SAN FRANCISCO — Dry, windy weather posed an extreme wildfire risk Wednesday in Northern California, where massive blazes already have destroyed hundreds of homes and killed or injured dozens of people. The National Weather Service issued a red-flag warning for extreme fire danger from 5 a.m. through Friday morning. With...
Slow-Moving Hurricane Sally Carrying a Deluge To Gulf Coast
NEW ORLEANS — Storm-weary Gulf Coast residents rushed to finish last-minute preparations Monday as Hurricane Sally chugged slowly through warm Gulf waters. Forecasters predicted said the biggest threat is flooding, with as much as two feet of rain falling in some areas. “The bottom line continues to be that Sally...
Q&A: La Nina May Bring More Fire Danger to California
La Nina — which often means a busier Atlantic hurricane season, a drier Southwest and perhaps a more fire-prone California — has popped up in the Pacific Ocean. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Thursday that a La Nina, the cooler flip side of the better known El Nino, has formed....
Expect Severe Heat During Labor Day Weekend
LOS ANGELES — California will roast in dangerous heat through the Labor Day weekend, forecasters said Thursday, and options for cooling off may be limited by coronavirus concerns at beaches and calls for energy conservation that could limit use of air conditioning at home. The withering hot, dry air also...
Weather, Reinforcements Helping in California Wildfire Fight
VACAVILLE — Firefighters hard-pressed by some of the largest wildfires in California history scrambled Wednesday to take advantage of cooler weather and an influx of aid as they carved and burned containment lines around the flames to prevent more land from burning. “Every percent of containment is hours and hours...
Walters: Blackouts Reveal Our Power Shortage
The prolonged heat wave of 100-degree-plus temperatures that grips California has strained the state’s electric power grid to the breaking point, resulting in rolling blackouts for the first time in nearly two decades. California’s Independent System Operator (ISO), which manages the distribution of power for the state’s investor-owned utilities, imposed...
Car Caught on Video Plunging off Cliff. Search Suspended.
PACIFICA — The search for a vehicle that went off a Northern California cliff has been suspended because of rough sea conditions, authorities said Thursday. Crews began looking for the dark SUV on Monday after a motorist reported seeing the vehicle speed on a curvy section of Highway 1 in...
In Sweden's Arctic, Ice Atop Snow Leaves Reindeer Starving
KIRUNA, Sweden — Thick reindeer fur boots and a fur hat covering most of his face shielded Niila Inga from freezing winds as he raced his snowmobile up to a mountain top overlooking his reindeer in the Swedish arctic. His community herds about 8,000 reindeer year-round, moving them between traditional...
Incoming Storms Bring Ski Area Hope for Thanksgiving Week Opening
The Thanksgiving week storm that's projected to drop Fresno's first measurable rainfall could also bring heavy snow to the Southern Sierra mountains. Forecasters at the National Weather Service office in Hanford say a "strong and wet storm" will reach Central California Tuesday night and continue through Friday. Listen to this...
Thanksgiving Storm May Bring Rain to Valley
Another storm system is heading toward the Valley, with forecasters predicting the possibility of showers just as the Thanksgiving holiday arrives. Weather.com says Fresno could see rain starting next Wednesday and continuing through the weekend. High temperatures are expected to fall into the mid 50s with overnight lows down to...