Drought Update and Wildfire Outlook Webinar for California and the Southwest: June 2, 2022

Welcome to the June 2022 Drought Update and Wildfire Outlook Webinar for California and the Southwest

Speaker: Joel Lisonbee, NOAA/National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS), CIRES

• Welcome to the June 2022 Drought Update and Wildfire Outlook Webinar for California and the Southwest.
• Acknowledgement of land by Emile Elias, Director, USDA Southwest Climate Hub
• Introduction of speakers:
  • Dan McEvoy, Desert Research Institute, Western Regional Climate Center
  • Jim Wallmann, National Interagency Fire Center
  • Christina Restaino, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension

Drought and Climate Update and Outlook

Speaker: Dan McEvoy | Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute

• Long-term, multiyear hot drought remains widespread across the Southwest heading into the monsoon season.
• Mountain snowpack:
  • Well below normal in California and the northern Great Basin, and inconsistent in the rest of the Rockies, with some locations doing better than others.
  • Timing of accumulation and melt is very important; many areas have seen an early melt this spring.
• Water supply is below normal for most major reservoirs and critically low for Lake Mead and Lake Powell.
• Persistent hot, dry, windy, and sunny conditions have led to record high evaporative demand where fires are burning across the Southwest.
• June/July/August outlooks from the National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center favor above-normal Southwest temperatures and below-normal to equal chances of normal precipitation, except for above-normal precipitation in the monsoon region in June–August. 

Wildland Fire Potential Outlook

Speaker: Jim Wallmann | National Interagency Fire Center

• To find the outlook information, visit the National Interagency Fire Center website.
• High fire activity continues in New Mexico, and is likely to continue in the Southwest through June.
• The onset of the monsoon will return the Four Corners to normal with increasing moisture and wet thunderstorms.
• Drier than normal conditions in the Plains will result in above-normal potential there.
• Fire activity will progress north and west through July and August, continuing through September.
• Above-normal fire potential is there, but as we saw last year, critical fire weather is necessary to realize potential.

Living with Fire

Speaker: Christina Restaino | University of Nevada Cooperative Extension

• The mission of the Living with Fire Program is to provide recommendations to residents on preparing for wildfire and reducing wildfire threat to homes and communities.
• View the webinar and visit https://www.livingwithfire.com/ for information on guides, events, podcasts, curriculum, and more. 

Question & Answer

Closing

Speaker: Joel Lisonbee, NOAA/National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS), CIRES