Climate Impact Report – 1/16

Key Facts Of The Day 1/16

Storms And Flooding

• Multiple storms will form across portions of the central United States to the Atlantic coast into next week, creating snowy and icy conditions for millions.
  • A clipper-style storm will spread accumulating snow from the Midwest to the central Appalachians, from Wednesday evening to Thursday night.
  • Rain will fall from the Ohio Valley to the mid-Atlantic coast to southeastern New England on Saturday. 

Wildfires

• In California, 5 fires have burned 38,724 acres as of Thursday. 
  • As of Thursday, the Palisades Fire has burned 23,713 acres and is 22% contained.
    • The Palisades fire is the second most destructive wildfire to hit Southern California.
    • The Palisades fire is expected to be the costliest wildfire in U.S. history.
    • More than 4,400 buildings were damaged or destroyed in the Pacific Palisades and Eastern Malibu areas.
  • As of Thursday, the Eaton Fire has burned 14,117 acres and is 55% contained. 
    • The Eaton fire is the most destructive wildfire in Southern California history.
    • At least 6,700 buildings were damaged or destroyed by the Eaton Fire.
  • As of Thursday, the Hurst Fire has burned 799 acres and is 98% contained.
  • As of Thursday, the Auto Fire has burned 61 acres and is 85% contained.
  • As of Thursday, the Little Mountain Fire has burned 34 acres and is 0% contained.
  • The California wildfires have killed at least 25 people.
  • Red flag warnings have expired in the city of Los Angeles, but they remain across the mountainous regions of Los Angeles and Ventura counties through Thursday afternoon.
  • Forecasters warn that another round of Santa Ana Winds is expected to begin early next week. 
  • Even for residents whose homes were not destroyed, getting back to their neighborhoods may be delayed by the critical work of removing hazardous debris, which could take three to six months.
  • An eighth grader in Pasadena, started a donation drive called Altadena Girls, focused on restoring a sense of normalcy to teenage girls affected by the Los Angeles fires.
  • A University of California, Los Angeles analysis found that intense heat caused by climate change may be linked to about 25% of the fuel that fed the current California wildfires. 

Extreme Heat

• A heat-mapping project in the Reno-Sparks area in Nevada found that some neighborhoods were over 20 degrees hotter than others.
• Nearly all of Southern California is experiencing level 2 of 4 severe drought conditions.
• Drought conditions across California raise concerns about its potential impact on the Central Valley’s agricultural economy.