[Slim]

News Release: Chilliwack Area Trail and Camp Closure Park officials have closed all trails and camps entering the park complex at Hannegan Pass Trailhead, including Copper Loop, to the junction of Big Beaver Trail due to fire activity in the area. Camp closures include all camps between Boundary and Stillwell camps. Multiple fires are active in the Chilliwack area in North Cascades National Park following recent storms through the area. The fires were detected late Tuesday evening. https://www.nps.gov/noca/learn/news/chilliwack-area-trail-and-camp-closure.htm

[Matt Lemke]

Dammit

[Malachai Constant]

We could see from Sahale Arm what looked like a plume of smoke in that direction, I assumed it was just a cloud. There was some thunder activity to the east and a few showers made it over the crest. Same as last year. I wonder if last years never went dead out.😰

[gb]

It looks pretty bad in Washington last 48 hours. Probably all sorts of fires. Recent lightning We do get a bit of rain Friday late and Saturday and the nights are long and cool, but next week looks to get hot once again. But the time of year may keep any of what has to be multiple new fires from getting out of control. Actually, freezing levels are higher next week than this week, averaging 14,500 -15,000'. I generally don't like to hike when the FL is higher than 13-13,500. It was hot near Baker yesterday (anything sunny) with a 12,500' FL. But the optimistic FL did not represent conditions at 5,000' which were 23C+-. Next week mid to late week it shows TS again and there are only two 2-3 day cooler periods in what looks like a scorcher through September 9th. 5000' temperatures by the GFS go from 22-24 C Tuesday to 28-29C 9/3 and 9/4). No good news in Canada either. If Seattle is 28C @ 5000' it will be 100 in Seattle. This looks awful and but for a day's timing is what was predicted for this period a week ago. All-time record high September temps in Washington, Oregon, and BC now look more likely.

[gb]

Here is the latest Howard Sheckter post which is also much more pessimistic. "The new normal?"

[rbuzby]

Fire on the north side of the Brush creek west of Whatcom Pass, and on the slopes east of the trail on Chilliwack ridge, north of Copper Lake. Not the same places as last year.

[Roly Poly]

GB, I also follow HS reports!

[Joey]

Here are the MODIS/VIIRS heat detections. There is another fire a bit to the north. GISsurfer is slow to start - I need to look into that. View larger size in new window

[HikingBex]

Looks like the trail on the NF isn't closed (although certainly doesn't sound like a fun place to hike right now): https://www.facebook.com/MtBakerSnoqualmieNF/posts/pfbid02GVUT2jA3K4tbYxVW7gWGfjN6D3jK5a7GPk49THtPKaPYRSeggzqK2BDLjw3kaMkhl

[Hutch]

There goes my long-planned Labor Day weekend plans!

[rbuzby]

Over 2800 lightning strikes in 24 hours in WA.

[Fletcher]

Really sh##ty news overall. I wonder how many more fresh starts will be discovered over the next couple days.

[dixon]

This is to be expected with decades of artificial fire suppression. Forests have always followed a cycle, humans got involved and the nimbys got their way. Now we're left with unhealthy forest's choked with dead fuel just waiting to go up. I have friends in the FS who tell me they can't even burn piles in the spring as local residents complain and so the fuels keep on building.

[Malachai Constant]

[thunderhead]

Fortunately not much smoke visible on satellite and not much wind in the forecast. With dew season just a couple weeks off(and maybe even a major rain event before that depending on which model you look at) and a minor disturbance early Saturday... it looks like we should pass through this summer with below normal fire activity. Still somehow managed to show up at one of the only burning trailheads. Figures.