#  CA Wildfires Could Continue ‘til Christmas … No Rain, High Temps will Keep Smoke Coming

     Details    Eric Holthaus   ![logo](https://mail.citywatchla.com//templates/ja_teline_v/images/logo.png)         December 11 2017      [  ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Dec-2017/100n.png)    ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14513-ca-wildfires-could-continue-til-christmas-no-rain-high-temps-will-keep-smoke-coming)

  [LOS ANGELES](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles)   - [  Previous Article **Drug Biz Sues California … Unhappy with New ‘Advance Notice’ Law** ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14514:drug-biz-sues-california-unhappy-with-new-advance-notice-law&catid=312)
- [  Next Article **Backlash Ripples Through California Politics after Women Denounce Sexual Harassment** ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14510:backlash-ripples-through-california-politics-after-women-denounce-sexual-harassment&catid=312)

  ###### Typography

- [](# "Smaller Font")  ****Smaller** **Small** **Medium** **Big** **Bigger****  [](# "Bigger Font")
- [](# "Previous Font Style")  ****Default** **Helvetica** **Segoe** **Georgia** **Times****  [](# "Next Font Style")

- [ Reading Mode](# "Reading Mode")

> <a class="a2a_button_facebook"></a><a class="a2a_button_twitter"></a><a class="a2a_button_email"></a><a class="a2a_button_print"></a>[](https://www.addtoany.com/share)
>
>  [Comments](#disqus_thread)

>
>
>
> CLIMATE POLITICS--At a moment when firefighters—and anyone who lives and breathes in Southern California—could use a break, the atmosphere is about to double down.

 The latest weather forecasts continue to show not even a drop of rain for at least the next 16 days in Southern California, with a continuation of warmer-than-normal temperatures until Christmas Eve, or even longer. Conditions like that will favor continued smoldering or even new fire growth for the indefinite future in the areas that are still burning out of control.

In Ventura County, the [Thomas Fire](https://psmag.com/environment/scenes-from-the-thomas-fire), now in its fifth day at 134,000 acres and just 10 percent containment, has grown into [the first megafire in recorded California history in the month of December](http://grist.org/article/the-first-wintertime-megafire-in-california-history-is-here/).

![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Dec-2017/100o.png)That the fires are happening when the rainy season is normally already in full swing is one thing, but the extent and unpredictability of the flames [continue to astound](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/12/07/ventura-county-thomas-fire-santa-paula/929897001/) officials tasked with stopping their spread.

The Thomas Fire is now [one of the largest](https://twitter.com/ClimateSignals/status/939249145906212864) and [most destructive](http://www.fire.ca.gov/communications/downloads/fact_sheets/Top20_Destruction.pdf) fires for any month in California history, burning more than 400 homes and buildings as of Friday afternoon. At least 15,000 buildings [remain threatened](https://twitter.com/VCFD_PIO/status/939183913699647488) by the fire. Air quality in the region is [being strongly affected](https://twitter.com/NWSLosAngeles/status/939229192046116865), and with no incoming rains to clear things out, will likely remain "a major issue" for weeks to come, according to the National Weather Service. On Friday morning, President Donald Trump [declared a federal disaster](https://psmag.com/#nt=oft01a-1la1), which will help speed the flow recovery aid.

The National Weather Service has extended [its forecast](https://twitter.com/NWSLosAngeles/status/939176151318237186) for damaging Santa Ana winds until at least Sunday and likely much longer. In a technical forecast discussion on Friday, forecasters in Los Angeles said the overall weather pattern would remain "very stable" through at least the end of next week, with occasional bursts of offshore Santa Ana winds.

Since October, rainfall in the region has been [less than 5 percent of normal](https://twitter.com/Weather_West/status/939259103246872577)—one of the driest starts to the rainy season in history. Conditions this week have been more like summertime, with near-record-low humidity and temperatures in the 80s.

*(Eric Holthaus is a meteorologist, climate nerd, host of the podcast* [*Our Warm Regards*](https://soundcloud.com/warmregardspodcast)*. This perspective was posted earlier at [Pacific Standard.](http://psmag.com))*

*-cw*

Tags: Eric Holthaus, climate change, global warming, wildfires, California, California wildfires, Christmas

