Trip planning and weather/fires

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Calson

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I have had two trips shortened due to wildfires along my planned route in the past 3 years and came very close to having to contend with wildfires that have started in the past week along the route my wife and I took through northern California and eastern Oregon late in June. The area north of Jackson Hole is also experiencing another wildfire and roads are closed and being outside and breathing in the smoke particulates is a health hazard.

I used to plan around the rainy season at locations but now need to consider wildfires and high temperatures. Many areas that one does not think of as being particularly hot are experiencing daytime temperatures above 100 degrees and night temperatures that stay above 80 degrees. Being out in the sun taking pictures can be hazardous with people dying from heat stroke. It a person's body core temperature goes above 100 degrees they need to find a way to cool their body down quickly or risk heat stroke and death. Even at higher elevations one is not necessarily safe as we see with the current temperatures in Reno Nevada where there is an excessive heat warning in effect for the next 4 days.

Ordinarily going to Arizona during the peak in hummingbird populations in August one would only worry about flash floods from the monsoon storms. With the current climate I doubt I will be making trips to such locations during the summer months.
 
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Palouse said:
What is new is they start earlier, last longer, burn hotter, and are in places that haven't historically burned. And they are moving into the wildland-urban interface.. Beside, 10 yers is not a long time to base a claim of "nothing new" on.
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I only started paying attention to it a decade ago. I wouldn't be shocked to find reports of fires going back at least 50 years in places.
 
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I think all we can do is all we can do. Scheduling your trip for different seasons is fine with resident species that will be there all year round, it's tougher with migratory species. On my recent trip to Senegal, the tour was shifted from February to March to avoid the worst of the heat, but we still had to get there early enough to see the Scissortail Kites before they all migrated from their roost. Which meant early March. And it turned out the heat was not really "over." We had days where temperatures reached 108 degrees Fahrenheit. You have to make good plans for the conditions you'll face-- air conditioned vehicle, lots of water, and since it was low humidity that just wicks the moisture out of you before you know it, CARRY your water even if you think you're only hiking for a few minutes. You watch the weather report, have the right gear, be flexible if you need to make changes to your itinerary.
 
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My June trip this year was unseasonably COLD - think low 40°s. But I had packed using the "layers" approach and was ready for whatever nature offered up. Same situation on our spring trip in 2019. Spring was about 3 weeks late......
 
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bleirer said:
We will have to walk a tightrope to keep this one away from politic
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Butlerkid said:
My June trip this year was unseasonably COLD - think low 40°s. But I had packed using the "layers" approach and was ready for whatever nature offered up. Same situation on our spring trip in 2019. Spring was about 3 weeks late......
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Global average temperature over a decade or more is what is relevant.
 
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I have lived in the Pacific Northwest since the 1970's and have witnessed changes in climate over those years.

I know Karen's visit was to the Pacific Northwest and I agree with her that spring was unusually late this year. While the rest of you were sweltering in 100 degree heat we had trouble breaking 70 degrees and it got a lot colder at night.

All that has since changed. The heat has finally reached us.

Seattle historically has been a place where air conditioning is not needed Summer temperatures rarely exceeded the 80's and it usually always gets down to a comfortable 60's at night. We never saw temperatures above 100.

Not so anymore. Recently we have seen temperatures as high as 112 right in the city and when that is going on it does not cool down very well at night. We are already into the high 90's and our summer usually does not get going fully until August.

Moreover, with the increased heat forest fires have been a major issue in the drier areas of the countryside. This includes the interior of British Columbia as well as eastern Washington, Oregon and northern California. Things have gotten so bad that regional clouds of smoke form and get trapped in western Washington, with severe air quailty warnings. When that happens we don't go outside.

I don't care what anyone believes, the world is a lot hotter these days.
 
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