Winter Keeps Nipping California; NASA’s Wildfire Scare; + Solar Cycle 25 Is No Return To The 20th Century Sun
Solar Cycle 25 exceeded the original NOAA/NASA/ISES forecast on the way up, but on the way down it is now tracking well below the average solar-cycle curve dating back to 1750.
Winter Keeps Nipping California
Tioga Road through Yosemite National Park was closed Tuesday, May 26, as a late-season storm moved into the Sierra Nevada.
The road had only just reopened for the season. Bicycles were allowed through on May 14. Vehicles followed on May 15. Less than two weeks later, snow was back and the high-country route was shut again.
Snow was forecast across the central and southern Sierra, with levels dropping to around 5,500 ft (1,670 m). Other high passes, including Sonora, Monitor and Ebbetts, also faced closures as the cold system pushed through.
Across the wider U.S., the pattern is turning sluggish. An Omega Block is expected to build after Wednesday’s rain, holding mild afternoons, cool nights and below-average readings in place.
Late May is not delivering a clean summer switch, particularly in the West.
NASA’s Wildfire Scare
NASA’s “Wildfires and Climate Change” page says global warming is amplifying fire activity.
As an example, it cites the 2021 Marshall Fire in Colorado.
