Weird Weather Watch: Year-Round Fire Season in SoCal

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Southern California is enduring its driest 12 months ever, which means firefighters are already busy again with little rest after the fall fires. The Santa Ana winds, which usually blow from October through December, have continued to blow, fueling fires started in the dry brush. It’s also hotter there than ever before. Finally, the Los Angeles Times reports:

The deep freeze that hit much of the region in January is also worrying firefighters because it killed or damaged countless trees and plants, leaving them vulnerable to fire.

Fire experts say the vegetation looks like it’s already dried out from the summer. “If this is the beginning, I don’t know where we’re going to end up,” one said. No rain in the forecast.

This is what the earth looks like on global warming.

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Managing an independent, nonprofit newsroom is staggeringly hard. There’s no cushion in our budget—no backup revenue, no corporate safety net. We can’t afford to fall short, and we can’t rely on corporations or deep-pocketed interests to fund the fierce, investigative journalism Mother Jones exists to do. That’s why we need you right now. Please chip in to help close the gap.

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