Southern California lightning

lightning Jeff Zimmerman

(Originally published at 1:33 p.m. MDT September 11, 2017)

Jeff Zimmerman took these photos September 10 and sent them to us today. Here is how he described the event.

From the deserts to the sea, a wonderful display of lightning. Off the coast near Avalon where hundreds of strikes were recorded with numerous strikes all the way to Tehachapi Mountains. Tejon Ranch and Highway 58 area was bathed in lightning too. A new fire was reported on the Los Padres National Forest, lightning strike near Chuchapate (Sawmill). Possibly a few more isolated storms today, followed by gusty NW winds later this week. The first Santa Ana may set up when snow comes to Montana and offshore flow begins later this week bringing critical fire weather with it. Attached are a few shots from the desert in Neenach, CA (map).

lightning Jeff Zimmerman

lightning Jeff Zimmerman

Thanks Jeff!

New lightning fires in Shasta-Trinity NF burn 19,000 acres

(UPDATE at 9 a.m. PT, July 2, 2015)

Map showing heat detected by a satellite on fires west of Redding, CA, at 2:44 a.m. August 2, 2015.
Map showing heat detected by a satellite on fires west of Redding, CA, at 2:44 a.m. August 2, 2015.

The management of the new lightning-caused wildfires detected in the last 48 hours between Redding and Eureka, California has been organized into at least three “complexes” of fires. Above is a recent map showing heat detected in the area by a satellite at 2:44 a.m., August 2, 2015.

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(Originally published at 9:31 am PT, August 1, 2015)

Map of Shasta-T lightning fires
Map of Shasta-Trinity NF lightning fires at 8 p.m. PT July 31, 2015. (click to enlarge)

An infrared mapping flight over the Shasta-Trinity National Forest Friday night west of Redding, California detected numerous fires that together have burned 19,000 acres over the last 48 hours. The Shasta-Trinity clearly has a massive wildfire situation on their hands. These lightning-caused fires have grown significantly in the last 36 hours.

The area is under a Red Flag Warning for “abundant lighting” Saturday afternoon. Wetting rain is not expected to accompany the lighting.

More information about these fires is HERE.

Lightning map, July 2, 2015

Lightning map July 2, 2015

The map, produced by Predictive Services at the National Interagency Fire Center, shows the location of lighting that was detected during the 24 hours ending at 6 a.m. MT, July 2, 2015.

Abundant lightning in California, Utah, and Nevada

Lightning has been hammering parts of California, Utah, Idaho, Arizona, Wyoming, and Nevada during the last two days, especially on Tuesday and Tuesday night. The maps below show the strikes that were detected as well as the approximate amount of precipitation that came along with the storms. The black areas indicate no rain, while red means there was less than 0.08 inch.

The first map is for the 24 hour period that ended at 6 a.m. MT on June 30. The second is for the 24 hour period that ended at 6 a.m. MT on July 1.

lightning map
Lightning, 24 hrs ending at 6 a.m. June 30, 2015.
lightning map
Lightning 24 hrs. ending at 6 a.m. MT July 1, 2015.

The data is from Predictive Services at the National Interagency Fire Center.

Red Flag Warnings and past 24-hour lightning, June 28, 2015

24-hour lightning by PSA
24-hour lightning by Predictive Service Area (PSA). Map obtained at 7 a.m. MT, June 28, 2015. (click to enlarge)

This map product, on the National Interagency Fire Center’s web site, is new to me. It is interactive, in that you can toggle on or off many different layers for weather and fuel conditions that affect wildland fire, including lightning, fuel moisture, fire danger, observed precipitation, forecast precipitation, Red Flag Warnings, and current weather conditions. Some of the layers don’t seem to be active, but maybe it is a work in progress.

The map above shows lightning over the last 24 hours by PSA. And yes, I had to research what “PSA” is. Apparently it stands for Predictive Service Area: “geographic areas of similar climate based on statistical correlation of RAWS data”. Unfortunately the lightning map does not include the date and time the data was current. And there is no explanation for the numbers that correspond to the colors, but I assume it is the number of lightning strikes.

The user interface for the site is a little cumbersome and at times non-intuitive, but after you figure it out it can be quite interesting.

Another product from the site is below — Red Flag Warnings for June 28, 2015.

wildfireRed Flag Warnings, June 28, 2015
Red Flag Warnings, June 28, 2015.

Lightning and high temperatures produce Red Flag Warnings

WildfireRed Flag Warnings, June 27, 2015

Forecasts for high temperatures and lightning with little or no rain on Saturday have resulted in Red Flag Warnings for areas in Oregon, Washington, California, and Nevada.

As shown in the map below, central Oregon received numerous lightning strikes during the 24-hour period ending at 6 a.m. MT, today June 27, 2015.

lightning map
Lightning, 24-hour period ending at 6 a.m. June 27, 2015. NIFC.

As of about 9 a.m. on Saturday, Central Oregon Fire reported 17 lightning fires had been discovered. The largest two were near Brothers, OR in grass or shrub; one was 200 acres and the other was 50 acres. The rest are small.