November 11, 2022
The Great Wildfire Mystery and The Latest (Dry) Forecast
There is an apparent contradiction regarding wildfires and climate in the western U.S. that few have talked about. Wildfire acreage has been low even though the summer has been warm and dry for most of the region.
This year was one of the most benign wildfire years in a long time for the entire West Coast. Plotting the wildfire acreage over California since 1987 (see below) shows that the 2022 acreage burned has been quite low, similar to the situation 30 years ago.
And the same has been true for Washington State (below, from 2002 to now). The wildfire acreage this year was very modest...similar to 20 years ago.
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2022/11/12/the-great-wildfire-mystery-and-the-latest-dry-forecast/