ignore science and agency professionals, codify the use of cruel and senseless wolf extermination measures, and will catch countless federally protected grizzly bears and Canada lynx in the crosshairs.”

“Montana’s legislature has declared a war on wolves and other wildlife that imperils even our wildest places,” said George Nickas, executive director of Wilderness Watch. “Citizens don’t have to sit back and let it happen. This notice sends the message that we won’t.”

“It was clear to us 10 years ago the Montana state management of wolves was based on special interest and irrational hatred,” said Marc Cooke, president of Wolves of the Rockies. “The time is now to protect Montana wolves from commercialization and state management for future generations.”

Background

Approved in May, Montana’s Senate Bill 314 could lead to the slaughter of more than 85% of the state’s wolves. The law pushes the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission to authorize hunters and trappers to kill an unlimited number of wolves through baiting, trapping and night hunts using night-vision scopes and spotlighting.

In addition, Montana House Bill 224 allows trapping-license holders to snare multiple wolves during the state’s trapping seasons, while House Bill 225 expands the wolf-trapping season by four weeks, threatening grizzly bears in their non-denning season. Costs that wolf hunters and trappers incur during this prolonged season can be reimbursed under Senate Bill 267’s bounty program.

Montana has 60 days to respond to the notice.