Diamond Creek Fire

[Drip_Torch]

Looks like this fire, K51406, is going to become a thing here. Moved north quite a bit yesterday, about 3 kms, from what I can tell.

Here's the 411:

Date of Origin - Sunday July 23rd, 2017 approx. 09:45 AM
Cause - Human Caused
Location - Pasayten Wilderness, 27 miles NNW of Winthrop WA. (about 5 km from the border)
Percent of Perimeter Contained - 63%
Size - over 13244 hectares and growing

https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5409/

[JagXKR]

That's where the smoke, over Penticton right now, is coming from. I heard it was just on the other side of Cathedral Park. Now seeing the location and the SW winds aloft (above 9000 feet) I can see why we have so much dense smoke overhead. Red sun again.

[ferri]

Looking at a smoke map it looks like the smoke from California is going to Oregon then they both head to Washington to gather more. One of my daughters lives outside Eugene, Ore. and it's horrible there right now.

Click on Vertically Integrated Smoke on the left menu:

https://hwp-viz.gsd.esrl.noaa.gov/smoke/index.html#

[Drip_Torch]

Cool map! Answered my next question without even having to look into it.

I was wondering if either survey, or nena springs were going to put Diamond creek under the shadow of smoke, perhaps ameliorating conditions.

No such luck.

Diamond Creek appears to be a fuel condition driven fire.

Timber stands consist of a mix of Fire, Spruce, and Pine. Heavy dead and down fuels are very receptive to spotting due to critically dry fuel moistures. 1000 hour fuel moisture at First butte RAWS is 6% which is the record low for that RAWS.

I looked at that weather station yesterday, and it was reporting a fuel moisture content of 3.8%

[Frisk]

The smoke is really keeping the temperature down in Kelowna. Forecasted high is 35 degrees, I don't think we'll break 30.

[Glacier]

The smoke is really keeping the temperature down in Kelowna. Forecasted high is 35 degrees, I don't think we'll break 30.

It will definitely break 30 today. It was just a late start because it was a lot colder last night. I was looking to see if Lytton would hit 40 today since it hit 39.1 yesterday, and same thing, even though it's not cloudy there at all. Just sunny, but the cold nighttime temperature means we're all an hour or so behind yesterday (2 to 3 degrees of warming per hour this time of day). It might start warming up quicker after 3 today is what I'm thinking.

[Frisk]

Probably won't be 35 though?

[Glacier]

Probably won't be 35 though?

It probably will. Maybe 34.

Note that Lytton has risen 7 degrees in the past hour, and now sits at 38C.

As for Diamond Creek, it's burning at 7,000 ft above sea level, which is into the alpine. Some is lower around 5,000 ft.

[JagXKR]

Visual Satellite from 2pm (2100z). Shows smoke plume clearly from fire going NE to the Okanagan. Another one further south but it dissipates a lot before reaching the border.

http://weather.gc.ca/data/satellite/goe ... le_100.jpg

[Drip_Torch]

Probably won't be 35 though?

...As for Diamond Creek, it's burning at 7,000 ft above sea level, which is into the alpine. Some is lower around 5,000 ft.

I was thinking along those lines yesterday, but MODIS indicates it remained quite active through the night. The colour of the plume and the ash landing on the hood of my truck, suggests it's still finding fuel up there somewhere. I'm not certain, but it looks like if it finds its way into the Pevee drainage, or Dean creek, it could be a thing for a while.

Oh check that, modis just updated, it appears to be in Dean creek - that would explain why it's getting darker.

[Frisk]

The smoke is really keeping the temperature down in Kelowna. Forecasted high is 35 degrees, I don't think we'll break 30.

It will definitely break 30 today. It was just a late start because it was a lot colder last night. I was looking to see if Lytton would hit 40 today since it hit 39.1 yesterday, and same thing, even though it's not cloudy there at all. Just sunny, but the cold nighttime temperature means we're all an hour or so behind yesterday (2 to 3 degrees of warming per hour this time of day). It might start warming up quicker after 3 today is what I'm thinking.

4pm, temperature at the airport is 26.0 degrees, it actually dropped a couple degrees since 3pm. Sorry glace but I think you're incorrect.

[Glacier]

4pm, temperature at the airport is 26.0 degrees, it actually dropped a couple degrees since 3pm. Sorry glace but I think you're incorrect.

Wow, was I ever wrong! Interestingly enough, Ashcroft is currently 39! Kamloops and Lytton are 38! Hottest day of the year in Kamloops. Crazy that it's that much hotter up there! Must be the smoke down our way!

[Frisk]

Nearby Merritt is at 34.8C. This smoke is some thick stuff.

[Drip_Torch]

It's showing on radar, http://www.weather.gc.ca/radar/index_e.html?id=xss

I'd venture a guess that's ash precipitating out of the plume. (some fairly compressed nerds landing on the hood of the truck now.)

[seewood]

Is this how the dinosaurs felt after the asteroid smacked into earth? Sure got dark this evening. That fire must have a whole bunch of dry fuel....