  - [  Previous Article **Drug Biz Sues California … Unhappy with New ‘Advance Notice’ Law** ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14514:drug-biz-sues-california-unhappy-with-new-advance-notice-law&catid=312)
- [  Next Article **Backlash Ripples Through California Politics after Women Denounce Sexual Harassment** ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14510:backlash-ripples-through-california-politics-after-women-denounce-sexual-harassment&catid=312)
<div data-id="1" 
	class="eb-inst eb-hide eb-emailform eb-1 eboxContentLocker"
	data-options='{"trigger":"onPageLoad","trigger_selector":"","delay":3000,"early_trigger":true,"scroll_depth":"percentage","scroll_depth_value":80,"firing_frequency":1,"reverse_scroll_close":true,"threshold":0,"close_out_viewport":false,"exit_timer":1000,"idle_time":10000,"close_on_esc":false,"animation_open":"slideInDown","animation_close":"fadeOutDown","animation_duration":400,"disable_page_scroll":true,"test_mode":false,"debug":false,"ga_tracking":true,"ga_tracking_id":"G-P16BQ7X1SW","ga_tracking_event_category":"EngageBox","ga_tracking_event_label":"Box #1 - Global Email Signup Form","auto_focus":false}'
	data-type='popup'
	>

	<button type="button" data-ebox-cmd="close" class="eb-close placement-outside" aria-label="Close">
	<img alt="close popup button" />
	<span aria-hidden="true">&times;</span>
</button>
	<div class="eb-dialog eb-formVer" role="dialog" aria-modal="true" id="dialog1" aria-label="dialog1">
		
		<button type="button" data-ebox-cmd="close" class="eb-close placement-inside" aria-label="Close">
	<img alt="close popup button" />
	<span aria-hidden="true">&times;</span>
</button>	
		<div class="eb-container">
						<div class="eb-content">
				
<form action="https://citywatchla.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=34d69f33624fd058ee9b56516&amp;id=4bfa422f51&amp;f_id=00d6c2e1f0" class="eb" method="post" id="mcform-1" name="mcform-1" target="_blank">
			<div class="eb-form-header"><p><img src="/images/2023/06/be-a-city-watcher.png" alt="be a city watcher" width="350" height="97" loading="lazy" data-path="local-images:/2023/06/be-a-city-watcher.png"></p>
<p>Sign up to receive our special e-news blasts on Monday and Thursday evenings!</p></div>
	
					<div class="eb-field-row">

			
			
			
			<input class="eb-input" type="email" name="EMAIL"  placeholder="Email address"  id="EMAIL" value="" required>

			
		</div>
										
	<div class="eb-footer">
    	<button class="eb-btn" type="submit" name="subscribe" style="background-color:rgba(93, 183, 93, 1);color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 1)">
    		Sign up    	</button>
    </div>
</form>			</div>
		</div>
	</div>	
</div>
<div data-id="3" 
	class="eb-inst eb-hide eb-yesno eb-3 "
	data-options='{"trigger":"onScrollDepth","trigger_selector":"","delay":0,"early_trigger":false,"scroll_depth":"percentage","scroll_depth_value":80,"firing_frequency":2,"reverse_scroll_close":false,"threshold":0,"close_out_viewport":false,"exit_timer":1000,"idle_time":1000,"close_on_esc":false,"animation_open":"fadeInUp","animation_close":"fadeOut","animation_duration":300,"disable_page_scroll":false,"test_mode":false,"debug":false,"ga_tracking":true,"ga_tracking_id":"G-P16BQ7X1SW","ga_tracking_event_category":"EngageBox","ga_tracking_event_label":"Box #3 - Yes \/ No Donation Popup Box","auto_focus":false}'
	data-type='popup'
	>

	<button type="button" data-ebox-cmd="close" class="eb-close placement-outside" aria-label="Close">
	<img alt="close popup button" />
	<span aria-hidden="true">&times;</span>
</button>
	<div class="eb-dialog " role="dialog" aria-modal="true" id="dialog3" aria-label="dialog3">
		
		<button type="button" data-ebox-cmd="close" class="eb-close placement-inside" aria-label="Close">
	<img alt="close popup button" />
	<span aria-hidden="true">&times;</span>
</button>	
		<div class="eb-container">
						<div class="eb-content">
				
<div class="ebox-yes-no">
	<div class="ebox-yn-text">
		
		
		<div class="ebox-yn-headline" style="font-size:22px;color:#888888">
			<p>If you only give once a month, would you consider giving to CityWatch?</p>
<p>Your support fuels our mission to promote and facilitate civic engagement and neighborhood empowerment, and to hold area government and its politicians accountable.</p>
<p>Would you like to help? Even if you can only give $5, it will make a difference.</p>		</div>
			</div>
	
	<div class="ebox-ys-buttons" style="font-size: 16px;">
		
<a
					data-ebox-prevent="0"
		data-ebox-cmd="close"
				target="_self"
		href="https://www.citywatchla.com/donate"
		rel="noopener"
	
	
	
	
	class="ebox-ys-btn"
	style="background-color:#2ec664;color:#ffffff;min-width:100px">
	Yes
	</a>
<a
	
	
			data-ebox-cmd="close"
		href="#"
	
	
	class="ebox-ys-btn"
	style="background-color:#ef2345;color:#ffffff;min-width:100px">
	Not Right Now
	</a>	</div>

	</div>			</div>
		</div>
	</div>	
</div>