2018 Fire and Smoke Impact Reports

Questions and reports related to Sierra Nevada current and forecast conditions, as well as general precautions and safety information. Trail conditions, fire/smoke reports, mosquito reports, weather and snow conditions, stream crossing information, and more.
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maverick
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Ferguson Fire Evacuations 7/16

Post by maverick »

USFS:
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limpingcrab
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Re: 2018 Fire and Smoke Impact Reports

Post by limpingcrab »

Anyone know if smoke from the the Ferguson Fire is effecting Florence/Edison area? Having a boys camping trip with the brothers/nephews/kids out there this weekend and then hoping to to Goddard with the wife the following week while you guys are having the meetup.

Thanks

Edit to add: any webcams that show that area? Closest I know if is China Peak but the view is blocked by Kaiser Ridge.
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maverick
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Re: 2018 Fire and Smoke Impact Reports

Post by maverick »

Look for yourself, today's smoke impact to the east and south is bad :( , of course this changes hrly/daily with the wind conditions:
https://tools.airfire.org/websky/v1/run ... 00/#viewer

PS http://www.sierracamnetwork.com/
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I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
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Re: 2018 Fire and Smoke Impact Reports

Post by limpingcrab »

Oh, cool, thanks. That’s a much better smoke viewing map than what I was using.

Also, bummer
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Re: 2018 Fire and Smoke Impact Reports

Post by SSSdave »

Today's July 17 EOSDIS satellite image shows a huge area of smoke across the Central Sierra and pulled into eastern areas of the Central Valley. The area burning about the South Fork of the Merced above Hite Cove is very rugged often steep without paved roads and a huge like area to expand into so may burn a long time. It puts in peril many of we backpacker summer trip plans. I was set to go up to Carson Pass but its smoky all the way north into Tahoe. Very likely human caused as the northern burn edge is right at highway SR141. If we get really lucky the monsoon flow due over the range in a couple days could help douse it. However such storms rarely move too far west of the crest.
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Re: 2018 Fire and Smoke Impact Reports

Post by maverick »

If we get really lucky the monsoon flow due over the range in a couple days could help douse it.
Or the lightning could start a new one.
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Re: 2018 Fire and Smoke Impact Reports

Post by SSSdave »

Now a morning later today's EOSDIS July 18 capture is even worse with more smoke finding its way west south along the eastern side of the San Joaquin Valley. And then during day hours, that smoke is moving up west side Sierra Nevada river canyons as the valley air expands. Forecast shows a common summer pattern of fog along the coast with heavier air than the hot air in the valley. That pressure difference due to atmosphere weight drives a strong surface level wind each afternoon from the coast through the gap of San Francisco Bay waters into the valley through the Delta that then moves both north and south. And that south flow is pulling that smoke south well beyond Fresno. To the north same thing with smoke moving way up into our mountains as far as Lake Almanor that could get worse each day. This could obviously impact maverick's approaching Mono group trip as well as my own Humphrey's Basin trip a week later. I might still get a couple days in up Rock Creek this week if the monsoon flow moves in as forecast as that tends to at least temporarily clear the atmosphere up east of the crest.

To understand how wind is pushing around the smoke look at this site and use the controls at page right to change the elevations as wind varies with altitude.

https://www.windy.com/?800h,37.462,-121.185,7
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maverick
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Ferguson Fire 7/18 Update

Post by maverick »

Over 13,000 acres and only 5% containment, would highly advise those who have plans to backpack in Yosemite and surrounding areas for the next couple of weeks, to think about reconsidering and going later on the year.

USFS:
Today Firefighters continued to focus on structure protection in the areas around El Portal, Yosemite West, and Jerseydale/Mariposa Pines. They successfully kept the fire on the South side of the Merced River and Highway 140. The fire grew primarily to the South and East, with the majority of the growth occurring in the late afternoon as the inversion lifted. The fire continues to back down Ferguson Ridge, into the Sweetwater Creek drainage, and behind Cedar Lodge. Crews are working 24 hours a day to scout and build firelines in places with the greatest probability of success.

With a high-pressure system firmly in place over the West, smoke dispersal was minimal, hampering firefighting aircraft until late afternoon. Hot, dry conditions and steep terrain will continue to challenge firefighters. Currently no structures have been reported damaged or destroyed in the Ferguson Fire.

Power has been interrupted to residences and businesses along the El Portal area and Yosemite West area.
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I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
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Re: 2018 Fire and Smoke Impact Reports

Post by Syrio »

Would you consider the North Lake South Lake loop to be in the risk area? Supposed to go next week.
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TahoeJeff
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Re: 2018 Fire and Smoke Impact Reports

Post by TahoeJeff »

Tahoe basin so socked in today you can't see from one side of the lake to the other. And Deso looks even worse...
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