Climate Impact Report – 11/19

November 19, 2024

Key Facts Of The Day 11/19

An atmospheric river will bring numerous weather threats to Western states this week, including heavy rain, flooding, damaging winds, treacherous seas, and snow.
- Starting Tuesday, the Pacific Northwest could get at least 6 inches of rain, with 20-plus inches possible in the mountains.
- There will be an elevated potential for landslides, especially in recent burn scars left by the summer’s wildfires.
While Sara is no longer a tropical storm it will still influence an uptick in moisture in the Gulf of Mexico and spread heavy rain into part of the United States.

As of Friday, 5 large active wildfires have burned 238,989 acres across CA, MA, NC, and WV. This year to date, 50,276 wildfires have burned 8,109,693 acres across the country.
In California, 1 fire has burned 19,904 acres as of Friday.
In Massachusetts, 2 fires have burned 555 acres as of Friday.
In North Carolina, 1 fire has burned 175 acres as of Friday.
In West Virginia, 1 fire has burned 210 acres as of Friday.
Over 150 homes were evacuated as wildfire risk persists across the historically dry Northeast.

On Monday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a statewide drought watch and urged residents to conserve water in the coming weeks.
- Fifteen counties were under a drought warning.
- On Monday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams issued the first drought warning in 22 years amid historically low rainfall and warm temperatures.
  - New York City officials will also pause the final phase of a $2 billion repair project of the Delaware Aqueduct so it can be reopened and used, bringing in water from four reservoirs.
As the drought worsens in the Philadelphia area, officials are concerned over salt levels in the Delaware River.
Reefs across the north of the Great Barrier Reef have seen substantial losses of coral cover after a summer of extreme heat, two cyclones, and major flooding.