Rippey: Drought Making The 2021 Wildfire Season

The impact of this year's drought on the wildfire season have been pronounced. 

"And it shows no signs of letting up in those hardest hit drought areas of the Pacific Coast states and the Northern Rockies," said USDA meteorologist, Brad Rippey. He pointed out that much of the the worst fire activity is taking place in our back yard.

"About seven dozen wildfires burning across the West all in various stages of containment. The most expansive, and severe, and dangerous wild fires at this point are burning in California, parts of Washington, Oregon, and then expanding eastward across the northern Rockies."

And with the significant wildfire activity in the northern regions of the West, "we have smoke that has been reducing air quality and also reducing visibility. Hazy conditions a lot of that smoke and haze has drifted eastward with the jest stream and we're seeing those hazy skies reaching all the way in to the Eastern United States."

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