WAVE EXPECTED IN THE COMINGDAYS HAS THE NORTHERN ROCKIESCOORDINATION CENTER CONCERNEDAS WE SIT ON THE CUSP OFWILDFIRE SEASO}{"WE’VE ALREADY HAD THREEHEATWAVES WHICH IS UNUSUAL FORTHIS TIME OF YEAR ANYWAY, THISTHIRD HEATWAVE IS DIFFERENTBECAUSE IT’S MORE PROLONGEDAND IT’S ALSO VERY EXTREME INTERMS OF MAGNITUDE.}{NORTHER ROCKIES COORDINATIONCENTER FIRE WEATHERMETEOROLOGIST, COLEEN HASKELL,DISCUSSES THE BIGGEST DRAWBACKOF THE SWELTERING EARLY SUMMERTEMPERATURE}{"THIS IS GOING TO BE DRYINGOUT EVEN OUR HIGHESTELEVATIONS WHERE TYPICALLY WEHAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A BUFFERAND WE BUY SOME TIME GOINGINTO FIRE SEASON, WE’REALREADY VERY DRY WITH OURHEAVIER FUELS WITH THE TIMBERSAND THE SLASH SO IT’S GOING TOELEVATE OUR FIRE DANGER OVERTHE NEXT WEEK TO TEN DAYS.}{IT’S ALREADY BEEN A BUSY FIRESEASON IN THE DESERTSOUTHWEST, AND HASKELL SAYSPART OF THEIR JOB NOW ISNAVIGATING MANAGING AWORKLOAD, WHILE SHARINGMANPOWER AND SUPPLIES WITH TENOTHER GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS, SOMEOF WHICH ARE PROJECTED TO HAVESEVERE FIRE SEASONS TOO}{"WHAT RIGHT NOW IS ALREADYLOOKING MORE LIKE LATE AUGUSTOR A RECORD AUGUST TYPECONDITION WE’RE TRYING TOMANAGE THOSE EXPECTATIONS INTERMS OF OUR WORKLOAD.}{THE COMBINATION OF DRIER THANAVERAGE CONDITIONS IN RECENTMONTHS, OUR PENDING HEATWAVE,AND LONG-RANGE FORECAST MODELSCONTINUING TO PROJECT HOTTERAND DRIER CONDITIONS THANNORMAL THIS SUMMER, HASKELLSAYS IT’S NOT UNREASONABLE TOTHINK WE MIGHT HAVE A IRESEASON SIMILAR TO OUR RECORDSETTING SUMMER OF 201}{"IT LOOKS SIMILAR IN TERMS OFWHAT’S ON THE GROUND TO 2017WITH THE DROUGHT.
THE ONSET OFTHAT WAS FOLLOWING A VERYSNOWY YEAR, A VERY WET SPRING,AND IT WAS A VERY SUDDEN ONSETOF THE DROUGHT.
THIS IS ALITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BUT WEARE SEEING SOMESIMILARITIES.}{HASKELL ADDS THAT MONSOONALMOISTURE WILL ALSO PLAY A ROLEIN THE 2021 WILDFIRE STORY ASWE’RE EXPECTING TO SEE MORETHAN IN THE TWO PREVIOUSYEARS, AND IN FACT, IT LOOKSLIKE WE’RE GOING TO SEE SOMEOF THAT CREEP INTO THE AREA INLATE THIS WEEK WHICH MEANS THELIKELIHOOD OF LIGHTNINGSTRIKES}{IN MISSOULA, RUSS THOMASMTNNEW}"STAY AHEAD OF MONTANAWILDFIRES ANYTIME AND ANYWHEREWITH FREE THE KRTV AND KXLHAPPS.
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A large percentage of western Montana already is in abnormally dry to drought conditions and the intense and prolonged heatwave has..