Meteorologist explains 2020 explosive wildfires
Dr. Cliff Mass, a meteorologist and Atmospheric Sciences Professor at the University of Washington, recently spoke at the Annual Conference of the Oregon Forest & Industries Council. Dr. Mass, who’s presentation slides can be found here, concluded that the intense east winds that drove the fires were a remarkable event, unseen before and unlikely to occur again.
The historically high unprecedented east winds were caused by differences in temperature between a massive cold air mass merging with summertime hot air. Dr. Mass speculates that warming conditions caused by Climate Change could reduce the possibility of such a vast difference between summer cold air masses and warm air.
Overall, Dr. Mass feels it is unclear how Climate Change will impact fire seasons. This view contradicts with the often expressed fears from everyone beginning with President Joe Biden, that climate change will mean the 2020 fires are likely to reoccur.
Additionally, Dr. Mass examined the Heat Dome that brought record breaking temperatures to the Pacific Northwest in June 2021. That was also an anomalous event and unlikely to occur again for decades, if not longer.
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